Solar is Now

Are you ready to benefit from clean solar energy?

Would you like to

• save money on heating and electricity?
• increase the comfort and efficiency of your home?
• increase the value of your property?

Are you tired of ever-increasing energy bills? Would you like to benefit from tax-free energy directly from the sun? The sooner you invest the sooner you begin to reap the benefits.

Here are three ways you can get started now:

• Solar power
• Active solar heating
• Passive solar heating

When you think “solar” you likely automatically think of solar power.  The system pictured above, for example, is actually a solar hot water  system that heats both a seasonal outdoor pool and their hot water tank.

Solar power is technically called “photo voltaic” (PV), as seen in the pictures below. The sun’s energy is being converted into electricity -even on cloudy days!

Active solar heating (as seen above, and now of indoor space) often gives a higher rate of return than does solar PV. Passive solar heating< better utilizes the sun’s heat. Solar blinds is one such technology that captures the sun’s rays while also increasing the efficiency of buildings. How does each work?

Solar PV panels can be small systems that trickle charge RV or boat batteries, or larger systems that make utility meters run backward! They now pay for themselves and the return on your investment goes up each time the cost of electricity moves upward. Your grid-tied system adds power to the grid in the sunnier months (giving you a power credit) and you buy that power back in the winter months.

Did you know that solar power systems currently generate about a 7% return on your investment (and rising)? Compare this to most other investments, especially knowing that the power generated by your system is not taxable, is virtually guaranteed to give you a return each year, raises the value of your home by at least as much as the cost of the system!  Oh, and solar systems turn heads!

Passive Solar Heating: Solar blinds

The most efficient way to harvest the sun’s energy is by having windows that face the sun! But windows can both overheat your place in the summer and lose a lot of heat in the winter. The solution to this is by installing solar blinds. In the winter they collect the sun’s free solar energy and they reflect the indoor’s radiant heat back inside. In the summer they reflect the unneeded solar heat back outside. These blinds make your lived in space far more comfortable, reducing glare, creating greater comfort and saving you money. Oh, and when the power goes out in the winter they keep you warm much longer!

With all of these products: enjoy an instant 7% rebate when it is installed! In B.C. solar & energy-efficiency technologies are PST exempt!

Don’t have the up-front capital for these great investments? We have an arrangement with the Coastal Community Credit Union. Just ask about how the loan and interest can be more than covered by the reduction in your energy costs! Download the details here.

Want to know more about any of these technologies? Just contact us. No pressure sales! Meeting your needs is our business.

Note that we do not currently supply or install photo-voltaic (PV) panels. In the mid-island area the following suppliers may be of assistance:

Commercial solar power installers: Viridian Energy Co-op, Osprey Electric, Sweet Spot Solar, Wizards 4 Environmental Tech and Aztec Off Grid Solutions.

Do it yourself kits (with instructions on how to permit your system): Warmland Solar Solutions (website describing how it works: http://www.123zeroenergy.com/how-it-works/solar-pv-info.html)

Want just a few components? Discount Battery Warehouse, downtown Nanaimo. (We do not recommend solar products from big box stores.)

This is not an endorsement for any of the above companies. This list is provided solely as a service to the community. Please let them know how you found out about them; businesses appreciate knowing how customers are referred. Not happy about their service? Let us know.