When life hands us lemons, we make lemonade
What if Guelph’s most underused lands could become community-owned sources of clean energy?
eMERGE, in partnership with the University of Guelph, is launching a new research project to explore how brownfield sites—such as former landfills and industrial properties—can be repurposed as community owned solar energy projects in Guelph.
In other communities, underused and contaminated lands are being transformed into clean energy assets. What makes this research different is it will explore ways to also provide local investment opportunities for residents with contributions starting as low as $1,000. This initial research project will examine how those models work—and whether they could be applied here in Guelph.
It will focus on two Guelph sites: the former Eastview Landfill and the IMICO foundry site on Beverley Street.
Eastview Landfill looking north:
Eastview Landfill looking south:
By studying comparable brownfield-to-solar initiatives, the project will look to identify practical pathways, policy considerations, and ownership models that could support community solar development on land that hasn’t been able to be used for housing or traditional redevelopment.
IMICO Looking North
How Community Investment Typically Works
In community-owned renewable energy projects, local residents can choose to invest small amounts of money into a project—often through a co-operative or community bond. These investments help pay for project development and construction, and investors usually receive a modest, predictable return over time once the project is operating. The goal is not just financial return, but local ownership, shared benefits, keeping energy dollars circulating within the community and of course fighting climate change together. And there are already local examples of this type of model on privately owned buildings.
What’s Next?
This research represents Phase One of what is expected to be a multi-year initiative to advance the concept of community-owned solar on brownfield lands in Guelph. Future phases may include deeper technical analysis, community engagement, and project development planning.
Installing large solar projects on a field isn’t new. Doing it on municipally owned contaminated property, through community ownership brings whole new meaning to making lemonade from the lemons that life has handed us.
Stay tuned!
Media:
Guelph project looks at placing solar farms on unusable brownfield sites
‘Climate Lemonade’ initiative to research underused lands as community-owned sources of clean energy
____________
