The mood was so great in Lavington Wednesday, Aug. 6, that not even the lack of sunshine 鈥� replaced by a steady drizzle 鈥� for the introduction of the province's biggest commercial-industrial rooftop solar installation could dampen the enthusiasm of the presenters and guests.
As the rain gently fell, then came to a complete stop, family-owned B.C. business Restoration Lands Inc. (RLI) 鈥� with support from BC Hydro 鈥� unveiled the province鈥檚 largest commercial-industrial rooftop solar installation at their Okanagan Eco Industrial Park in Coldstream.
The project marks a major milestone in sustainable industrial development and clean energy adoption in B.C.
鈥淭his is about more than generating clean electricity 鈥� it鈥檚 about redefining what sustainable industrial growth looks like in British Columbia,鈥� said Vernon-Lumby MLA Harwinder Sandhu, standing in for B.C. Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions Adrian Dix, who was unable to attend Wednesday's announcement.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proving that electrified infrastructure and clean energy adoption can go hand-in-hand with economic revitalization, job creation, community building and environmental stewardship.鈥�
Located on land that was home to the former Lavington Glass Plant, the 148,000 square feet solar array is as big as two football fields, and features 2,460 high-efficiency solar panels. This cutting-edge system is expected to produce 1.7 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity annually 鈥� enough to meet a quarter of the current power needs of the mixed-use industrial park or the equivalent of powering more than 150 news homes.
鈥淭his initiative reflects our family鈥檚 focus on not just building for today, but also enabling for tomorrow by revitalizing Coldstream with sustainable infrastructure, economic opportunity, and environmental leadership,鈥� said Michael Molnar, CEO and Founder of Restoration Lands Inc. (RLI), who joked he was into "Year nine of his five-year business plan since purchasing the property in 2016.
鈥淏y transforming the vast unused space on our rooftop into a source of renewable energy, we鈥檙e showing how responsible industrial innovation can create a more resilient future.鈥�
The Okanagan Eco Industrial Park already has 10 diverse businesses including engineering, modular construction and agritech companies operating onsite. With an additional 17 lots ready for development, RLI expects to eventually create or relocate approximately 1,000 jobs to the site.
The installation was made possible in part through BC Hydro鈥檚 Load Displacement Program, which helps reduce demand on the provincial grid by empowering large energy users to generate their own electricity onsite. RLI was able to cover almost 40 per cent of their solar installation cost through a custom incentive of almost $875,000.
On-hand for the announcement was BC Hydro's newly minted president and CEO Charlotte Mitha, who took over Aug. 1. She's been with the utility for more than two decades.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening in Coldstream is more than a local success 鈥� it鈥檚 part of a broader shift toward scalable, resilient clean energy solutions across British Columbia,鈥� said Mitha. 鈥淭his project exemplifies how innovative partnerships and investments in clean energy can reshape British Columbia鈥檚 industrial landscape."
Molnar said RLI s considering a second phase of the project, which could double the current solar capacity and incorporate battery storage solutions, further strengthening reliability and boosting on-site power generation.
This initiative reinforces BC Hydro鈥檚 efforts towards advancing energy efficiency, electrification and emissions reduction.
Through its $700 million Energy Efficiency Plan, BC Hydro is significantly enabling customers to take on energy-saving tools, technologies, programs and rebates. These measures are expected to deliver 2,000 gigawatt hours in electricity savings and empower customers to manage their energy use more efficiently in the years ahead and save money.
