90.48 kW rooftop solar offsetting 97.5% of electricity at a light manufacturer in Lakeside, Nova Scotia

A high daytime load against a roof asset approaching the end of its replacement cycle.

Small and mid-scale manufacturing facilities often operate with consistent annual electricity demand driven by production equipment, lighting, and building systems. Energy costs remain a meaningful operational expense — particularly in regions with higher electricity rates.

At Goodspeeds Manufacturing’s Lakeside facility, the objective was to dramatically reduce reliance on grid electricity without disrupting production activities. The challenge was not scale, but accuracy — engineering a system capable of offsetting nearly all annual electricity consumption within the limits of an existing manufacturing building.

Size to the service. Mount without penetrations.

A rooftop solar PV system was engineered with capacity and layout determined based on roof availability, electrical infrastructure, and operating patterns specific to light manufacturing.

Rather than oversizing the installation, the design focused on achieving near-complete annual electricity offset through careful alignment between generation and usage. The system reached commercial operation on April 25, 2025.

The numbers, then the consequence.

• 0194,964 kWh of solar electricity generated annually.
• 0297.53% of the facility's annual electricity consumption offset by solar.
• 03Minimal ongoing reliance on grid electricity for day-to-day manufacturing operations.
• 04System commissioned April 25, 2025.

For the facilities and engineering audience.

The system consists of 90.48 kW DC (156 Thornova Solar modules) paired with 72 kW AC via Fronius Symo inverters. TerraGen rooftop racking was engineered to integrate with the existing roof structure.

Nova Scotia’s electricity grid has a higher emission factor than Ontario, meaning each kWh of on-site generation delivers comparatively greater GHG reduction per unit of production.

Facility characteristics that shaped the design.

• Light manufacturing facility with stable annual electricity demand
• Electrical loads driven by production equipment and facility systems
• Rooftop configuration suitable for compact, high-utilisation solar deployment
• Atlantic Canada location with meaningful value for on-site electricity generation given regional electricity rates

What was installed.