For the last 30 years, the Canadian Rockies International Airport in Cranbrook, British Columbia has been gathering data to prove that the region has one of the highest solar intensities in all of Canada. For the most part, the airport’s figures have failed to garner significant support for major solar energy development in the area. Now, it appears, the movement is catching some attention and spurring clean energy development.

The city  of Kimberley — roughly 40 minutes southeast of Cranbrook — is in the process of  installing a solar energy system to validate the airport’s figures. Dubbed the “SunMine Project,” the  system is being installed at a former mine and intended result is two-fold: (1) Prove the feasibility of solar power in British Columbia, and (2) Demonstrate that the infrastructure remaining at the former mine is valuable.

So far, Kimberley and its partners — the Vancouver, B.C.-based non-profit EcoSmart Foundation Inc. and former operator of the mine/current property owner Teck Resources Limited — have embarked on the first phase of the project. The phase consists of installing a one megawatt peak (MWp) plant that, once built, should indicate whether it’s worth it to build a large, grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) solar energy plant at the site. In other words, it’ll be something akin to the canary in a mine.

So far, two sets of test panels have been installed. Kimberley Mayor Jim Ogilvie is confident that the test will yield the results needed to move ahead with a grid-connected system:

“The test site is the first step in confirming that we have the resources we believe we do. The next step will be the development of the 1MWp solar power plant, which will establish Kimberley as an emerging player in the clean energy industry.”

There are a couple of key reasons why solar makes sense right now for the B.C. region. First, the existing infrastructure at the former mine means Kimberley will save the time and money it takes to build the grid lines to transport the energy. Second, Canada as a whole has a pretty vibrant solar-panel manufacturing industry. It’s expected that the proposed plant would use Canadian panels. If it turns out to be a success, the plant will generate investor confidence in Canadian cleantech companies and really put the country’s clean energy industry on the map.