Oliver resident

to share why solar is

a wise investment

Residents of Oliver and Osoyoos will have an opportunity to learn about home solar power systems at an upcoming free education session.

Terratek Energy is hosting Going Solar in Oliver-Osoyoos: An Introduction to Home Solar, Saturday, Sept. 30 from 11 am to 12 pm at Sonora Community Centre 8505 68 Avenue in Osoyoos.

The session will provide a broad overview of solar power – from how solar panels work to understanding net metering and product and inverter options.

The event will also hear from Oliver resident Maurice Nunas, who installed a 7.28 kilowatt system to offset power from his all-electric home.

Nunas says he was motivated to install solar because it was the right thing to do environmentally. However, the decision was finalized once he viewed solar from the perspective of a return on investment.

For Nunas, buying solar panels and offsetting his electricity bills turns out to be a better return than keeping his money in the bank.

Nunas says he is often in Fortis BC’s Tier 2 rate. With his solar system that he’s had since April, his bills are virtually zero, and he’s earning credits for the excess power he’s generating.

“We’re getting a 5 per cent return (on our money) that’s guaranteed to go up in the future,” says Nunas. “Every year there is a rate hike, our ROI goes up.”

Nunas’ home is highly visible from the Okanagan River trail and he says he’s often asked about his panels but the question always centres on the payback for solar.

He says this is a very difficult question as no-one can predict what the cost of electricity will be in five years. Adding to this, calculating solar from a payback perspective fails to account for the continued benefits of the panels, which last for 25 years and even longer.

 

Registration to attend the event can be found at tiny.cc/solarosoyoos or by calling 250.899.1470.