Frequently Asked Questions

About BVGEC

  • Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative is a for-profit cooperative that provides its members with the opportunity to invest in community-owned renewable energy projects, supporting the energy transition in the Bow Valley.

    We are a grassroots, socially responsible organisation that is community-led and volunteer-driven.

  • If you’re familiar with “cooperation”, you’ll think of working together, of bettering yourself and helping to better others – by cooperating! That concept also underlies the cooperative business model. It’s a way of structuring an enterprise so that it is owned by the people who use and benefit from the services it offers.

    Our business model is designed to combine local capital with local expertise to find solutions for renewable energy installations that generate both financial and social returns on investment.

  • A social enterprise is an organization with primarily social objectives & an overall mission to serve the public good. A social enterprise will operate one or more profit enterprises to generate earned income and then reinvest that earned income into realising its social mission.

    Bow Valley Green Energy will commit a portion of our profits to a community benefits fund to support our communities' transition to a renewable energy future. Members will be entitled to vote on how this fund is utilised.

  • Unlike shareholder organizations, BVGEC is 100% democratically controlled and jointly owned by our Members. Large or small, each Member has an equal vote at our Annual General Meeting and may run for a position on our Board of Directors.

    Members of BVGEC are Alberta residents aged 18 or older who have purchased a Member share and whose Membership has been approved by the board of directors.

    Our Board comprises up to twelve directors who the Members elected at the annual general meeting. Directors serve for set terms and are not paid a salary. BVGEC holds director and officer insurance for the activities of the board.

    BVGEC is incorporated as an Opportunity Development Cooperative under the Alberta Cooperatives Act. 2001. We operate under Bylaws that are reviewed by the membership at each Annual General Meeting.

    The 7 principles of cooperative governance guide BVGEC.

BVGEC Membership

  • By purchasing a membership share you become a partial owner of our cooperative and can vote on the cooperative's key business decisions but this ownership share earns no dividends.

    As a Member of BVGEC you then qualify to purchase Class investment shares during share offerings ehich will pay a modest dividend. Please see the ‘Investing in BVGEC’ section below for more details.

  • Memberships are available to all Canadian residents 18 years and older.

    Memberships can be held by individuals or by an organization, such as a corporation or a not-for-profit.  An individual can be both a representative of a corporation that is a Member and be a Member in their own capacity directly. 

    Multiple individuals within a household can all become Members.

  • Members have the right to:

    • Elect the board of directors

    • Receive a copy of the co-op Articles and Bylaws

    • Review reports on financial performance at the annual meeting and in the newsletter

    • Run for the board of directors (unless employed by the co-op)

    • Vote for changes in the Articles and Bylaws as proposed by the board of directors

    • Attend Meeting of Members

    • Purchase Class investment shares during share offerings

  • Absolutely! Bow Valley Green Energy is a volunteer-led organisation, and we are always on the lookout for new talent! You can help make the Bow Valley more sustainable and create a better future with us by registering as a Friend of Bow Valley Green Energy. To sign up as a Friend is entirely free of charge.

  • A lifetime membership with BVGEC is $100. Membership fees help cover our operational and administrative expenses and are not used to directly fund renewable energy installations.

  • Memberships (and Investment Shares) can’t be transferred or passed on without Board approval and a written application from the new owner. Transfers are only allowed if permitted by law.

    Memberships can only be transferred to Canadian residents 18 years and older.

Investing in BVGEC

  • Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative will determine how much will be paid back to investors and when. The target rate of return is established when the investment shares are issued. We aim to meet or exceed the average for green energy projects on the TSX, currently 2.4%. If the co-op earns more than the original target rate of return, the Board has the discretion to increase the dividends paid to investors.

  • Investments in Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative are currently for a minimum term of twenty-one years. During our capital raises, more details will be provided in the Subscription Agreement, which will be published at that time.

  • There is no guarantee on your investment. Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative is a for-profit cooperative and expects to secure a return for all investors; however, we cannot guarantee any return on the investment made.

  • People who invest in Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative are typically individuals who care about the environment and want a sustainable future for their community.

    When you invest in renewable energy projects on properties throughout our valley, you will create local jobs, support local businesses, and receive a return on your investment. You will also support an inclusive and prosperous regional economy while contributing to a healthy environment.

  • First, you must become a BVGEC Member. To become a member, you will need to buy a Membership share for $100. This membership share gives you one vote. This membership share gives you a stake in the Cooperative and one vote, and does not offer dividends.

    You can then purchase Class investment shares on our next share raise, which will offer a prescribed dividend.

    For more information, please view our latest share offering.

  • One investment share costs $50. The minimum investment is $1000 (20 shares). For larger-scale projects, a greater number of investment shares will be available for purchase, but the cost of an individual share will not increase.

  • Not at this time. Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative has the option to join the Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation's (CWCF) RRSP and TFSA Program, which enables members to transfer their investment in a self-directed RRSP or TFSA. As this service incurs a cost for Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative and its investors, we will evaluate the option to join the program based on demand from our membership.

  • Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative board members will determine where the capital will be invested. The board is responsible for evaluating potential projects based on their ability to provide a financial, social, and/or environmental return and presenting these investment opportunities to its members.

  • We can accept applications for investment from individuals over the age of 18 and from companies and organisations who are residents in Alberta and that meet the criteria laid out in the investor prospectus.

    Anyone buying shares on behalf of an organisation or a group of people must specify a person over 18 to act as their nominee and be listed in the share register on behalf of that group.

  • During the 2021 share offering the minimum invetsmet was $1000 and the maximum invetsment was $100K.

    For up to date information, please view our latest share offering for details.

Hosting a BVGEC System

  • Bow Valley Green Energy is continually seeking new host sites for the installation of renewable energy projects. We are looking to partner with local institutions, municipalities, and businesses.

    Please send us an email or complete our opportunity form on the Host a Project page, and we will be in touch to discuss your options!

  • Unfortunately, we are currently unable to offer our services to residential properties. Sign up for our Connect email newsletter at the bottom of this page and be the first to know when we launch a residential initiative!

  • Yes, the cooperative’s business model functions within the Microgeneration Regulation under the Alberta Utilities Act. This regulation limits the size of the installation to a maximum of 5MW of electricity, or the equivalent of the host’s annual electrical demand, whichever is less.

  • or projects of the size and scale BVGEC will be pursuing, the cost of a separate insurance policy is not economical. In agreement with the host, panels will be added to the host’s existing building insurance.

  • Yes! This demonstrates the Host's strong commitment to renewable energy, as well as to the Bow Valley Green Energy Cooperative.

Community Generation

  • A Community (Renewable Energy) Generation project is owned and managed by local citizens who invest in the project installation, sell the electricity generated to the grid, or in our case, to a host site, and share the profits. Projects can be any renewable or alternative energy source, including hydro, solar, geothermal or wind.

    Participation in community generation projects allows Albertans to support renewable energy and generate local revenue.

  • Many households and businesses lack access to renewable energy because they rent, live in multi-tenant buildings, or have roofs that cannot accommodate solar panels. Community generation enables anyone to contribute to advancing renewable energy through partial ownership of community-based projects.

    Currently, most renewable energy generation projects are owned by corporations, and in the future, these projects may be increasingly owned by corporations from outside the province. Unfortunately, that means that profits could leave Alberta rather than remaining in our communities and benefiting local economies.

    Community generation can encourage our local economy through regional job creation. These projects support the manufacturing, planning, consultancy, legal and grid connection industries during construction. In the future, additional jobs will be created to manage maintenance and administration.

    Profits from community generation also support local community initiatives such as education on energy efficiency, facilitating residential renewable energy and environmental protection.

  • The Bow Valley is already feeling the effects of climate change. Climate models predict the average annual temperature in the Bow Valley will increase by 1.9°C in the next 30 years. Scientists anticipate that by that time, rain will make up more winter precipitation than snow, and wildfire smoke will fill our summer skies.

    Renewable energy is one of many solutions available to help mitigate the impacts of climate change in the Bow Valley. Wind energy, solar energy and geothermal energy utilise inexhaustible energy resources that generate no pollution, do not deplete freshwater resources and require no major transportation infrastructure or fuel refining. Furthermore, the electricity produced by these renewable sources helps offset some of our electricity needs, thereby reducing the need for carbon-emitting power plants. Each kilowatt we install helps to green Alberta’s grid and takes direct action on climate change.