SUNNY CITY – Why aren’t more homes in Kamloops going solar?
(Image: Pixabay.com)
If you are a Kamloops homeowner with the potential to install solar panels, you’re invited to take part in a survey
By Dr. PETER TSIGARIS
Thompson Rivers University
KAMLOOPS IS KNOWN for its stunning landscapes, vibrant community, and abundant sunshine, receiving approximately 2,000 hours of bright sunshine annually. This makes it one of the sunniest cities in British Columbia, and an ideal location for solar energy adoption. Yet, despite the clear environmental and potential cost-saving benefits, the uptake of residential solar panels remains relatively low.
To understand why, Troy Ssebanakitta, a fourth-year Economics student of mine at Thompson Rivers University, is conducting research on solar energy awareness, homeowner attitudes, and the challenges of adoption.
His survey aims to gather insights from Kamloops homeowners, whether they live in a detached home, townhouse, duplex, condominium, or trailer, who have installed solar panels or have the potential to do so.
Why This Research Matters
Kamloops has been experiencing more frequent climate-related challenges such as drought, wildfires, shrinking rivers, and water shortages. As the costs of traditional energy sources continue to rise, renewable energy solutions like solar power have the potential to play a significant role in reducing household energy bills and supporting sustainability efforts.
Despite this, many homeowners face barriers to adopting solar energy, including high upfront costs, lack of clear policy incentives, and uncertainty about efficiency and long-term savings. Troy’s research seeks to explore these concerns and identify what policy changes or support measures might encourage greater adoption.
How You Can Contribute
The survey, which takes 10–20 minutes to complete, will explore:
- Awareness of solar energy’s benefits and costs
- Household energy consumption and heating expenses
- Barriers preventing solar panel installation
- What incentives or policy changes would help adoption
Survey responses will remain anonymous and confidential, and the findings will contribute to Troy’s undergraduate research paper under my supervision. The results may also be published in research articles, helping to inform local policymakers, researchers, and community organizations about how to support solar energy adoption in Kamloops.
If you are a Kamloops homeowner with the potential to install solar panels, we encourage you to share your perspective by taking the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/J8PLPJ5
Your input is important and can help show the world that Kamloops is at the forefront of sustainability. With so much sunshine at our disposal, the question isn’t whether Kamloops can harness solar power, it’s how we can make it easier for more households to make the switch.
Let’s work together to turn Kamloops’ sunshine into a sustainable energy future.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Did the survey. Primary interest is in the future month to month drop in the Hydro bill, not how long it would take to pay off. If the BC govt, BC Hydro or even the Fed govt funded solar installs properly … like in Europe, I would already have it in.
Its kind of pointless to detail more than that in a blog comment section,
I dont need to hear myself talk.
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Kamloops receives more sunshine than any other urban setting in the province and Tranquille receives more than any area within the city. Moreover, the proximity to Kamloops Lake allows for easy and inexpensive direct access to geothermal energy from the lake, making the Tranquille Farms property ideally situated to be the provinces first enery neutral urban community.
The city should be pushing for the proposed community development at the Tranquille site and initiate a municipal utility using the geothermal benefits of Kamloops Lake just as Penticton, Summerland, Nelson, Grand Forks and New Westminster are doing with their waterways rather than more development west of Dufferin.
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Benefits of One Solar Panel $$$$ to my bill not considering elimination of carbon. .
To lower my electricity bill using one panel ( I will need many for an average home) will depend on size and output of the panel (typically 250-400 watts for a residential panel), it can offset a small portion of my energy use, like powering lights or small appliances.
The costs of one solar panel upfront is $300 to $600 on average This excludes installation, which can add $100-$200 for a small setup. Additional Equipment: To use the energy, I’ll need an inverter ($150-$400 for a small one), wiring, and possibly a battery ($150-$700 for basic storage), pushing total costs to $650-$1,300 or more.
One panel’s production (e.g., 1-1.5 kWh/day in good sunlight) won’t power a whole home Canadian households average 30 kWh/day or more due to cold climate so it’s more supplemental. Installation requires a sunny, unobstructed spot (about 15-20 sq. ft.), and efficiency drops in cloudy weather or with poor placement and cold temperatures.
Lifespan and Replacement: Panels last 25-30 years but degrade over time (about 0.5-1% efficiency loss per year), so output diminishes gradually. I looked at this For small-scale use (e.g., charging devices or running a few lights), one panel can be cost-effective over time, especially in sunny regions with high electricity rates (e.g., $0.20/kWh or more). For larger needs, the costs scale quickly, and a single panel won’t suffice alone so I would need many.
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Like always I will fill out the survey. Like always I will roll my eyes when I read things like “Let’s work together to turn Kamloops’ sunshine into a sustainable energy future.”
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