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The County of St. Paul is proactively moving towards energy efficiencies and increasing savings in operational costs.
The County has purchased two solar powered FTR golf carts that will be used at the County’s Lac Bellevue and Stoney Lake campgrounds when the campgrounds open in May. The golf carts are equipped with high end solar panels, which ensure that the golf carts run longer while keeping the carbon footprint down.
The golf cart batteries will remain charged all day long when parked outdoors due to the dual-solar panel technology on the roofs and they are less reliant on an electrical power source to charge the batteries.
The cost of each golf cart was $12,900 for a total cost of $25,800. They were purchased through FTR Golf in Wainwright, Alberta. The County of St. Paul will receive a rebate of $7,740 total from the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre, a collaborative initiative between the Government of Alberta, Alberta Municipalities, and the Rural Municipalities of Alberta.
Each unit is equipped with a 107 amp-hour lithium-ion battery with a charge time of five hours from zero to 100%. The solar drive system has a 20-year life span, and comes with a 5-year warranty.
The two golf carts purchased are in addition to electric lawnmowers that were purchased in 2022 through the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC), Electric Vehicles for Municipalities Program which are expected to save approximately
$1,800 in fuel costs annually.
The County of St. Paul and regional governments appointed a Municipal Energy Manager (MEM) in mid-2021. The MEM is 80 percent funded by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC). The goal is to reduce energy costs for municipal governments and increase energy efficiency.
The Municipal Energy Manager program enables municipalities to manage their energy use, become more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their facilities by providing funding to hire an MEM.
The County of St. Paul, Town of St. Paul, Town of Elk Point and the Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay are partners in the regional municipal energy program, with the County of St. Paul being the managing partner.
BACKGROUND
For 2023, the County of St. Paul Campgrounds will be open from May 18, closing on September 4, 2023. Videos of the golf carts “in action” will be posted on the County’s ‘Campgrounds’ webpage by the end of May.
Lac Bellevue Campground is located southwest of the Town of St. Paul. From St. Paul, travel east for 1 mile on Highway 29, then turn south of Highway 881 south to Township Road 562, then turn west for 3 miles, then south for 1 mile.
Stoney Lake Campground is southeast of the Town of St. Paul. From St. Paul, travel east on Hwy 29 for 1 mile, then turn south on Highway 881, then turn east on Highway 646, then turn south on Range Road 81A.
