Saint Mary’s Loyola residence stands to be tallest solar-integrated tower in North America

There's a green energy construction project going on at Saint Mary's University in Halifax that's making a lot of people look to the sky.

A demolition crew is tearing down the concrete facade of the south-facing wall of the 22-storey Loyola Residence Tower and will replace it with solar panels. Once complete, it will be the tallest solar-integrated building not only in Nova Scotia but in North America.

"We hope that we don't hold that record very long," said Dennis Gillis, the senior director of facilities management at Saint Mary's.

Gillis hopes others will see this solar project as inspiration and an opportunity to build and integrate solar technology on their building’s exterior.

He says other universities and businesses across the country have been inquiring about the solar energy retrofit.

"We want someone else to take that and run with it," said Gillis.

The $8.5 million project is an example of the possibilities of green energy and an essential step in helping reduce the university's carbon footprint.

"It's exciting to be a part of that and to hopefully maybe start and see more universities and buildings in Halifax incorporate these installations," said Selina Adema, a second-year engineering student at Saint Mary's.

Jason Bayer is also an engineering student with an interest in working with solar power projects and photovoltaics.

The 25-year-old says the environment and renewable energy will play a part in all future designs and projects.

"It's very useful to start looking into these things because we may as well harness the energy of the giant beaming ball of gas in the sky," said Bayer.

The Loyola Tower solar project is the way forward and will help the university reach its climate goal of reducing emissions by 53 percent for 2025.

"I hope it sets a precedent for the creation of new renewable energy resources in the province," said Bayer.

The high-rise residence is home to more than 430 students and the solar installation will provide close to 50 percent of the energy used in the building.

Astrophysics professor Rob Thacker spends a lot of time on the roof of the Loyola Tower, looking through the telescope in the school's Burke-Gaffney Observatory.

From his view, the solar retrofit is not only a creative project that helps tackle climate change, it's part of the university's mandate to be at the forefront of developing green energy solutions.

"When you have the resources of a big institution, you can use those resources in showing people what can be achieved when you put your minds to it," said Thacker. "And when you look for solutions that are cheaper and can be done as part of retrofits, that's a significant and cost-saving way to address climate change.”

The Loyola Tower opened in 1971, and it's expected the solar project will be complete by July. It will generate 100,000 kWh annually, for the residence and campus.

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