community SOLAR Reimagined

Harvest the sun.

Share the wealth.

Penticton • Coming Summer 2026

Why Penticton

The Okanagan Is Known for sunshine

Penticton is one of the sunniest cities in Canada, and it is one of five British Columbia community that owns its own electrical utility.

However, it faces a convergence of challenges:

Rising Demand

Rapidly increasing electricity demand (due to population growth, densification, technology demand and transition to EV/heat pumps)

Environmental

Climate change and environmental commitment (hot summers, frequent and persistent drought, net zero commitments)

Grid Dependancy

Reliance on FortisBC (above average rate increases, transmission risks such as fire related line shutdowns)

Okanagan Community Energy Company (OCEC)

A path to harvest solar for the benefit of everyone

The Okanagan Community Energy Company (OCEC) offers an innovative venture to mitigate these risks and challenges without capital investment from the City of Penticton.

OCEC aims to build long-term community prosperity through shared ownership of sustainable electricity generation, where value and wealth remain in community. This includes equitable access to solar-generated electricity for ALL residents, regardless of whether they own their rooftop.

How It Works

Turning commercial rooftops into value generation

1. Community Investment

Community members invest in shares in OCEC (“Owners”)

2. Installation

OCEC uses funds raised to purchase and install solar panels on community rooftops (e.g. schools, community centers, and other suitably sized existing rooftops)

3. Generation & Sale

Electricity is generated and sold to City of Penticton’s Electrical Utility at market rates

4. Shared Returns

Revenue from electricity sales is used to operate and grow, with Owners receiving an annual dividend (estimated at 4% per annum based on comparable projects)

The Benefits – For Investors (You)

Accessible to All

You don’t need a roof to own solar. For as little as $1,000, you can purchase shares in our solar projects and join the movement.

Annual Dividends

Investing in the transition pays off. With assets generating stable revenue for decades, we target a 4-6% annual return for our investors.

Shared Ownership

Our investors are the owners. This is democratized energy that empowers everyone to participate in—and profit from—the local green economy.

The Benefits – For Community

Economic Resilience

Energy dollars stay in Penticton rather than flowing to external shareholders. Profits are circulated back to local owners and reinvested in community nonprofits.

Demand Mitigation

Producing power locally during peak summer months reduces the City’s need to buy expensive power from the open market, helping control the City’s operating budget.

Protecting Our Land

By utilizing existing rooftops, we generate clean energy without contributing to urban sprawl or sacrificing valuable agricultural land.

Capital Savings

The project funding model (utilizing grants and external investment) allows the City of Penticton to deploy the infrastructure without drawing from its own capital budget,

Preparing For Launch

The Vision

Our initial goal is to deploy 5MW of solar capacity in Penticton, establishing a resilient foundation for future community battery storage and expansion across the entire Okanagan valley.

Current Status

We are working closely with the City of Penticton and our technical team to develop a portfolio of projects and finalize our business and investment approach.

Project Partners

Extropic Engineering • BCIT • Penticton Indian Band

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of:

Economic Trust of the Southern Interior of BC (ETSI-BC) • Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

More Details Coming Soon

Join the waitlist to be the first to know when venture and investment details are announced.

Join the waitlist for solar