Let The Sun Shine In!

by Wayne Stetski

One of the keys to being successful in life is to recognize your strengths and then find ways to capitalize on them. The same principle applies to being a prosperous community, particularly from an economic perspective.

Two of our many assets in Cranbrook relate to our environment. We live in an area that is significant on a world scale for our biodiversity – all of our carnivores are still here as are all of our ungulates. This is truly remarkable! A second important asset is that we are the sunniest city in British Columbia. When you Google “Sunniest City in BC”, you find Cranbrook leads the way with 2205 hours per year!

When you Google our neighbour city Kimberley, who recently announced they were launching a solar energy test program located at the former concentrator site of the Sullivan Mine, you get “located about 30 minutes away from Cranbrook, the sunniest city in British Columbia,” averaging about 2151.6 hours of sunshine annually! The project in Kimberley has the objective of building a one-megawatt solar power plant that demonstrates the feasibility of solar power in BC. A side benefit will hopefully be the use of solar modules and power equipment produced in BC that will support the local economy and create an international showcase for BC clean tech capabilities. Kimberley already carries the distinction of being designated a BC Solar Community and has set a target of installing solar hot water systems on at least six homes in 2011 and were investigating installing a solar hot water system at its Aquatic Centre.

When you look around BC you find many communities, all of which receive less sunshine then we do, capitalizing on solar energy. A few examples are:

Village of Ashcroft – has its own solar ready regulation bylaw that requires when a new house is built it includes pre-installed plumbing and wiring on conduits so that it can be retrofitted for solar hot water in the future.

Village of Alert Bay – they will use solar power to heat the showers in their campground.

Castlegar – is exploring solar targets for residential and commercial development and installation of a solar hot water project for their Recreational Complex.
Duncan – has undertaken an assessment of solar hot water potential for their municipal buildings and participated in 2010 Solar Days community event.

Colwood – has proposed training programs for engineering and planning staff on guidelines for solar hot water systems and are exploring the installation of solar hot water systems in their schools.

Esquimalt – has installed a solar hot water system in its municipal hall

Ladysmith – has set a goal of generating 10% of its energy needs from community based, clean energy sources, including solar energy by 2020.

Lasqueti Island – plans to install solar hot water on 80 homes and one school in 2011 and on one community residential care facility by 2015.

T’Sou-ke First Nation – Sooke – in 2009 unveiled a solar power project that was planned to see solar energy power the band office, fisheries building, canoe shed and 25 homes on the reserve.

There is funding available to help communities move into solar power. In November of 2010, $2.8 million dollars was made available through the Public Sector Energy Conservation Agreement for installation of solar panels to reduce natural gas or electricity consumption in 24 schools, 5 hospitals, and 9 colleges and universities throughout British Columbia. The closest school to Cranbrook to receive funding is in Oliver; closest college is Selkirk College in Castlegar; closest hospitals are in Penticton and Summerland.

There are many BC examples of how we can move towards a solar powered future, from communities that receive far less sunshine than we get in Cranbrook, and there is some amazing research being explored in this field. Check out

http://www.wimp.com/solarhighways – it’s a short video on research being conducted on the potential of turning highways into thousands of kilometers of solar panels!

The City of Cranbrook’s 2009 Economic Development Strategy includes the statement, “Taking advantage of long hours of sunlight for solar power and the availability of fiber supply for wood-fired co-generation of electricity, Cranbrook will be a model for energy conservation and alternative energy generation”.

We are blessed with sunshine, the most in British Columbia. Can we turn this important asset into a better environmental and economic future for Cranbrook, perhaps as BC’s Centre For Excellence in Solar Power Research and Technology?