The largest solar array on Vancouver Island, a 180kW installation, powers the Cedar Aquaculture Research & Development Centre
By Mark MacDonald
NANAIMO – Shift Energy Group has been helping business owners get up and running with solar power, and their efforts have recently received a boost thanks to the new Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit, which offers a 30 percent investment tax credit for solar and energy storage projects.
“This is an amazing opportunity,” notes company founder and President Colyn Strong, “Businesses can take advantage of the new tax credits and combine this with an existing ability to accelerate the depreciation of renewable investments. When you combine the two, it can result in a 50 percent savings for clients in the highest tax brackets.”
Community Manager Chris Palliser notes that since starting in 2010, Shift has helped clients save enough energy to power over 4,000 homes annually, representing over $5 million in operating costs.
“We’ve just completed the largest solar installation on Vancouver Island, at the Cedar Aquaculture Research and Development Center in Cedar,” he says. “We’ve also helped small businesses such as Café Fantastico in Victoria harness the power of the sun. These projects speak greatly to the story of Shift.
54kW Solar Installation on the beautiful new Gorge Pavilion in collaboration with Belltech Electric for the City of Esquimalt
“We were a small operation that started with the idea of reducing energy consumption, and we’re now excited to be helping more and more businesses produce their own energy. We’re very fortunate to be able to work with great clients who have a vision for the future.”
Strong adds the company was also the design-builder of the largest rooftop solar project in B.C.
“That was with Wesgroup Properties. We used solar panels to spell out the logo of their client on the rooftop, which is under an international flight path in Delta. It was an extremely difficult project that required meticulous planning and execution. It is a 1.2-megawatt array that included 2,592 panels. We’re quite proud of that one.”
Shift is a “coast and coast” company currently, with a head office in Victoria and locations in Nanaimo, Vancouver and Halifax, Nova Scotia, and 55 employees.
As the world began its shift towards renewable energy, Shift recognized an opportunity to help Canadians gain access to cost effective, clean, affordable energy.
Strong notes that the company has been experiencing significant growth over the past few years.
1.2MW Solar Installation, the largest rooftop solar array in BC, in partnership with Wesgroup Properties Ltd. in Delta, BC
“Most people still think we don’t get enough sun in BC to make solar viable. That just simply isn’t correct. Our longest days are met with plenty of bright skies,” he says. “This, combined with improved solar panel technology to operate under lower light conditions, as well as Net Metering Programs, make solar a very viable investment.”
The cost of solar has also come down drastically, as much as 90% in the past 10 years.
“It’s a really exciting time to be in the business,” Strong states. “Solar is really a way to fix your energy costs over the long term. Most people can agree the cost of electricity is only going up.
“With solar you hedge the increase. Combine this with a new commercial tax credit and you have a financially viable project that should make for an easy financial decision.”
Palliser observes that “every single second, enough energy is hitting our planet from the sun that, if harnessed to its full potential, could meet the Earth’s power requirements for an entire year. That’s what gets me excited.”
Sponsored by:
SILVER: Array, Megson Fitzpatrick
BRONZE: Bastion Engraving