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Update and tour of Kimberley SunMine
An exclusive look at Kimberley’s award-winning SunMine
On Friday, May 11, 2018, the Kimberley Bulletin and other media outlets, got an exclusive tour of the Kimberley SunMine. City of Kimberley Chief Administrative Officer Scott Sommerville hosted the tour to fill visitors in on the progress of the SunMine to date, and plans for the future.
Sommerville explained that from June 22, 2015, to the end of April 2018 (almost three full years of commercial operation), the SunMine has generated $530,324 in revenue on 4,908 MWh of electricity generated.
“After paying for the debt on the $2M borrowing issue and operation and maintenance costs, any surplus goes into a reserve for the replacement of SunMine equipment,” explained Sommerville.
At the end of 2017, there is $32,746 in the SunMine equipment reserve.
Sommerville added that there are 36 different rates paid for the electricity that is generated by the SunMine, dependent upon two factors. The first factor is the month of the year. Rates paid in May and June are much lower than those paid in December and January. The rates are lower when hydroelectric power is plentiful, and higher when water levels are lower. The second factor is time of day, divided into Peak (6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.), Super Peak (4 p.m. to 8 p.m.) and Off Peak (10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Sundays).
Sommerville says there is potential for expansion with the SunMine, including a contract with BC Hydro to provide a second megawatt of electricity.
Click here to watch a video and read the full story.