Cumberland Village Home
Discover the benefits of grid-tied solar and the Greener Homes Grant Program. Go green on Vancouver Island and Western Canada.
Like many British Columbia homeowners, Linda and David were tired of escalating and unpredictable energy bills from their utility provider, BC Hydro. After years of frustration towards the utility due to recurring rate and policy changes, Linda and David were ready to look down other avenues for energy generation.
In 2019, they attended an information session at the Crown Isle conference centre, where Rob MacInnis and Jason Jackson of Hakai Energy Solutions spoke to a group of Comox Valley locals regarding the benefits and feasibility of residential grid-tied solar. Linda and David, who had already been exploring the option of solar, were officially hooked. This was just the beginning of their solar energy journey.
After the information session, they reached out to Hakai, with the intention to gather more information about installing a solar array onto their beautiful Cumberland home. Their two-storey home presented the ideal roof space to host a solar array. With a clear, exposure free direct south-facing roof, the property was ready to go solar.
The original installation consisted of (18) 310W solar panels on the south facing roof of the home. Partnered with a microinverter system, the home’s 5.58kW capacity energy system produced a large portion of the energy demands.
After several years of successful production and reduced energy bills, Linda and David approached Hakai for an expansion system. At the time, in late 2021, the federal government had just released the Greener Homes Grant Program, which provides homeowners with up to $5,000 for energy efficient home retrofits. With financial support from the Greener Homes program, and deep personal motivations in support of renewable energy, Linda and David commissioned Hakai to install an 8-panel system expansion onto the southwest facing roof of their garage.
This expansion brings their combined solar capacity to 8.58kW, which can produce up to 8,940kWh of electricity per year.
As part of the solar installation package, Hakai sets homeowners up with an online monitoring portal, allowing them to view real-time energy yields, as well as track historical values and spot any system deficiencies in their solar system. Monitoring portals allow homeowners the ability to interact directly with their systems, creating a more tangible relationship with the energy generation system. Linda & David are able to monitor their production, and schedule high-demand energy loads to run during hours of peak solar production.
Linda and David’s solar production has resulted in a nearly 100% offset of their electrical demand. They’ve become champions of the solar energy industry, supporting many friends and family in their own solar journeys. Success stories like these promote the arguments for solar viability on the west coast. Families on Vancouver Island, and across Western Canada, have taken the leap, participating in the transition towards renewable energy generation. This in turn, reduces carbon emissions from non-renewable energy sources, promotes electrification, reduces the financial burden of utility energy prices, and increases home value. Needless to say, Linda and David have been thrilled with their solar system and continue to explore ways to promote climate action in their community.
The team at Hakai is grateful for the relationship we’ve built with Linda and David and look forward to more opportunities to provide sustainable energy solutions for community members.