Solar in the Kootenays - does it work?

Yes.  We have a good solar resource here, even though we do have our fair share of cloudy days.  Here's some factors to consider about the performance of solar PV (electric) panels such as those used in grid-tied PV systems:

• Cold is good!  A typical PV solar panel increases .5% in voltage for every degree Celsius below 20.  At -20, a PV panel will produce 20% more than it's rated power!
• Elevation is good too!  Sunlight has less atmosphere to travel through at higher elevations.  This helps the performance of your solar system.

The Canadian Government publishes data on the solar resource for many locations here.  The solar resource is the amount of energy a particular place gets from the sun.  Here's some data for locations in the Kootenays: (data in kWh/kW - kWh/kW is a measure of the average yearly electricity production in kWh for a 1 kW-sized system e.g. 5 200W panels)

Compare this to some other locations in Canada and around the world.  Consider that Germany has 50% of the world's installed solar systems.