By Lara Fominoff @fomsy1 on Twitter

The sun is shining on Lethbridge’s Flexahopper Plastics

Sep 19, 2017 | 1:34 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The roof of Flexahopper Plastics Ltd. is now a virtual sea of solar panels, thanks to a company called Solar Optix and the Alberta Commercial and Residential Energy Efficiency Program.
 
According to Flexahopper President Bill Spenceley, it’s the largest commercial solar array in southern Alberta to date and is two years in the making.
 
Bryce Allred, Co-owner of Solar Optix, says he and Spenceley both began working with Environment Lethbridge, and when Flexahopper Plastics was expandingm, there was a desire for the company to become more environmentally friendly.
 
When the new plant was built, it was ready for installation of the solar panels.
 
“There’s 508-330 watt modules up on the roof. So they will generate just over 200 million watt hours a year. And that will account for about 25 per cent of all of his needs,” says Allred.
 
Environment Minister Shannon Phillips, MLA Maria Fitzpatrick, Mayor Chris Spearman and other dignitaries attended the event, which also included a “flip the switch” ceremony.
 
Flexahopper Plastics is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary this year. The company is a rotational molding plastics company that supplies the oil and gas, agricultural, marine and aerospace industries with things like hoppers, spouts, stackable insulated containers and holding tanks.