Across from the scenic aquamarine shoreline of Green Lake, on the left hand side of the Sea to Sky Highway in Whistler BC, is the new housing development known as the Glacier Duplex’s. Even from the road you can see what sets these homes apart – with their solar hotwater systems standing tall along the roofs and soaking up the last of the day’s rays. According to Eric Prall, of Glacier Creek Contracting Ltd., the decision to install the systems was based in large part to consumer interest in alternative heat sources.
“The purchasers want it,” he says. “They know it is the right thing to do for our environment and they save significantly on their monthly utilities.” Prall adds that his construction company wanted to offer solar as a further upgrade to their base package, which has increased the EnerGuide rating for the homes from 80 to as high as 84. Currently, all new homes being built in BC are required to meet an Energuide rating of at least 80.
“A solar hot water system is a great way to increase a home’s rating and help builders reach that requirement,” says Scott Fleenor of Terratek Energy, the renewable energy services company that carried out the SHW installations. Fleenor agrees with Prall that solar hot water doesn’t just help ratings but more importantly reduces a home’s operating costs. “That’s an attractive feature for any future homeowner,” he adds.
Oliver Young, with Homeworx, is a Vancouver based builder of new homes that partnered with Terratek to install solar hot water on three new builds. “We are hoping that the installations will add to the attractiveness of the homes in the market place,” says Young, adding: “And that home buyers are paying more attention to the green aspect of solar hot water.”
Prall believes that buyers are doing just that, and the proof is in the response from one of his own home buyers. Leslie Cote purchased one of the Glacier Duplex’s in Whistler and says they were very happy to have the solar panel option available to them. Cote says it makes sense to use solar power to increase the efficiency in the home and feels that with rising energy costs solar energy is one of the best ways to save money.
“By decreasing our utility costs we have increased the value of our new home,” she says. “The whole experience has also helped to educate our kids about the new ways to reduce energy consumption and think about the future of our planet.”