The Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS) Solar Scholarship project is the largest public energy project on Salt Spring Island. It was commissioned in Dec 2014 and is fully owned and operated by School District. Funds were raised by the Salt Spring Community Energy Group (CEG), a non-profit subgroup of Transitions Salt Spring, (part of the global Transitions Town movement).
The PV array is 21kW grid-tied, Net Metered system on the BC Hydro grid. It takes up a small portion of the gym roof. The value of the electricity generated has created a revenue stream for an annual renewable energy/climate change scholarship, and a $1000 scholarship was given this June based on the precedes of less than 6 months of operation.
Though the system is owned by School District 64, I would call this a not for profit joint venture, as the funds were donated. School District 64 provided accounting and project management support from the maintenance department managers. CEG provided the bulk of the project management: fund raising, publicity, system design, equipment sourcing, engineering, and the installation supervision. The installation was performed “in-house” by the maintenance department with wages paid for with the project funds. Seed money for the project was provided by the provincial Carbon Neutral Capital Grants program. Other funders were, Lion’s Club, Salt Spring Island Foundation, Bullfrog Power, and a host of business, individual, and group donations.
Salt Spring’s ‘Solar high’ gets power, and a scholarship, from sun
