Peace Energy Cooperative, based in Dawson Creek, is holding an open house to showcase two new solar electric installations there. It’s

being held this coming Saturday, May 17, from 1:00 – 3:00 at the Peace Energy Coop offices at 1204-103rd Ave. in Dawson Creek. Grab something off the barbecue and get a free tour of two new state-of-the-art home-sized solar power systems.

SOLAR HAS COME OF AGE

Global investment in renewable energy (solar, wind, etc.) has now outstripped investment in both fossil fuels and nuclear power combined. For the last

decade, wind power has been the fastest growing energy source on the planet, but now solar is vying for first place. As the economies of scale have ramped up for solar over the last few years, the cost has plummeted, causing a worldwide solar explosion. Rooftop solar, like the ones to be showcased this weekend, are popping up everywhere. Last year, Japan installed almost 4000 megawatts (4 Site C dams worth) of rooftop solar. In one year! Over two million homes are covered with solar panels in Australia, and at least another million across Europe. Yes, solar has finally come of age.

Watt’s Happening?by Don Pettitfor Peace Energy Cooperativewww.peaceenergy.ca ph 250-782-3882

Solar Power Open House

Peace Energy Coop is holding an open house and barbecue this Saturday afternoon, featuring tours of two state-of-the-art solar power systems at South Peace Chiropractic (left) and Peace Energy headquarters next door. Enjoy a burger and learn first hand how solar power works. Everyone is welcome!

WATT YOU’LL SEE

At Peace Energy Coop’s solar open house, you will have a chance to tour and learn about two types of home-sized rooftop solar electric systems. Both feed power into the grid (they are “grid-tied” for credit on their electrical bills) but that’s where the similarity ends. The South Peace Chiropractic solar array was designed as a “deluxe” system with all of the bells and whistles. The owner, Dr. Chris Garwah, wanted back-up battery power so that when the grid goes down, his practice can function for at least a day or part of a day. That means keeping the lights on, the computers and diagnostic equipment running, and the furnace fan blowing. Not having to close the doors on those no-grid days means providing uninterrupted quality care to patients, and overall better customer service. Meanwhile, the solar power reduces or eliminates his electricity bills! At South Peace Chiropractic, a 4-kilowatt solar array feeds power to a grid-tie inverter, as well as a battery charger that keeps the battery bank ready for grid failure. When the grid goes down, the inverter feeds battery power into the building’s electrical system to keep critical systems up and running. The switch from grid to battery power (and back again when grid power is restored) is automatic and instantaneous. A system like this would also be ideal for off-grid, independent power systems, where battery power is essential. If you are considering a new country home and thinking about NOT bringing power in, then you should check this system out. Being power-independent and off-grid has never been so easy, inexpensive or reliable. (I will qualify “easy.” If you are running off-grid

power, you are your own power company. You will have to understand the system, maintain batteries, and be able to change programming parameters from tine to time to fine tune the system. Not rocket science, but some care and attention will be called for.) Dr. Garwah also chose the new “Smart Panels” that optimize output regardless of shading. These powerful new panels allow Dr. Garwah to monitor the output of each panel or the whole array from any on-line computer or his smart phone, 24/7. Pretty slick! Next door, at the Peace Energy headquarters, you will see a simpler but somewhat larger solar electric system: a 5-kilowatt grid-tie system with no battery back up. For many on-grid homeowners and businesses, this will be the system of choice, both for price and simplicity.

GRID-TIE SAVES MONEY

For both grid-tie systems, the existing Smart Meter tracks how much power is used by the building as well as how much is generated by the solar array. The owner is billed only for the difference, and if at the end of the year a surplus has been generated, BC Hydro pays the owner for that surplus at 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, a bit more than the 7 cents that consumers usually pay for power. Not a big money maker, but how often do you have a home asset that pays for itself AT ALL?! With a twenty-five year guarantee on the solar panels, a solar array is a good long-term investment for your home or office. It feels good, it looks good, and it saves money. Drop by for a burger and tour this Saturday afternoon, and experience the future of electricity first hand. You’ll be impressed.

Quick Fact:CANADIAN SOLAR COMPANY NEAR FRONT OF THE PACK:Canadian Solar, headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, ranked third on a new list of the world’s largest solar electric panel manufacturers. Chinese companies hold seven of the top 10 spots, including number one. Yea Ontario! Yea China!