Energy Self Sufficiency

The ICAN Energy Self-Sufficiency Team has two main goals:

• We want to find ways in which island households can reduce their energy consumption
• We hope to support transitions to sustainable, environmentally friendly, zero-emissions sources of electricity where possible.

Solar Energy

Our project to install a demonstration solar energy array on Quadra Elementary School has met with huge success! The community stepped forward in a big way to support our fundraising campaign, and the array became operational in the spring of 2022. You can access the monitor at this link to estimate how a similar array might assist with your own energy needs: https://www.apsystemsema.com/ema/intoDemoUser.action?id=2c9f934a7f4430fb017f8a2495297751&locale=en_US

Also, we have had market demonstrations for Hot Water from the Sun, Solar as backup during a power outage, and small Solar Installations.  Watch for us at the ICAN table during the summer market.

Tidal Energy Proposal

We developed a proposal, submitted to the provincial government in 2020, to revivify a tidal energy project at Canoe Pass, a channel between Maud Island and Quadra Island just east of Seymour Narrows. The proposal hinged on government’s willingness to allow a non-profit island energy co-op to participate in BC Hydro’s net metering program. But despite being showcased as a Resilient BC Top 30 project by Dogwood Alliance, Minister Bruce Ralston’s department turned us down.

In the Media

We have published many articles in the Discovery Islander.  Here is a list.  Please go to the BACK ISSUES of the DI and click on the issue number to find the article.

2020

• Issue 729, p. 8: “Carbon costs of photovoltaic panels”
• Issue 733, p. 2: “EfficiencyBC — contact government program for info on rebates for energy retrofits”
• Issue 734, pp. 5–6: “Reviving Canoe Pass tidal energy project”
• Issue 742, pp. 8–9: “Hot Water from the Sun”

2021

• Issue 752, p. 6: General ICAN; ICAN photo on front cover & run-down of first year on p. 6
• Issue 758, p.10: initial description of QES solar project and request for donations
• Issue 759, p. 10: progress report on QES fundraising
  Issue: 764, p. 10: “Fundraising for QES project a huge success”

2022

• Issue 774 COVER & p. 2: “Solar demo array on QES installed”

2023

• Issue 800, p. 10: “Wood Stoves Part 2”
• Issue 801, p. 8: “Wood Stoves Part 3”
• Issue 802, p. 8: “Wood Stoves, Part 4”
• Issue 803, p. 18: “Wood Stoves, Part 5”
• Issue 804, p. 6 & p. 13: “Wood Stoves, Part 6”
• Issue 807, pp. 14–15: “Wood or Electricity?”

Campbell River Mirror also ran an article on the installation of the solar array on the school: 2022.02.17.

Future Projects?

Looking to the future, we hope to support the development of micro-solar, micro-hydro, and micro-wind projects on the island, through initiatives like bulk purchases of materials and community workshops.