Tag Archives: BC’s solar potential

Energy

The Expanding Local Market For Solar Power

A Cortes Island based solar company has been installing more systems that tie into the grid. 

There is a lot of potential for solar energy production in British Columbia. It has been largely untouched because of the province’s reliance on hydro-power and natural gas. As of October 2023, BC Hydro had 8,500 net metering customers with a combined solar capacity of 71 MW. This was only a fraction of the 4,609.5 MW of solar capacity tied to Canada’s grid that year. 

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Energy

BC’s solar market at tipping point, industry says

By Carl Meyer, Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Solar energy businesses in British Columbia believe their market is at a tipping point following years of niche status, as costs come down, governments demand greener buildings and residents offset rising utility bills from power-hungry electric cars.

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Energy

BC’s SunMine Received National Recognition

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After almost a year of feeding the grid, British Columbia’s first utility scale solar installation has proven it can “do what it was designed to do.” Though SunMine’s production fell in December and January, the site was back within 95% of the projected yield by the end of April (1,500 MwH of the anticipated 1,585 MwH). Now that the sunnier months have begun, the 1.05 MW installation is producing excess electricity. It is not surprising to hear that at the Engineers Canada Awards Gala on May 26th in Charlottetown, PEI, SunMine received national recognition.

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Energy

BC Has Another Net-Zero Energy Home

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Nancy Bepple isn’t a typical net-zero homeowner. She lives in an older home that wasn’t designed to be energy efficient, but Nancy happens to be one of those rare individuals who are very careful about their electricity usage. Consequently, 8 solar panels sufficed to meet her needs and BC has another net-zero energy home.

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Energy

BC’s Solar Capacity Is Doubling

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By Roy L Hales

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There are slow pockets, but most of British Columbia’s solar contractors are busier than ever before. Riverside Energy Systems, in Kamloops, is finding it difficult to keep up. Rob Baxter, of Vancouver Renewable Energy Co-operative, thinks we may have reached a tipping point, “more people want to support solar energy.” Alevtina Akbulatova, Net Metering Specialist with BC Hydro, said 90 projects were connected to the grid during 2014. She added, “There are already 99 this year and I could approve a few more by the end of the day.” Add in the 1 megawatt of capacity from SunMine, the province’s first utility scale solar project, and BC’s Solar capacity Is doubling.

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