Okanagan Solar Limited is in the business of renewable energy, but they’re also in the business of giving back.
Owner Rob Monteith said every year the company looks at supporting a local charity organization with free solar panels and installation.
After driving past the building so many times and noticing how perfect the roof is for solar panels, Monteith chose the BC SPCA Kelowna branch to gift the solar panels to.
“We do a lot of really large projects and buy in bulk, and sometimes we have leftover panels,” Monteith said. “When that happens I always look for a non-profit that could use some help.” Monteith said one of their previous gifts was to Kelowna’s Gospel Mission.
One of the challenges in gifting solar panels is that the organization needs to own its building. With the SPCA building in Kelowna being owned, not leased, and south facing, Monteith said it was an easy pick.
“For a non-profit like the SPCA, obviously it didn’t cost them anything for [the solar system], but that building uses a lot of power. Anything that we could produce lowers the cost of their annual bills, or their monthly bills for Fortis.”
Monteith has been in the Okanagan for about 50 years and said his kids were born and raised here. As a member of the community he has felt the need to give back to those around him.
“We’re a small family-run, owned and operated company, and it’s always best to help everybody in your community. We’ve had a really good year and we’re in a very good business… It’s been a profitable year, so it only makes sense that we pay it forward.”
The solar panels were installed back in October at an estimated value of $8,300.
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