Posted by Rob Baxter in Front, News, Our News, on March 20, 2017
It’s the first day of spring, and VREC’s latest PV installation, an 8.1 kW system in Tsawwassen, BC, is switched on and already feeding plenty of power back to the grid. This 27-panel installation will likely more than offset the electrical consumption of the household. This installation for VREC marked our first time using 300-watt […]
Posted by karen in Front, News, Our News, on March 17, 2017
Normally we are installing solar energy systems to power buildings and the grid. But sometimes we get to work on smaller more portable systems. Last week the VREC crew designed and installed a solar energy system for a van. The van owner regularly camps out in his vehicle and has a deep cycle battery to […]
With the unusual snow fall here on BC’s south coast we have been getting a few questions about how snow fall will affect the performance of solar energy systems. If a photovoltaic panel is completely covered in thick snow it will stop producing power. However, there are few important things to keep in mind about […]
In addition to installing solar energy systems, VREC also installs EV (electric vehicle) chargers. We install models from a variety of manufacturers. However, the one most often requested is Clipper Creek. These highly rated chargers are made in the US. Here in Canada they are re-branded as “Sun Country.” We recently installed one of their […]
Installing PV is different in every jurisdiction. Any number of factors can affect the price, productivity, and profitability of a solar array. Some of the more common factors across the globe are things like shading, weather patterns, and feed-in rates (what the utility pays you for your surplus electricity). VREC has installed both PV and […]
Posted by karen in News, Our News, on January 23, 2017
Campers, Vans, RVs, Tiny Homes, and Pickup Trucks With the days getting longer and the snow (almost) gone in the Lower Mainland, it’s hard not to start planning this summer’s adventures. For those who pack light, perhaps a headlamp is your only battery-hungry device. But for those whose lifestyle involves living out of an […]
Posted by in Front, News, Our News, on August 31, 2016
Vancouver Renewable Energy is at it again! We’ve just completed the installation of a 3.5 kW Solar panel array that feeds into BC Hydro. This beautiful cabin in the woods was a pleasure to work on from start to finish. It was not without it’s difficulties though. A 40 degree roof can be difficult to deal […]
Hi, from The Great White North! VREC was approached in 2015 by Greenpeace to explore the possibility of installing photovoltaic solar in the Arctic hamlet of Clyde River, Naunavut. Residents of Clyde River had previously reached out to Greenpeace to assist them in the fight against underwater seismic blasting (an oil exploration method), which is […]
Solar energy has a reputation of being clean and green. But if you look beyond the marketing hype you will find that it is not always as “green” as it should be. In 2011 a spill from a Jinko Solar factory in China killed hundreds of fish and pigs that had been exposed to the […]
Posted by karen in Front, News, Our News, on June 22, 2016
VREC recently installed a solar energy system at Quest University in Squamish just in time for the city officially becoming a Solar City. The 4.1 kW grid-tie system was a student lead project that is primarily designed for educational purposes. Production from the system can be viewed on-line. The system uses Trina modules and AP […]