Feel the heat: Solar panel use on the rise
January 08, 2020
Ampri Real Estate Development Group is said to be the first builder in B.C. to include solar panels as standard on the roofs of all 30 homes in its newest single-family home project in Richmond.
“My father’s (Param Sandhu) decision to make our homes more sustainable was not only to add value to our customers, but because he believes in sustainable building practices,” says Amit Sandhu, the company’s CEO.
The Moncton development in Richmond is just about sold out and some new-home owners are already reaping benefits.
“Depending on the roof, each home has between 10 and 16 solar panels,” says company founder, Param Sandhu. “The first family moved in last January and they say it’s really remarkable that their home is almost completely self sufficient and their heating costs have been dramatically reduced.”
Param recently installed 66 solar panels on his Richmond home.
“We are so far behind from the rest of the world in terms of harnessing solar energy to heat our homes,” he says.
Vancouver-based Suntech Solar Solutions is mounting the panels on the Moncton project.
“We have been installing solar panels for over three years now,” says Karambir Singh, the owner and director of Suntech Solar Solutions. “The demand has grown exponentially. In 2016, we had four jobs. In 2019, we had 38. This year we expect a 250 per cent growth from year one, with 25 homes already lined up for installations.”
So, how do solar panels work?
Put simply, says Nicholas Gall, director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), solar panels harness the sun’s energy through the panel’s photovoltaic cells and then convert it into electricity. Any excess solar power can feed the grid, which could result in a credit on the homeowner’s electricity bill.
“Solar panels are becoming more widespread because the technology has come a long way,” says Gall, adding prices have come down by 90 per cent since first introduced on residences in 1973.
“Today’s panels are more powerful and smaller, many of which are seamlessly integrated into the roof.”
Solar panels are nothing new to builder Arthur Lo, principal at Insightful Healthy Homes Inc. In 2012, Lo built the Harmony House, a net-zero home sponsored by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC), which “in part, demonstrated the benefits of solar panels. In 2018, we completed a house in North Vancouver, which is equipped with 36 rooftop photovoltaic solar panels,” says Lo. “The solar panels were installed on both the south- and west-facing roofs to offset the home’s consumption. This is one-third of the home’s required PV to reach Net Zero.”
The green home builder is finishing a 5,000-sq.-ft. house in Vancouver’s Southlands neighbourhood. It is seen as quite possibly the greenest house ever built in Canada.
“We have a responsibility as builders to build homes for tomorrow, ones that are the best investment for both the homeowners and the planet,” adds Lo.
In the more than two decades since Hub Power Ltd. has been installing solar panels, the company has never experienced the growth in demand that it saw in 2019.
“I think it’s in part because Vancouverites are very environmentally conscious,” says John Vanden Broek, the owner of Hub Power Ltd. “We used to do a few projects a year to where we had to hire full-time solar panel installers… Installing solar on a new home is much easier and less costly than trying to retrofit an existing home.”
Incentive programs
BC Hydro has no incentive programs at the moment. Meantime, in October 2019, Energy Efficiency Alberta cancelled its energy efficient rebate and incentive programs. However, if you live in the Maritimes, you are in luck.
“Nova Scotia offers a .60 per watt subsidy while Prince Edward Island offers $1 per watt,’ explains Gall. “Those savings can reduce the cost of a new install by 20 to 35 per cent.”
Gall adds that the federal government has a long way to go to match what its neighbours to the south receive in solar power initiatives.
“The Liberals are keen on addressing climate change and CanSIA is advocating for nationwide solar panel incentives,” says Gall.
About Michelle Hopkins
Michelle Hopkins is a freelance journalist and corporate writer with extensive experience in development projects, home and business writing.