Cowessess First Nation’s solar facility near Regina now up and running

'We will use the revenue, the profit of this project to make sure we reinvest in our renewable energy projects,' Cowesses First Nation Chief Cadmus Delorme said.

One of the largest solar power plants ever built in Saskatchewan is now online and it sits just outside of Regina on Cowessess First Nation land.

The 10-megawatt Awasis Solar facility is owned by Cowesses First Nation and Elemental Energy. Cowessess First Nation owns 95 per cent of the facility and Elemental Energy owns the remaining five per cent.

The power generated by the plant will be sold to SaskPower for the next 20 years as part of a power purchase agreement.

The newly built solar power facility will be generating revenue for Cowesses First Nation. Cowessess First Nation Chief Cadmus Delorme says it will bring his community economic prosperity.

“We will use the revenue, the profit of this project to make sure we reinvest in our renewable energy projects,” Chief Delorme said at an event held at the facility.

“Some of the profit made here will lead to us having more investment in not only owning the project, having it on our line, but having equity as well. Secondly, some of the profit made will go to underfunded areas — language, family, culture, off and on reserves.”

The Awasis solar plant can power as many as 10,000 homes in optimal conditions.

The panels are bifacial, which allows them to capture the sunlight reflected from the snow, and they also move along with the sun throughout the day to optimize the amount of energy collected.