Close to 5,000 panels are expected to be installed in Saskatoon’s solar farm, which begins construction this week.
Published Jun 17, 2025 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 3 minute read
Saskatoon is preparing construction on a solar farm, which is shown in this rendering. A solar farm project along Dundonald Avenue in Saskatoon will begin construction this week.
That’s according to the City of Saskatoon, which said this 2.8 megawatt solar facility will cost $8.46 million.
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CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE Jose Cheruvallath, Saskatoon Light and Power’s (SL&P) Metering and Sustainable Electricity Manager, said this project will take about six months to complete.
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“Surprisingly, construction on solar farms do not take a long time,” Cheruvallath said.
The solar farm will be located in the green space between Dundonald Avenue and Circle Drive South, just south of 11th Street West. It will cover roughly 14 acres, the city said.
“We’re anticipating just under 5,000 solar panels to be installed on site,” Cheruvallath said.
Fencing will be installed, and the city said vines will be planted along the northwest side of the fence to add visual appeal.
Construction is set to begin on the green space between Dundonald Avenue and Circle Drive South this week as the city creates a solar farm. (Photo by Brody Langager) POWER AND EMISSIONS REDUCTION Cheruvallath said the solar panels being used have a higher wattage than what was initially pitched for the project, bringing the 2.8 megawatt facility up from the 2.2 megawatts originally expected.
“The generation capacity is enough to power over 400 homes – which is a neighbourhood the size of Richmond Heights or the Willows,” said Trevor Bell, director for SL&P.
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Saskatoon’s electricity emissions are expected to drop by about 19,380 tonnes over the project’s 30-year lifespan. The city said this is equivalent to about 140 cars on the road every year.
COST INCREASES Solar farm costs have almost doubled, with a 2021 report pricing the project at $4.25 million.
Cheruvallath explained that the overall system size is a bit lower than what was presented to city council, so the cost is anticipated to be lower.
“A lot of time had passed since we did our last assessment of the site and its potential in 2021.”
He said there were higher-wattage solar panels on the market, and inflationary pressures also influenced higher costs.
With the increased cost comes an increase in time needed to pay off the project. The city originally expected to recoup its contribution over seven years, but Cheruvallath said that number is now closer to 15 years. That’s still less than the project’s overall 30-year lifespan.
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Project funding is partially covered by the provincial and federal governments, but an additional $2.23 million was approved for a loan last year to cover some of the increased costs.
LEARNING MORE ABOUT GREEN ENERGY A project constructed in 2016 helped inform decisions for this solar farm, Cheruvallath said.
Several solar panels were installed near the landfill to help generate power for the nearby gas generation facility.
Cheruvallath said that project helped inform them about the financials and performance of solar technology, noting they had several solar-panel arrangements on site to find out what kind of system works best in the city.
The project was created in partnership with groups like Saskatchewan Polytechnic, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and the SES Solar Co-operative Ltd.
“The city is looking to learn from this project,” Cheruvallath said, adding there could be larger solar projects in Saskatoon’s future.
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