Electric cars of all shapes and sizes, and even an electric boat, were on display at an energy expo held at Burrowing Owl Estate and Winery on April 6.

By Dale Boyd

Osoyoos Times

The cloudy skies couldn’t dim the sunny demeanour of those who attended an electric vehicle and solar power event at Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Saturday.

The event, put on by non-profit group First Things First Okanagan, included purveyors of a wide array of electric and solar alternatives including solar panel installers, home energy storage, electric quads, bicycles cars and even an electric boat.

“It’s like a Tesla on the water,” said Mark Fry, who who was showcasing one of Templar Electric’s custom electric boats. . “This particular boat will run for nine hours at seven kilometers an hour.”

Oliver man Russell Work brought his Tesla Model 3 to the event, and was there to spread the good word of solar and electric alternatives.

“If we don’t do something about climate change and CO2 emissions, our world doesn’t have much of a future,” Work said. “I wanted to share our experiences with our stories with our solar roof and our Tesla and our e-bike.”

He brought three-pages of data outlining his own energy and cost savings, including a cover sheet which said “$450 talk to me about this,” on it.

Oliver man Russell Work showed off his Tesla Model 3 and his home energy savings to people at an energy expo held at Burrowing Owl Estate and Winery on April 6.“I thought this might grab people’s attention. That is the total amount of money I pay for my energy bill last year,” Work said.

Hundreds came out to the winery to check out the latest electric vehicles, test drive electric bikes and hear from speakers including Carol Suhan from Fortis who spoke about energy efficiency in the home, Bruce Stout from the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, who took a cross-Canada trip in a Tesla, and Gord Lovegrove from UBC Okanagan who explored the possibility of an electric train system in the Okanagan Valley.

It was standing room only as people gathered a small room to hear Burrowing Owl founder Jim Wyse speak about energy efficient practices which were implemented over 25 years at the winery, including geothermal heating and air conditioning, solar panels on the roof and in the parking lot.

Oliver man Russell Work showed off his Tesla Model 3 and his home energy savings to people at an energy expo held at Burrowing Owl Estate and Winery on April 6.

Wyse walked the audience through some of the processes which have Burrowing Owl at a net-zero energy impact annually. When he and his family started out with just a vineyard they were able to set their own goals, which included their impact on the environment around them, Wyse said.

“We started this out later in our lives, so we had the option to make our own rules like ‘we want to do no harm,’ at that time, so we’ve carried on with that mantra throughout the design of the building including and up to the solar (power) efforts,” Wyse said.

Some of those designs include drip irrigation which has reduced Burrowing Owl’s water consumption by two thirds, and required a commitment to retraining the vines to work with that system.

“It’s been quite a ride for us getting involved in solar, and now being involved with three of these First Things First get-togethers. We’re just so proud of the fact this is working so well, and I’m really proud so many of you came in to hear the story,” Wyse said.