Watson Lake District Energy System- Solar PV System Impact Assessment

This report reviews how Watson Lake’s planned solar power project will affect the town’s district energy system, which currently uses free waste heat from ATCO’s diesel generators to heat several community buildings. Because solar generation will reduce diesel use, less waste heat will be available, creating a need for backup heating especially for the Recreation Centre, which has no secondary system. The study finds that this change also weakens the financial case for expanding the system to the hospital and elementary school, unless major funding is secured. Recommendations include; adding backup heat at the Recreation Centre, exploring options like electric boilers powered by excess solar, and making system upgrades to improve efficiency and reliability.