Solar panels put an end to power bills for house
David Sawatzky doesn’t have to pay any utility bills at his 1,700-square-foot house in Lumby.
In fact, hydro will soon be writing him a cheque every year for the excess electricity the house generates that will be sold back into the grid.
“It pays to be green,” said Sawatzky.
Twenty eight solar panels capable of generating 265 watts each cover the roof.
The house also has LED lighting throughout, has an insulated-concrete-form foundation (most foundations are uninsulated concrete), Energy Star fixtures and appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures and a heat-recovery ventilator and mini-split ductless heat pump.
The ventilator and heat pump are essential for using existing airflow for energy-efficient heating and cooling.
The result is an energy net-positive house, meaning the systems provide all the energy needed for the house, plus some extra to be sold to hydro.
Sawatzky had been working in construction for years, but he knew if he took the Okanagan College sustainable construction management technology two-year diploma program, he could up his game.
The result is not just his net-positive house, but he’s also started his own sustainable construction business.
The sustainable diploma course is offered at the Penticton campus.
Skyline boost
ELLA is promising to alter Kelowna’s skyline with stylish, and practical, design.
“Kelowna is about to go through an urban awakening and see this building as pioneering superb downtown living,” said Gwyn Vose of Vancouver-based IBI Group Architects, who designed the 20-storey ELLA tower with colleague Martin Bruckner.
Kelowna-based Mission Group plans to start building the highrise early next year for completion in 2020 at the corner of Ellis Street and Lawrence Avenue, thus the ELLA name using the first two letters of each street.
While ELLA will be a contemporary glass tower, it also features an array of other elements that make it attractive.
They include some brick pilasters, high-ceiling retail spaces on the ground floor and strong horizontal lines of canopy and cornices.
The vertical lines of the upper tower combines to give ELLA street presence as well as skyine impact.
Besides the street-level retail, the tower’s podium will have parking on levels two through five.
That means the 116 condos start on the sixth floor and will all have lake views from two sides and mountain and city views from the other two.
Prices have yet to be set for the one-bedroom, two-bedroom and two-bedroom-with-den units.
Details will be released when ELLA’s presentation centre in the storefront at the high-profile corner of Bernard Avenue and Ellis Street, just a half a block from the tower site, opens in the fall.
ELLA will be the first Kelowna condo tower with a Walk Score of 97 out of 100.
Seattle-based Walk Score calculates an index specific locations based on how close amenities are and how many errands can be run without a car.
ELLA scored high because it’s walking distance to shopping, restaurants, parks, the lake and public transit.
Bigger hangar
A year ago, KF Aerospace (formerly Kelowna Flightcraft) had 530 employees.
Today, the company has 675 working out of its headquarters at Kelowna airport, a record high number that makes KF the largest private-sector employer in the city.
More employees are needed because KF has more work and more work means bigger hangars to fit all the planes.
As such, KF’s Central Hanger is being expanded so it can fit 11 planes at once for maintenance and overhauling.
KF is still hiring and some of the positions are $14-an-hour, entrylevel jobs that the company will train the right candidates for.
KF has always been busy servicing and retrofitting aircraft for airline, government and military customers, flying cargo and chartering planes.
But the spike in business and hiring has come about because of a trifecta of factors.
First, WestJet extended its contract with KF for another five years.
KF installs winglets and onboard Wifi and live-TV systems in WestJet planes and also retrofits interiors with new seats.
Second, KF landed the contracts to maintain the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleets of Buffalo and Twin Otter aircraft used for search and rescue and transporting supplies, equipment and personnel.
And third, KF has signed a deal with Aeronautical Engineers of Miami to convert used passenger jets into cargo planes.
Wine grape
Everything from pests, yeast, climate change and berry sensors to irrigation, wine tasting, reduced-alcohol wines and oddball varieties will be discussed at the B.C. Wine Grape Council conference and tradeshow Monday and Tuesday at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.
Over 500 delegates and exhibitors are expected, including many Okanagan grape growers, winery personnel, students, researchers and speakers from France, Germany, New Zealand and the U.S.
There will be panel discussions, workshops, networking sessions and 100 exhibitors showcasing products and services for the grape and wine industry.
For a full schedule of events check out bcwgc.org.