Toronto installs solar thermal at city pools
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada, July 11, 2007. The largest city in Canada will heat seven of its swimming pools with the largest municipally‑owned solar thermal installations in the country.
Toronto will install 312 m2 of collectors on the Jimmie Simpson recreation centre, which will be the largest solar pool heating system in Canada. There are two pools at this location, each serviced by its own system and the smaller solar system is 94 m2.
Scarborough Centennial recreation centre will install 250 m2 and the Agincourt recreation centre will install 241 m2. The costs of the solar heating systems were covered by the city’s Energy Retrofit Program, with the Toronto Atmospheric Fund contributing $52,786 and the federal government providing $26,031.
“The city of Toronto has committed to very aggressive goals through the Climate Change, Clean Air & Sustainable Energy Plan,” says councillor Paula Fletcher, chair of the environment committee. “Projects like this will push us even closer to meeting them.”
The installations will reduce CO2 emissions by 103 tonnes a year. Toronto wants to heat all municipal pools with solar energy.
“This is a wonderful start to making Toronto a solar city,” adds councillor Chin Lee, director of Toronto Atmospheric Fund. “It helps show that solar energy is a viable local option.”
The Energy Retrofit Program undertakes retrofit projects in city‑owned facilities to reduce energy and water consumption.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, with a population of 2.6 million people.
Renewable Energy Focus © Copyright 2008, Elsevier Ltd, All rights reserved.