WATCH: A Victoria surf shop says it’s become the first retailer in Canada to go completely off the grid and become solar-powered. Kylie Stanton reports.
“We didn’t want just a store. We wanted something that fully encompasses what we were doing.”
So says Paul Long, the co-owner of Anian, a surfboard company making waves from inside their own, solar-powered headquarters.
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When they originally purchased a downtown Victoria lot for their business in 2013, they were planning to power it conventionally.
“I really thought I was going to pull power from the city,” says Nick Van Buren, the other co-owner.
It forced them to think outside the box for their power needs. Their buildings are made solely from recycled and reclaimed materials, and they recently had a successful crowdfunding campaign to purchase four 250-watt panels.
It’s enough to power all the necessary lights and tools, with plenty left if the company ever expands.
– With files from Kylie Stanton
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