Solar Farm: SCAR2026: Virtual Reward 5.0 Virtual Cache

How to Log Your Find

To claim this Virtual Cache, please read the description and observe the site.  Send the answers to these 4 questions to the Cache Owner using the "send answer" feature of the virtual cache, geocache message to the cache owner or email the CO.  Do NOT post any logs that reveal the answers to any of the questions as they will be deleted.  You must log a  photo of the solar farm array without the sign in the photo to show you were at the site.

Questions:

1. The Impact: This farm produces enough energy to power how many Saskatoon homes each year?

2. The Green Cooling: How do the "Naturalized" pollinator plants help the panels perform better in the summer?

3. Read the sign at this virtual cache location.  In the "send answers" section write the numbers that make up the address please (or you can send the entire address)

4. Mission: This project is equivalent to removing how many cars from the road annually? 

5. Photo for the log posting:   Post a photo of one or more of the solar panels of the Solar Farm to your log. You need to show you were at the Dundonald Avenue Solar Farm- you may walk or drive to either the south or north waymarking point for this task.  Please do not spoil the cache for future folks, please do not take a picture of the sign.  If you do, your log will be deleted. (you do not need to show your face)

*** YOU MUST VISIT BE ABLE TO SEE THE DONALD AVENUE SOLAR FARM LOCATION AT OR NEAR THE ABOVE COORDINATES TO LOG THE FIND! NOTE: ARMCHAIR FINDS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.  To clarify.  "Dundonald" is a neighbourhood located in the northwest corner of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  This is the "Dundonald Avenue Solar Farm" located in the southwest corner of Saskatoon; south of 11th Street West, west of Circle Drive and east of Dundonald Avenue in Montgomery Place Neighbourhood. ***

Legacy and Heritage: Virtual caches were established to highlight an area of interest, a hidden story, where a physical container would be impractical, prohibited, or inappropriate. Unlike traditional caches, the reward is the location itself—offering a "wow" factor through unique educational experiences that a regular tourist might overlook. In the modern era, this virtual cache highlights global priorities like sustainability and climate action where the City of Saskatoon is leading by example in the transition to renewable energy. Because the solar panels are located behind protective chain-link fencing, a virtual cache is the perfect tool for discovery. This turns the geocaching gameboard into a platform for environmental awareness, celebrating an "awe element" rooted in sustainable infrastructure and the power of leading-edge municipal change.

Welcome to the Dundonald Avenue Solar Farm, a 14-acre powerhouse and the first utility-scale solar project for Saskatoon Light & Power. This "Blue Forest" is a major pillar of the City's Low Emissions Community Plan, turning a vacant "brownfield" (land reclaimed from the Circle Drive South freeway project) into a renewable energy hub.

The Power of the Prairies

Saskatoon is one of the sunniest cities in Canada, making it the perfect spot for this 2.82-Megawatt facility. Each year, these 4,784 panels harvest enough sunlight to produce 3.75 gigawatt-hours of electricity. To put that in perspective, it’s enough to power 435 homes—roughly the size of the Willows or Richmond Heights neighborhoods! (2025 stats)

Over its 30-year lifespan, the farm will prevent approximately 19,380 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. That is the environmental equivalent of taking 140 cars off our roads every single year.

Design for the North

Because we live in the Land of Living Skies (and heavy snow!), the engineering here is specialized:

The Tilt: Every panel is set at a precise 35-degree angle. This is the "sweet spot" for catching the most rays while letting Saskatchewan snow slide right off.

The Height: The panels stand about 13 feet (4 meters) tall—roughly the same height as a standard City Transit Bus.

The Understorey: Beneath the glass, a Naturalized Infrastructure of native pollinator plants grows. These plants actually cool the underside of the panels, which prevents them from overheating and increases their efficiency during our hot July and August days.

The perimeter is more than just a security boundary; the northwest chain-link fence serves as a living trellis. It features climbing vines paired with a lush understory of native grasses and wildflowers, creating a 'pollinator highway' that blends the facility into the natural prairie landscape.

Did You Know?

Viking Connection: The Vikings used "Sunstones" (crystals like Iceland Spar) to find the sun's position on cloudy days. Today, we use silicon and glass to catch that same light and turn it into the power that charges your GPS!

Solar "Farming": Unlike traditional crops, these panels don't need rain to grow—in fact, they prefer the cold, clear winter days of the prairies because solar cells actually work more efficiently in cold temperatures!

Viking Spirit: While the Vikings didn't have solar panels, they used the sun for navigation! This farm sits on land that has "Excellent South Exposure," a trait ancient travelers always looked for when choosing a site for a long-term settlement.

Cooling Effect: Solar panels actually lose efficiency when they get too hot. By planting native flowers underneath, the transpiration of the plants creates a micro-climate that keeps the tech cool!

A time line