GP JOULE Canada Corp., a subsidiary of GP JOULE GmbH, has completed construction of the 25.43-MW Innisfail Solar project in Red Deer County, Alberta. GP JOULE joined forces with Elemental Energy Inc., the British Columbia-based renewable energy developer, investor, and project owner — along with community stakeholders — to successfully complete this novel merchant solar farm. The project was executed safely on time and on budget — despite the onset of a global pandemic midway through the installation.
“Turning a vision like Innisfail Solar into reality depends on strong leadership and cooperation, which our solar team experienced with Elemental Energy” said David Pichard, CEO of GP JOULE North America. “We thank the community of Innisfail for its welcome and collaboration in the construction of this utility-scale solar installation, even as everyone incorporated extensive guidelines that safe-guarded us against COVID-19.”
Community support. GP JOULE experienced outstanding support from the local community and worked to engage them with over 100 local construction jobs beginning in October 2019. Local subcontractors worked onsite performing site preparation, clearing and other essential services. Locally owned businesses also provided water and septic services.
“We had an aggressive timeline to complete this project, so it was imperative we hire a turnkey EPC company that had experience working with a company structure like ours, and could address our expectations in partnering with the community of Innisfail,” said Jamie Houssian, Principal at Elemental Energy. “Both Elemental and GP JOULE integrated Innisfail people and businesses across the entire project cycle. Together we have delivered renewable power, new economic opportunities and revenue streams that can flow for years to come.”
Because the Innisfail installation must withstand the daunting Alberta climate for decades, Elemental Energy chose GP JOULE’s proprietary and CSA-classified racking technology to secure the 69,000 bi-facial solar modules onsite.
“Integrating our bench strength and expertise in EPC services for northern markets with our rugged PHLEGON racking technology – suitable for the climate and terrain of the Innisfail project – is what made us a great fit here,” said Pichard. “And we’ve engineered the system for future battery storage using our innovative plug-and-play solution. This means Innisfail and other installations like it can make even greater use of the green electricity they generate as market dynamics change.”
— Solar Builder magazine
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