Vancouver

The Solar Ready City

(l-r) Rachel Moscovich (City of Vancouver), Nitya Harris (SolarBC), Deputy Mayor Kerry Jang, David Ramslie (City of Vancouver)

Bordered by the Coast Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver is not only recognizable as one of the world’s most scenic cities but is renowned for its innovative programs in the area of sustainability.

Vancouver has taken great leadership in the development of solar demonstration projects as well as mandating that all new homes be built solar ready. The city’s Solar Homes Strategy is currently financing up to 50 per cent (about $3500) of the cost of installing a solar hot water system, which will be available for 15 months to 50 new houses on a first-come, first-served basis. (For more information on this and other components of the Solar Homes Strategy, click here.) This program, in partnership with SolarBC, Terasen and Offsetters, follows on the heels of Vancouver's 2008 Green Homes Program which requires all new houses to be 'solar ready'.

Vancouver currently has the greenest building code for new houses in North America with a continued commitment to achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold for new municipal facilities. The development and installation of on-site renewable energy is critical towards achieving Vancouver's future target of carbon neutral new construction.

We welcome the City into our Solar Communities program and look forward to working in partnership with the City towards demonstrating the potential for solar hot water throughout B.C.

What's New

“Solar Ready” Sweeps the Province - UPDATED

Blog

Posted by Nitya Harris on July 27, 2010

There’s a solar revolution happening in BC as local governments around the province are passing resolutions to sign on to the new Solar Hot Water Regulation bylaw.

The regulation requires all new single family homes (where applicable) to be built to accommodate future installation of a solar hot water system for water heating. Communities signed on so far are: