Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors gave volunteers the green thumbs-up to continue an energy conservation and solar audit of the SCRD’s facilities.
On Feb. 17, Gerry Pageau of the Sunshine Coast Community Solar Association (SCCSA) presented an update on their initiative to the SCRD’s planning committee.
In 2021, the SCCSA pitched the idea and hired an engineering student from the University of Victoria to audit 16 SCRD buildings over the summer. The reports included a solar evaluation and energy report of lighting, heating, hot water and details of each building. About 80 suggestions for conservation measures were developed. The non-profit has provided capital cost estimates (+/- 30 per cent) for 30 energy conservation measures and the estimates of cost savings and GHG reduction for 40 projects.
Now, the non-profit would like to continue the work, by hiring two students for the upcoming summer and continuing the process for SCRD buildings that have yet to be audited. If SCCSA is successful in the grant application for hiring two students for the work, Pageau said they would offer the same auditing services to the Sechelt Indian Government District, Town of Gibsons and District of Sechelt, and would like to finish their work with the SCRD first.
The SCRD directors agreed to write a letter of support so that the SCCSA can apply for a grant to complete the audit projects at the SCRD’s facilities.
This year, the non-profit is also continuing its work at the Sunshine Coast BCSPCA facility, where a solar array was installed last summer, supplying energy and saving about $2,600 per year, Pageau said. The second phase of the project at the SPCA location will include installing solar hot water and replacing the gas heating with heat pumps to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.
