Shift is pleased to announce it has been contracted by Jawl Properties and Concert Properties to develop and build one of the largest solar arrays on Vancouver Island. The 251-panel (114 KW) system will be installed on the roof of the Capital Park complex. Benchmark BC rates Capital Park fifth in the Province for GHG Emissions Intensity performance and both offices are LEED Platinum Certified. The power generated by the solar array will feed the mechanical panel for the buildings to reduce the need for electricity from the grid. Capital Park is home to a number of government ministries including the Ministry of Environment. “Jawl and Concert Properties have long been leaders in sustainability and energy conservation in this Province. We’re very excited to have been chosen to work with them and showcase the potential for solar power at Capital Park,” says Colyn Strong, President of Shift.
“We co-developed Capital Park with Jawl Properties with a vision of transforming this neighbourhood into a thriving, sustainable, master-planned community, with a diverse mix of office, retail, and rental and condominium housing,” says Craig Watters, Senior Vice President of Development at Concert. “We’re proud to have achieved that goal, and through the partnership with Shift, we are excited to see that vision of a sustainable community deepen through the use of solar power.”
“Environmental sustainability has been a guiding principle for Capital Park since the initial design of the project. While solar PV was not a viable alternative when the office buildings were initially built, the preparation work was done for a future installation as it felt inevitable that things would evolve”, says Karen Jawl, Director of Jawl Properties. “It is exciting to see that only five years later innovation and technological advances have closed the gap to make solar power not only the right environmental choice but also the right financial decision.”