Sheridan's Brampton Campus will be the site of Canada's Largest Solar Carport, with construction set to begin this summer.

A solar carport is an overhead shelter for cars that also generates energy, as it's covered with solar panels.

This project in particular is a main component of Sheridan's Integrated Energy and Climate Master Plan (IECMP), which aims to decrease the college's overall energy and carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, and Zero Waste Sheridan, which aims for Sheridan to have zero waste by 2020.

The college was awarded a coveted 20-year contract from the FIT (Feed-in Tariff) program run by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), which manages Ontario's power system. The FIT program was created by the IESO to promote renewable energy generation in Ontario.

This contract has allowed Sheridan to take on the solar carport project.

"This project underscores Sheridan's commitment to being an academic leader in sustainability," says Dr. Mary Preece, President and Vice Chancellor. "It enhances the many steps taken already to reduce our carbon footprint, and provides tremendous educational potential to our students in energy-related fields, who will be able to take their advanced learning and make a difference in our communities."

This 500 kilowatt (kW) project will generate approximately 700,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of solar energy annually, or 7% of the Davis Campus's annual usage, while saving 29 tons of emissions each year.

A leader in environmental innovation, Sheridan has been awarded a Silver rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education in 2015. Sheridan has also launched a District Energy Initiative, implementing systems to help conserve energy while increasing usage efficiency, since the IECMP was first launched in 2010.

The final design for the solar carport is yet to be determined, however, the rendering in the cover photo depicts a potential layout. A contract to design and build the project has been awarded to UGE International Ltd.

The carport will provide shelter for approximately 260 parking spots.

Cover photo rendering by Marisa Giles