Orizon Energy installs commercial solar, battery storage, and demand-shaving systems for office, industrial, and multi-tenant buildings across Metro Vancouver.
The region sees roughly 1,009 kWh of solar production per installed kW annually, the lowest of Canada's major metros due to coastal cloud cover, yet the math still works for many commercial buildings because of BC's 7% PST exemption on solar equipment and electricity rates that have climbed roughly 7.5% across 2025 and 2026 combined. For facilities with large flat industrial or warehouse roofs common in the Fraser Valley and along the Highway 1 corridor, the available roof area often outweighs the lower per-kW output compared to drier interior markets.
Because BC Hydro's new self-generation export rate pays a flat 10¢ per kWh rather than banking credits at retail rates, systems in this territory are typically sized closer to a facility's own daytime consumption, with battery storage added where a business wants to capture more value from generation than the flat export rate offers.
Commercial solar installations generally require a building permit, and in some cases a separate development permit, through the City's Development, Buildings and Licensing department, following the Zoning and Development By-law for the site. Properties on BC Hydro's distribution network apply for self-generation interconnection directly through BC Hydro under Rate Schedule 2289. We manage the permit package and interconnection application as part of every commercial project.
A cold-storage and distribution operator running a 38,000 sq ft facility near the Highway 1 corridor faced rising BC Hydro costs driven largely by refrigeration equipment running around the clock.
Orizon designed a 110 kW rooftop array paired with battery storage sized to shift a portion of stored daytime generation into the facility's overnight refrigeration load, sized to self-consumption rather than export under the new BC Hydro rate structure.
The system offset roughly 55% of the facility's annual consumption, with the PST exemption and federal ITC combining to bring the payback period to approximately 5.5 years.
Client name changed. Results vary based on individual circumstances. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Rooftop systems for office, retail, and industrial buildings across the region.
Learn More →On-site storage to capture more value than BC Hydro's flat export rate offers.
Learn More →We also serve businesses in Kelowna and communities across the Okanagan and Southern Interior.
See what solar, storage, and demand shaving could save your Metro Vancouver facility.
or call (855) 674-9661