The Island Community Solar Co-op has been awarded a grant that will enable the group to get started on solar power system installations.
A $12,000 start-up grant – the second one provided by Co-operators since 2019 – means the co-op can start offering solar power installations on homes and larger applications, according to a press release from the group.
Island Community Solar Co-op is a member-driven brainchild of Nanaimo-based non-profit Energy Solutions for Vancouver Island that is responding to the call of homeowners, renters and others who cannot themselves have solar systems, but who want to gain reliable income from locally installed mid-sized solar arrays.
The co-op will also soon be able to arrange for smaller solar systems on homes that receive sufficient sunshine to power electric cars, heat pumps and other electrical loads.
Several potential projects have been identified, including a school in Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district. According to the release, the school district was impressed by the results of a full solar analysis and decided to have a system installed using school district funds.
It is expected that investors could start buying shares in the fall of 2022 and the first system could be installed in early 2023.
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