Alberta Micro-Generation Regulation
The Alberta Micro-Generation Regulation forms part of the Government of Alberta's Provincial Energy Strategy and allows Albertans to generate renewable electricity for their own use and to receive credit for any excess power they send into the grid. Small wind, solar PV panels, small-scale hydro, biomass and micro-cogeneration systems under 1 MW in size qualify under the regulation.
Alberta Energy has an information sheet on the eligible technologies and respective responsibilities of the micro-generator and the electricity distributor. The Alberta Utilities Commission has a webpage for more information and instructions, guidelines, and forms necessary for connecting your generation equipment to the grid. Information on the AUC's rulemaking and consultative process, along with reporting on the statistics of installed micro-generation capacity, can be found here.
Green Municipal Fund (GMF)
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities administers the $550 millionGMF, offering financial services and resources to Canadian municipal governments to improve environmental performance and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It provides below-market loans and grants, as well as education and training services, to support municipal initiatives that improve air, water and soil quality, and protect the climate.
Qualifying projects include Bio-digester gas and landfill gas capture integrated into municipal facilities. Stand-alone renewable energy projects on brownfield sites may also be eligible for funding. Municipal governments and their wholly-owned corporations are eligible to apply for funding.
Municipal Programs
Some Alberta municipalities have incentive programs for renewable energy projects. Medicine Hat's HAT Smart Renewable Energy program, for example, offers financial incentives to residential and commercial building owners to install solar panels and solar heating systems. A similar pilot program in Edmonton, initially small, was very successful, so watch for a broader initiative soon.
The Alberta Solar Showcase, organized by Climate Change Central, showcases grid-tied solar PV systems on visible municipal buildings in 20 Alberta municipalities, and reports success.
Farm Credit of Canada
The Farm Credit of Canada offers financial loans to agriculture producers and agribusiness operators that install renewable systems including wind, solar, biogas and geothermal. Information and application procedures can be found here.
