1. Solar-Power
With almost 2000 hours of annual sunshine, the Okanagan is the perfect place to incorporate solar power. It’s a viable technology with a proven track record and solar panels are getting more efficient year over year. Each system is designed with enough solar panels installed on the ground or roof to generate enough power to meet all your electricity needs and may even complement an existing HVAC system. Harnessing solar power conserves the grid’s overall utility capacity, reduces your electricity bills, and reduces carbon emissions from oil or gas burned in your home.
2. Hybrid Systems
Hybrid systems combine traditional HVAC grid-tied furnaces and ACs with products that run on more renewable energy sources, like electricity. Think about heat pumps or solar panels taking some of your electrical load. Investing in a hybrid system works really well for our Okanagan climate. You can spread the purchases over various renewable technologies (like electric, solar and wind). Hybrid systems provide flexible energy alternatives for places with a lot of sunlight, wind power, or locations where electric power may not always be reliable. They can be very cost-effective. And because they don’t rely on a single power source, they are reliable.
3. Wind Energy
Wind energy is another source of renewable energy. Wind turbines can generate enough energy to power HVAC systems, significantly reducing energy costs. Due to the size of wind turbines, these installations, or ‘wind farms’ are most often used in commercial applications.