Canadian Solar and Direct Energy Business sign long-term agreement on 23MW solar project in Southern Alberta

Suffield Solar, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, and Direct Energy Business, part of Direct Energy, one of North America's largest energy and energy-related services providers, and a subsidiary of Centrica PLC, announce that they have signed a long-term agreement to purchase all electrical output and associated capacity from the Suffield facility, scheduled to be online in 2020.

 “With increased customer demand in summer, the addition of 23 MW of solar output will help Direct Energy build renewable power supply options for our customers and provide an alternative to traditional market-based hedges” said David Brast, Senior Vice President, North America Gas and Power, Direct Energy Business. “We are also proud that our agreement with Suffield Solar is the first major step in Alberta, and supports previously announced agreements throughout North America, towards Centrica’s global commitment to provide products and services that lead to a lower carbon future”.

 “We’ve enjoyed partnering with Direct Energy to develop creative solutions like the long-term electricity off-take agreement signed on the Suffield solar project,” said Shawn Qu, chairman at Canadian Solar. “We’re proud to bring some of the latest solar technology to Alberta, the Canadian province known for its energy leadership.”

Once complete, the Suffield solar field will be Alberta’s largest solar power project. While the majority of funding for the facility has been provided through private market investment, it was announced in January that the Suffield project was awarded $15.3 million in funding through Natural Resources Canada’s Emerging Renewable Power Program. Suffield was selected for this funding as the project will deploy some of the latest advancements in renewable technology, while spurring further investment in the industry. Bifacial modules offer many advantages over traditional solar panels as power can be produced from both sides of a bifacial module, increasing total energy generation and reliability during winter months.

With almost one million residential, business and wholesale customers in Alberta, Direct Energy is deeply committed to delivering energy solutions that meet our customers unique needs and playing an active role in the communities that we serve.