Here comes the sun: Halifax non-profit unveils new solar tracking system

Crystal Garrett visits Hope Blooms in Halifax to check out their new solar tracking system.

Hope Blooms, a non-profit running agricultural and culinary programs for youth in the north end of Halifax, has unveiled a new piece of technology on its grounds.

A new solar tracking system was launched on Brunswick Street last month during a community supper.

Growth and development director Veronica Gutierrez says Hope Blooms has always had solar power in its greenhouse, and this new project is just new way to use even more renewable energy.

“We were in a conference talking about the other great greenhouses and consultants came in and were like, ‘what about the solar trackers?’ Like we knew there’s none in Nova Scotia and we decided to go for it. The Halifax Investment Fund helped us support it and the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund and then we went for it,” she told CTV Morning Live’s Crystal Garrett.

Dartmouth-based Greenfoot Energy Solutions also helped with the project.

“So what happened basically was I was at an Efficiency Nova Scotia event, met with Don Hunter from s2e Technologies, he was doing some facilitations on this project with FBM Architecture here in Halifax, and that’s how we connected him with our solar team to look at this project and work on this beautiful project together,” said business development representative Hayley MacDonald.

The solar tracking system features snow, wind and sun sensors, which follows the sun as it rises and falls.

“It’ll rotate 360 degrees and then it will also tilt up to 90 degrees up and down. It has safety mechanisms built in so that nothing takes off in the wind and that too much weight doesn’t fall on it in the wintertime with snow,” said solar coordinator Josh Martell.

The system features a 10 kilowatt inverter.

“Basically, what will happen, is now that this rotates with the sun, it’s always going to be producing right around the maximum amount,” Martell said.

Gutierrez added all of the power will go towards Hope Blooms’ social enterprises.

“All of them, all of the proceeds from them go to scholarships for kids, for the food gardens and for the betterment of the community in general,” she said.

“But aside from that I feel like it’s offering opportunities to anyone in the community to use our commercial kitchen and sell their own products in different farmers markets, or in our own farmers market and to bring innovation to our community that has been historically marginalized and left out, and for the kids to grow up in a beautiful space and to see that they’re worth it and they can dream big and have awesome things in their community – I think that’s important.”

Gutierrez said people can support Hope Blooms by donating on their website, buying their products and by visiting their building.

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