Posted by Rob Baxter in Front, News, Our News, on July 24, 2018
It is not often we get to see a solar energy system producing energy for 24 hours a day. But for the last couple of months one of our systems has been doing just that. The system in Pond Inlet, NU is located well above the arctic circle and the sun is currently above the […]
On April 20th BC Hydro announced changes to the net-metering program. The announcement was made late on a Friday afternoon, which is when one makes announcements that you hope the public and media will ignore. About 95% of the projects under net-metering are solar energy (photovoltaic) projects. The immediate change would limit the size of […]
There have been plenty of news stories over the last few days about various price increases that have been implemented this month. One of them is a 3% increase in BC Hydro rates. But not everyone is paying more. Home owners and businesses who have purchased a photovoltaic system won’t see any increase in the […]
Posted by Rob Baxter in Front, News, Our News, on January 12, 2018
Whenever VREC visits a potential site for solar, one of our principle considerations, naturally, is sun exposure. In ideal circumstances, we look for a wide open south-facing roof, a 20-40 degree slope, and no significant sources of shade such as chimneys, trees, or buildings. A quick look on Google Earth shows that this is not […]
Posted by Rob Baxter in News, Our News, on December 22, 2017
As the year draws to a close and the globe rounds the bend, slowly pointing the northern hemisphere back toward the sun, VREC has much to look forward to in the coming year. Here are a few highlights: Higher-efficiency PV Modules!: 4 years ago, 60-cell PV modules (solar panels) were barely hitting 250 Watts. Today, […]
With falling photovoltaic prices and raising utility rates the economics of solar energy in BC have changed significantly since we first started installing back in 2004. However, we find that some people are unaware of how much it has changed. Often they are relying on outdated information to make decisions. Equity payback (which takes into […]
Posted by Rob Baxter in Front, News, Our News, on December 8, 2017
Another homeowner in Richmond, BC is generating power with Solar Energy. VREC installed this system in August and it has now been generating power for over four months. The system uses 26 Trina modules and micro-inverters. It is expected to generate over 7,100 kWh per year which will cover about 90% of the homeowners electrical […]
Posted by Rob Baxter in Front, News, Our News, on March 20, 2017
It’s the first day of spring, and VREC’s latest PV installation, an 8.1 kW system in Tsawwassen, BC, is switched on and already feeding plenty of power back to the grid. This 27-panel installation will likely more than offset the electrical consumption of the household. This installation for VREC marked our first time using 300-watt […]
Installing PV is different in every jurisdiction. Any number of factors can affect the price, productivity, and profitability of a solar array. Some of the more common factors across the globe are things like shading, weather patterns, and feed-in rates (what the utility pays you for your surplus electricity). VREC has installed both PV and […]
It’s not just economists whose eyes have been fixed on falling oil prices and the value of the Canadian dollar. Whenever fossil fuel prices fall, the overall financial appeal of renewable resources is bound to be questioned. But this blanket assessment can be deceiving. While some large-scale renewable energy investments may be delayed due to […]