Features Efficiency Energy
Large-scale high-efficiency greenhouse to be built in BC

The T’Sou-ke First Nation of Vancouver Island, BC is setting a goal of energy, food and economic self-sufficiency through a variety of means, including a state-of-the-art, four-acre greenhouse to be completed in 2013.

It will use up to 75% less energy than normal greenhouses. The T’Sou-ke will both consume and sell the produce.

They have also built a 75 kW solar energy plant, the largest in BC. Visit here for more.

A BC Ministry of Energy and Mines news release from January 2012 states that $1 million of almost $6 million in new funding for the development of clean energy technologies will be given to the T’Sou-ke for their greenhouse initiative.

“This project will demonstrate new green MicroAir heating and cooling technology for an industrial greenhouse. It will showcase the efficiency of this heating and cooling system which manages climate. The system will enhance crop production and clean water recovery, while reducing particulate emissions and dependency on fossil fuels.”

Since 2008, 62 projects have had funding approved (over $77 million) under the Innovative Clean Energy fund (ICE), including solar, tidal, geoexchange, water desalination and an array of technologies that use or convert our vast biomass supplies into more useful forms of green energy.

These new six recipients (B.C. entrepreneurs, communities and First Nations) will invest about $47 million in their projects.

These six new ICE projects will bring $53 million in investment and 184 jobs to four B.C. communities.

The projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 16,112 tonnes per year – the equivalent of taking 3,159 passenger vehicles off of the road.

So far, 14 ICE fund projects are complete and have created 295 construction jobs and 122 ongoing jobs. Sixteen projects underway are anticipated to create 119 construction jobs and 71 ongoing jobs by project completion.