The Government of Canada has announced a new incentive program to encourage home retrofits that increase energy efficiency. The program includes grants for photovoltaic (solar energy) systems: $1000 per kW up to a maximum of $5000 for solar on single-family homes a flat $1000 for solar on MURBs (multi-unit residential buildings of three or fewer […]
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 […]
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 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 karen in Front, News, Our News, on September 20, 2017
On August 31 Vancouver Renewable Energy (VREC) staff returned from Pond Inlet, NU, after installing a 9.3 kW photovoltaic system on the hamlet’s Community Hall. Three weeks later, as of September 20, the installation of 32 290-Watt panels has offset 590 kWh of electrical consumption, equal to $577 savings on the municipal power bill. This […]
Posted by karen in Front, News, Our News, on August 22, 2017
One of the more unique methods of “viewing” the eclipse is to watch the real time monitoring from a solar energy systems along he eclipse path.
Posted by karen in Front, News, Our News, on June 20, 2017
Vancouver’s Mayor helped launch one of our recent photovoltaic installations today. The project is on the City of Vancouver’s Creekside Paddling Centre and was initiated by Solar Now. Funding for the project came from Clean Energy Canada, Community Energy Association, North Growth Fund, The Great Climate Race and Bullfrog Power. It is a 15.6 kW […]
Posted by karen in Front, News, Our News, on June 19, 2017
Last week our crew installed some high efficiency LG Neon-2 photovoltaic panels on a home in Vancouver. These panels have a module efficiency of 18.7% (if you are comparing make sure you look at module not cell efficiency). They also have a “all black” appearance which is an aesthetic that some people prefer. It will […]
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 […]
Posted by karen in Front, News, Our News, on March 17, 2017
Normally we are installing solar energy systems to power buildings and the grid. But sometimes we get to work on smaller more portable systems. Last week the VREC crew designed and installed a solar energy system for a van. The van owner regularly camps out in his vehicle and has a deep cycle battery to […]