Solar Panels in Lamont, Alberta

Solar and Agriculture — A Natural Fit in Lamont

Lamont is a town of about 1,800 people northeast of Edmonton, surrounded by some of the most productive agricultural land in Alberta. Canola, wheat, barley, and mixed farming operations stretch across Lamont County in every direction. These operations run on electricity — grain dryers, bin fans, shop compressors, pivot irrigation, and yard lighting all add up.

The same sun that drives the growing season can drive your electricity production. A solar system on a Lamont farm or acreage converts what is already falling on your property into power that offsets what you would otherwise buy from the grid. It is not complicated. It is just a better use of a resource you already have.

Lamont gets approximately 2,320 hours of sunshine annually. That is measured data, not a marketing claim. Combined with flat terrain and wide-open skies, the solar potential here is strong.

Lamont — Ukrainian Heritage, Farm Country

Lamont was settled largely by Ukrainian immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s. That heritage is visible in the onion-domed churches scattered across the surrounding countryside. The town sits on Highway 15 and serves as a hub for Lamont County — a municipality that spans over 3,400 square kilometres of agricultural land.

Nearby Mundare is famous for its giant sausage statue — a nod to the Stawnichy's mundare sausage that people drive from Edmonton to buy. The area is deeply agricultural, with grain farming as the primary industry. Properties range from in-town homes in Lamont to sprawling farm operations across the county.

For solar, this area is excellent. The flat terrain means virtually no shading issues. The agricultural land base means large properties with room for ground-mount systems. And the farm power bills make the financial case for solar especially compelling.

Solar for Lamont County Farms

Farm power bills in Lamont County are not small. Between grain drying in the fall, bin aeration through the winter, shop equipment year-round, and pivot irrigation in summer, a mid-sized grain operation can easily spend $500 to $1,500 per month on electricity. Over a year, that is a significant operating expense.

Solar converts that recurring cost into a one-time capital investment. The system produces electricity for 25 to 30 years. After the payback period — typically 7 to 11 years for farms with higher consumption — the electricity is effectively free. That changes the cost structure of the operation permanently.

Incorporated farm operations can access the federal Investment Tax Credit at 30 percent, which shortens the payback by roughly a third. The Canada Agricultural Partnership and Emissions Reduction Alberta have also funded on-farm energy projects. We track these programs and include applicable ones in your financial analysis.

What We Install on Lamont Properties

Every system starts with LONGi panels. LONGi is the world's largest solar panel manufacturer, and their panels are built for harsh climates. They handle the temperature range from minus 40 to plus 35 that Lamont experiences through the year. Product warranty is 25 years. Performance warranty extends to 30.

Residential systems use APsystems microinverters. Every pair of panels operates independently — shade or snow on one panel does not reduce the output of the others. Farm-scale systems use Solis inverters, which are designed for higher-capacity installations. Both options include monitoring so you can see production in real time from your phone.

Grid Connection Through FortisAlberta

FortisAlberta owns and operates the distribution lines in the Lamont area. Under Alberta's Micro-generation Regulation, your solar system is legally allowed to connect to their grid. Excess power flows out to the grid and your retailer credits you at the same rate you pay for consumption.

The process is straightforward but involves paperwork — interconnection applications, permit submissions, and inspection scheduling. We handle all of it. You sign the initial application. We submit it, follow up, coordinate the inspection, and get your system connected. We have done this process hundreds of times with FortisAlberta.

Net metering means summer overproduction builds credits that offset winter consumption. Most properly sized systems near Lamont achieve 80 to 100 percent annual offset. The grid is your battery.

The Installation Process

An Alberta Solar Company That Goes Northeast

Most solar companies in Alberta stay in the Edmonton-Calgary corridor. Lamont is northeast — a direction that most installers do not bother with. We do. Range Road Solar was built to serve communities that other companies skip. Over 218 installations across Alberta, many of them in rural areas exactly like Lamont County.

We are an Alberta company. We drive range roads to get to job sites. We understand what it means to operate in a community where word of mouth matters more than advertising. Every installation we do is a reputation we have to live with. That is why we use the best equipment, do the work with licensed electricians, and stand behind it.

No door-knocking. No high-pressure tactics. You reach out to us, we show you the numbers, and you decide. Simple.

Incentives for Lamont Area Properties

The federal Investment Tax Credit at 30 percent is the most significant incentive currently available for solar in the Lamont area. It applies to incorporated businesses and farms. If your farm near Lamont is incorporated, a $30,000 solar system effectively costs $21,000 after the credit. That changes the payback calculation substantially.

Emissions Reduction Alberta and the Canada Agricultural Partnership have also supported on-farm clean energy projects. These programs come and go, so we check availability at the time of your assessment and factor any applicable programs into your financial analysis.

Even without any incentives, solar pays for itself in Lamont. The incentives just make the math better. Our job is to show you the numbers — with and without programs — so you can make an informed decision.

Lamont Solar — Frequently Asked Questions