Suncatcher Solar is a family business that grew out of a strong interest in using solar power and other renewable energy. Its founder, Angie Ortlepp, literally lives what she sells. Her home, an off-grid wind and solar powered living lab, was designed by Angie and built by her family in 2004. In 2007, she used her home to satisfy the requirements of her Masters degree in electrical engineering.

Since then, Suncatcher Solar has completed an extensive list of wind and solar projects ranging from custom solar home design to renewable energy systems, both grid-tied and off-grid.

Our Experience

The business is operated by mother and son team, Angelika Ortlepp and her son, Rohan Campbell.

Angelika, who designed and lives in the first Suncatcher Solar home, is a professional engineer with a degree in Engineering Physics and an M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering.  For many years, she taught labs for the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics at the University of Saskatchewan.  She introduced renewable energy to the curriculum and supervised design projects on solar energy.  Her “living lab” home and the resulting thesis have provided first hand knowledge and real life experiences to share with students and a growing list of clients.

Since that first experimental prototype, Angelika and Rohan have worked on many renewable energy projects across Saskatchewan and designed passive solar homes for clients throughout Canada.

What we bring to the table:

• Expertise in renewable power system design
• Extensive experience in renewable energy installations
• Expertise and first hand experience with energy efficient passive solar home design
• Consulting services for the client’s contractor to build our passive solar home designs (Island Rose, Gardenview)
• Consulting services for passive solar buildings and solar energy projects
• Customer Service – we are always happy to answer your questions and concerns, both before and after the installation
• Full warranty service –  if there is a warranty claim we contact the man

Our Vision

In 2003 we had an idea – we wanted to build a home that used the energy of the sun for warmth and power, providing an affordable and sustainable house while maintaining a comfortable and convenient lifestyle. Our experimental prototype home grew out of this idea, as did the desire to share with others the joy and experiences from this unique experiment.

Our vision is to help others with the same hopes and dreams to design and build comfortable eco-friendly homes, communities and businesses. We have the benefit of experience, education and training, and an unwavering belief in developing better ways to build and heat our homes.

We live in a fossil fuel society. Much of our growth, development and comfort have been derived from the energy trapped in coal, oil and natural gas. Unfortunately, burning fossil fuels creates increased C02, smog and other air pollution. Mining and drilling for fossil fuels also has a negative impact on the environment. However, without these important fuels our society would not have the standard of living to which we have grown accustomed. Despite all the benefits of these powerful energy sources, we are being forced to recognize that fossil fuel supplies are limited and becoming scarce. The most accessible sources of these fuels are rapidly disappearing and we have to work much harder to find replacements. Rising demand and depleting supplies have resulted in a dramatic rise in fuel prices. We are also finding that burning massive amounts of fossil fuel to drive society’s growth comes at significant environmental and social cost. To move forward, we have to respect where we’ve come from and consider practical alternatives.