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EDMONTON – Mother Nature is lending a hand when it comes to powering one of Edmonton’s outdoor pools.

Two-hundred solar panels were recently installed on the roof of the Queen Elizabeth Pool building. The panels will generate about 50,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, which is about 40 per cent of the total electricity the pool uses.

The energy generated through the solar panels is equal to the electricity consumed annually by seven residential homes.

“This pilot project at Queen Elizabeth Outdoor Pool will help us understand how we will use solar energy at city buildings as we work to lessen our dependency on non-renewable energy and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Adam Laughlin, manager of Facility and Landscape Infrastructure Branch.

“This reflects City Council’s desire for us to rely less on traditional sources of energy to heat and power our buildings.”

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The city says a separate set of solar panels are being used to heat the water in the pool.

The use of the solar panels will be monitored throughout the year to determine how to use the technology in other City of Edmonton buildings.

By 2035, the city hopes to see 10 per cent of its total electricity consumption generated through alternate methods, like solar power.