In the ongoing battle against climate change, local resident Peter Austen is harnessing the power of the sun.
Austen, owner of Glacier Gallery Bed & Breakfast, has installed the community's first solar hot water system. Austen said he's so excited about his solar system that he's encouraging other Squamish residents to get on board.
"As far as I know this is the only one of its kind in the Sea to Sky Corridor. Anyone who is interested in getting one, can call me," Austen said. "It's nice that Squamish is taking the initiative."
Austen said his new solar energy system cuts his hot water heating bills in half and the system is reasonably priced. As much as 25 to 40 per cent of home electrical bills stem from heating hot water. Unlike other systems that rely on a glycol-water mixture, Austen said his Globe Solar Energy System uses no chemicals or pumps.
"The system uses city water, which comes in under regular pressure. It goes into the tank on the roof where pipes attach to the tank are heated by the sun, even on cloudy days. The hot water goes into your hot water tank and on a sunny day, it gives you up to 80 gallons of free hot water," Austen said.
According to their website, Global Energy Inc. installed over 350 units across Canada in 2007. The solar heating system is approved for use at ambient temperatures above minus 10 degrees Celsius. Complete draining of outdoor plumbing minimizes the risk of freeze damage during colder temperatures.
Austen said the beauty of the solar water heating system is that it's super simple - no moving parts, no heat exchangers, no antifreeze required. He said the system works on cloudy days.
In order to buy and install his system, Austen took advantage of government Climate Action grants. The unit costs about $5,000 dollar but after the receiving grant money Austen only paid about $2,500.
"You have to get an eco assessment of your house to see where you can improve heating as part of the grant process," Austen said.
The solar heating systems are popular in Toronto thanks to the Solar Neighbourhoods program - which offers a $1,000 discount to homeowners installing solar hot water systems.
"We wanted to get the green thing going in the Sea to Sky and this is really at the cutting edge of green technology," Austen said.
For more information on accessing grants and installing a solar water heater, contact Austen at [email protected].
