Featured Project

Small Planet Energy Inc. pretty much took care of the design of the project and ran with it from there. They were professional and thorough from the beginning right through to commissioning. This is the second time that I’ve had the opportunity to work with Small Planet Energy on a PV installation on Lasqueti Island and I can very confidently recommend them.
Ezra, Lasqueti Island

Lasqueti Island – Off-grid

“Jarek Kubacki combines his skills as an electrician with his knowledge of renewable energy system installation and mixes in a solid blend of rural adaptability. These are the essential elements of a successful off grid PV system installation. I’ve been in the PV business for almost 30 years and in that time I’ve seen a wide variety of examples of workmanship, Jarek’s work is always on par with the best.”

Objective

Provide this off-grid community with a power system for their health centre, internet society and elder cottages.

The Solution

Small Planet Energy Inc. was excited to be contacted by the Lasqueti Island Last Resort Society to do this micro-grid installation. The first step was a site visit when the services building was at the foundation planning stage. This is where the power system was to be installed. We met with some of the head volunteers and discussed their vision. Data was collected from the site, measurements were taken for the feeders to the various buildings, a solar analysis was completed and we were provided with a detailed load analysis. With all of that information, we designed a system that would meet the current and future needs of the community. Within a couple of months, the building was roofed and ready for solar. We think this is a considerable accomplishment, considering all of their labour was done by volunteers and that they are on an off-grid island, with no vehicle ferry.

The volunteers managed to get much of the equipment donated, including 13.2kw of solar modules. These were donated by Trina solar, and were used to design the power system for the site. A 13.2kw AC coupled solar PV system with a 116kwh Rolls battery bank. The solar modules were AC coupled to the system by way of 2-7kw SunnyBoy inverters and the grid was provided by 2-6kw SunnyIsland inverters. An energy monitoring system was also installed to monitor the energy consumption of the individual buildings.

With some creative thinking, we were able to overcome all of the usual obstacles that remote projects often entail , completing the installation on schedule and on budget. Small Planet would like to thank the friendly people of Lasqueti for providing accommodations, meals and taking such good care of us during our stay.

Equipment Used