BeetBox Coop
Spark Source Consulting
Spark Source Consulting is supporting local, sustainable agriculture and farmer well-being by installing a solar array on the chicken coop roof. By offsetting BeetBox’s electricity costs and their emissions, we are easing their financial burden while promoting environmental sustainability.
Project Overview
BeetBox Coop is an organic farm in the Ottawa Greenbelt that uses regenerative farming practices and is training the next generation of farmers to grow fresh, local food for Ottawans. The input costs of farming are growing, which means less resources to reinvest into their mission. Spark Source Consulting is supporting local, sustainable agriculture and farmer well-being by installing a solar array on the chicken coop roof. By offsetting BeetBox’s electricity costs and their emissions, we are easing their financial burden while promoting environmental sustainability..
Team
Sonia and Joe are on a mission to support local communities with their energy needs. Through Spark Source Consulting, they are developing renewable energy projects that directly benefit businesses and non-profit organizations. Their innovative approach combines expertise in renewable energy solutions with a passion for community empowerment, driving positive change one project at a time. Join us in sparking a brighter, sustainable future together.
Sonia is a creative problem solver who led the charge on finding a solar site, even though she did not have the first clue of how to combine her two passions in sustainability: energy and food production. She was completing the SECT program when she started getting creative with thinking about her next step in clean energy entrepreneurship. She reached out to the manager of the Ottawa Renewable Energy Coop, to learn more about setting up local energy projects. Then, she reflected on her past sustainability initiatives to identify energy needs in her community. Through much persistence and resilience, she found 3 sites after speaking with many community leaders to find a project site.
Joe brings his positive energy and policy experience to the team, with experience in Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Intergovernmental Affairs Directorate and later, at Natural Resources Canada’s Sustainable Energy Policy Division. Joe’s passion and experience in renewable energy research significantly contributes to the development of our project, and to the sustainable energy policies he works on.
|
|
Sonia Vinogradova
Joe Workentin|
|
|
|
Team Mentor:
Elijah Dietrich
Elijah Dietrich is a young professional with several years of experience in the climate and energy spaces. His career has focused on solar project development, first with Student Energy as Guided Projects Manager where he worked on off-grid community projects, and now with DNV as an Associate Project Manager on the Solar Independent Engineering team working on utility-scale projects. Elijah is eager to share the best practices for solar project development he has learned with SEGP participants.
TIMELINE
We are on track with our current milestones, which we are proud to announce. We are aiming for a project completion date of Sep 20, 2024, when all the panels will be installed and connected to the grid. As well, we plan to organize a press day for sustainability professionals to visit the site and celebrate the successful installation of the project.
Project Rationale
This project will involve the installation of a PV solar array at a local urban farm co-op within the greater Ottawa area. The solar array will be placed on top of an existing farm building to power the farm’s activities.
Through the installation of these solar panels, this project aims to support the production of local, sustainable agriculture within the Ottawa region. Specifically, the project aims to support BeetBox Co-op Farm in alleviating the costs associated with food production, as well as reducing energy-related expenses linked to their live-in educational outreach program; the outreach program is one that is designed to educate and inspire aspiring urban farmers with a focus on sustainability. By installing these solar panels, this project seeks to promote environmental sustainability, economic viability, and educational initiatives within the Ottawa community.
Contact Information
Please reach out to Sonia with any questions or additional project collaboration opportunities by emailing vinogradova.sonia@gmail.com or connect on LinkedIn here
Project Budget
Solar panels
$2,000
an inverter$1,500
installation contractor costs and grid connection approval
$10,000
for the press day and auxiliary costs that may be unforeseen
$1,500
Support Opportunities
We would greatly appreciate support for this local farm solar project in the form of expertise in expanding our project model with new site introductions, general financing support as impact investors, connections to others in the industry who are working on similar projects, and support by sharing our project story within your network!
studentenergy
Loading
@studentenergy
Loading