Island Community Solar Co-op Brought to you by Energy Solutions for Vancouver Island

More than 60 Years of Improvement The first silicon solar cell was built by Bell Laboratories in 1954 esvi.ca

More For Less Solar panels now cost less than half of what they did in 2008 esvi.ca

Solar Costs Have Dropped Since 1977, solar costs have dropped by 99% The current Nanaimo price of solar panels is approximately $0.80 Cdn per watt Including installation and all required equipment, on Southern Vancouver Island the current cost of a grid-tied solar power system is roughly $3.00 to $4.00 Cdn per watt esvi.ca

Solar Power Measurement Solar is measured by the kilowatt-hour: 1 kilowatt = 1000 watts esvi.ca

Local Power Vancouver Island isn’t power-independent. Roughly 70% of our power comes from the mainland. esvi.ca

BC Hydro Rates are expected to rise at least 2.4% to 2.6% annually BC Hydro Rates Rising BC Hydro Rates are expected to rise at least 2.4% to 2.6% annually From 2006 to 2015, BC Hydro rates rose 4.33% annually on average esvi.ca

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Solar Can Be Competitive In sunny areas of the US, Australia, India and Africa, solar costs are already competitive with fossil fuels Energy contracts for solar in these areas are coming in at USD $0.05/kWh or less. esvi.ca

Worldwide… In 2013, China installed 12 GW of solar panels The USA installed 4.4 GW esvi.ca

And In the UK… More than 500,000 UK households had solar panels on their roofs in 2014 esvi.ca

Solar Is Flexible Solar energy comes in all sizes Personal chargers that fit in your pocket Dollar store solar yard lights Portable panels for recreation use Home solar installations Solar power plants covering many square kilometres esvi.ca

Coming Soon On Cars Ford has already created a concept car that has solar panels built in to its roof esvi.ca

World’s Most Abundant Energy Source Solar energy is the world’s most abundant and renewable energy source Enough solar energy hits the planet in an hour to replace every other energy source used in the world over an entire year. esvi.ca

BC Solar Energy Yield esvi.ca

Solar Energy Is Clean Solar energy is one of the cleanest sources of energy No noise pollution, either! esvi.ca

BC Hydro and Solar If you own a home in BC, your energy is charged on a 2-tier system depending on consumption Adding a small solar power system can greatly reduce your use of the more expensive tier of power. esvi.ca

Solar In Space! Space missions (and TV and communications satellites) use solar power It’s low-maintenance It’s reliable and predictable An installation has a long lifespan esvi.ca

You Need The Right Location Solar energy requires an unshaded area for installation. Nearby trees and other structures can make a site unsuitable. esvi.ca

“Free” Energy… The Earth receives roughly 1,366 watts of solar radiation per square meter We just need efficient ways of “catching” it! esvi.ca

Solar In Nanaimo In the Nanaimo area, the average annual energy available is 1,100 kWh/kWp (NRCan) esvi.ca

The US Is Ahead In the USA, the largest solar power plant covers 1000 acres in the Mojave Desert in California, generating 354 megawatts The US supports solar power with significant tax incentives. Canada does not offer equivalent programs yet esvi.ca

Easy Maintenance Operational and maintenance costs are very low once solar panels are installed esvi.ca

You Don’t Need Batteries A home solar system in BC doesn’t require batteries. It can be “grid-tied” to BC Hydro’s power grid and contribute its excess energy there. Yes, your power meter can run backwards! esvi.ca

Blackout Immune? Solar power systems with battery storage are immune to blackouts, but they are more expensive to install than grid-tied systems esvi.ca

PV History The first PV (photovoltaic) system was installed on a New York City rooftop in 1884 esvi.ca

Solar Power Efficiency The power generated by solar systems depends on five factors: System design Location Time of day Time of year Weather conditions esvi.ca

Location Is Everything Solar power in BC is affordable IF you have a good location Site assessments are often free – contact us at ESVI.ca for referrals esvi.ca

Huge Price Drops 60% of the solar panels in the US were built in the last three years, as prices dropped and incentives were put in place esvi.ca

Clouds and Solar Solar panels still produce energy on a cloudy day, but it is reduced Some models produce at 10% to 25% of their full capacity under cloudy conditions In the Nanaimo area, your system will produce much more energy in the summer than in the winter esvi.ca

Germany Wins! Germany wins top marks in solar They are the world’s top solar panel producer They produce 31% of the world’s renewable energy esvi.ca

Huge Cost Reduction In the US, the cost per watt of solar panels dropped from USD $76.67 in 1977 to under a dollar today Prices vary according to quantity purchased, quality and warranty esvi.ca

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Sunlight, Not Heat Solar panels don’t work better in a hotter climate – it’s the sunlight, not the heat which is converted to energy In fact, too much heat can reduce solar panel efficiency esvi.ca

Brazil Supports Solar The Brazil 2016 Olympic Games will feature a 100 metre tall Solar Tower esvi.ca

Solar Is Environmentally Sound 75 million barrels of oil and 35 million tons of carbon dioxide are saved annually by existing solar power system owners esvi.ca

Long Life Today’s solar panels have a warrantied lifespan of at least 20-25 years Many can last 30 years or more Solar panels manufactured 50 years ago are still operating today esvi.ca

Getting Better Most solar panels convert about 15% of the sun’s energy into power, but the output is increasing as technology evolves esvi.ca

Colorado Initiative Colorado is attempting to make solar-powered homes a standard esvi.ca

Solar Employment Employment in the Solar industry increased 20% PER YEAR for three years from 2013 to 2015 (US figures) The Solar Foundation reports a 50% jobs increase from 2010 to 2013 As of 2015, there were over 208,859 people employed in solar power in the US esvi.ca

2/3 Of All PV Worldwide Two-Thirds of all solar installations worldwide have been installed since 2011 esvi.ca

China Pushes Clean Solar China is intending to install 70 gigawatts of solar power by 2017 Solar power is an important component in improving air quality standards in China esvi.ca

Solar panels can pay back the energy costs of their carbon footprint within 4-7 years, unlike coal, oil or natural gas esvi.ca

Good Investment Warren Buffet, among many others, invests in solar energy esvi.ca

ROI On Solar In the first 20 years of a solar installation, the average New Yorker will save USD $31,166 Since most systems will last 30 years today, the return is even higher esvi.ca

Island Community Solar Co-op Our Solar Co-op will: Provide education about solar in our local communities Offer investment opportunities in solar (through self-directed RRSPs and other) Give supporters a chance to volunteer and learn on solar installations esvi.ca

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