Richmond's sustainability initiative gained steam last week after city staff drafted Richmond onto a roster of 25 other communities racing to become B.C.'s next solar community.

Solar Communities are part of Solar BC's program, which encourages local governments and citizens to be less reliant on fossil fuels, and to tap into the sun's energy to make solar-heated water systems a commonplace in B.C.

SolarBC's goal is to add six solar communities to the nine solar communities that are in place: Dawson Creek, Kelowna, Saanich, Tofino, T'Sou-ke First Nation, District of North Vancouver, Vancouver, West Moberly First Nation and Whistler.

City staff submitted the solar community application on March 31. Currently, the matter has been brought before Mayor Malcolm Brodie in the hopes he will send an accompanying letter outlining the city's interest in becoming a participating community.

Although the letter is not a prerequisite to the application process, it would help give Richmond an edge according to Alastair Moore, the city's community energy manager.

"The application is the main document but a letter from the city definitely helps," said Moore. "Regardless Richmond has a good enough chance as any other community."

If selected Richmond city staff have proposed that the city undertake a number of community projects, including providing solar roofs for 11 residential homes by 2011 and two per cent of all single-family homes by 2020.

Apart from providing neighbourhood-scale solar installations, the city would also be responsible for acting as a flagship community promoting solar demonstrations and helping raise awareness about alternative energy.

Although a grant of $5,000 will provide the six selected communities with staff and resident training workshops, the majority of the funds will come from individuals who want to participate in the projects. Currently, solar is the leading alternative-energy industry in the world. Germany has installed more than 150,000 solar hot water systems to date, while California has set a goal of a million solar roofs by 2017.

April 9, 2010 - Future Energy is proud to have implemented 2 solar systems and onto the 3rd solar system for the City of Richmond.  This is more than a quarter way to the goal of 11 solar roofs by 2011!