The city and Horizon Energy Solutions have embarked on a pilot program to install solar panels on as many as seven city-owned buildings that could generate up to two megawatts of electricity by early next year.

In the coming weeks engineers will be checking out the roof-tops at the Mountain Transit Centre on Upper James, Mohawk 4 Pad Arena, Chedoke Twin Pad Arena and the YMCA-library building and Division 3 police station at Turner Park to see if they can handle a solar photovoltaic system.

“We need to do a detailed engineering review of the sites,” said Geoff Lupton, director of energy, fleet, facilities and traffic at the city’s public works department.

The rooftops of the old HSR terminal on Wentworth Street north and the composting centre on the old Firestone site on Burlington Street are also being considered.

Scott Knapman, vice president of Horizon Energy Solutions, said the solar panels will save as much as 17,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases that would have been created through carbon-based generation.

“That would be equivalent to taking 290 cars off the road permanently,” he said.

The feasibility study is expected to confirm the solar power locations by the fall.

The solar panels are essentially large metal boards with silicon chips that are covered by a non-reflective glass screen and mounted to a racking system.