by Sam Koots
If you look up at Fairview’s rooftops, you may start to notice a growing trend: solar panels are popping up on more and more homes. Have you ever considered getting solar for your home? If so, read on.
We had a 4.88KW solar system installed on our home on Fielding Drive in January 2022. The installation of my array took 1.5 days and was done entirely by a local company. I have 13 panels on my roof. This system would normally have cost $11,500 to have installed; however, we only had to pay $6,500 after benefiting from Natural Resources Canada’s Greener Homes program. In order to be eligible for an improvement like solar (or a heat pump, new attic insulation, new windows, etc.), you must first have a certified energy advisor do an assessment of your home. They’ll test how airtight your house is, measure the insulation in your attic, go through your utility bills, then come up with a list of suggested improvements you should consider in order to save on energy (and hopefully money too).
My system is a grid-tied solar system, which means Enmax installed a special electrical meter on my house that allows me to draw power from the grid when I’m underproducing (like at night, or in the winter), and send power back to the grid when I’m overproducing (a sunny summer day). Of course, production is expected to be much higher in the summer, so one way to take advantage of this is to go with a “rate switching” plan with your electricity utility. This means for the months of April through to September, I am “paying” a much higher rate for my electricity than the average homeowner. But wait – since during all of those months I am guaranteed to produce more than I consume, all those kwH I send back to the grid get credited to my account at that “high” summer rate. Once October rolls around, my solar production dips dramatically and so my utility switches me back to a normal rate like any other house is paying. Using this “Rate Switching” technique means my system should be paid off in a little over six years at current energy prices.
Many people have asked me if I intend to go “off grid” now that I have solar. My answer is definitely not. I still heat my house with Natural Gas, and by tying into the grid I can take advantage of being credited for the power I send back to it. After all, hot summer days are seeing more and more people running their A/C units, which means the grid will take all the power I can produce!
The company that installed my system predicted that I would generate 5,300kwh per year. For 2022, I generated 4,743kwh – about 90% of predicted.
A few other quick points:
You can generally only get approved for a system rated at 105% of your previous year’s energy consumption. That means you can’t build a massive array covering your whole roof unless you truly are using that much power. If you have an EV or air conditioning though, your consumption will be much higher than average which means you can take advantage of economies of scale when you are getting a system.
Calgary does get a lot of sunny weather even in the middle of winter but don’t expect to generate much power. Even once all the snow has melted off the panels, the angle of the sun is so low that you will never come close to your summertime production.
Another limitation is that your system is tied into your electrical panel and takes up four full-sized circuit breakers. If your panel is full or older, you may need to have an electrician move some breakers around, or even upgrade your electrical panel.
If your shingles are in rough shape it makes sense to replace them beforehand since the panels are installed on top of your existing roof.
One of the coolest things about having solar is that you can nerd out in real time about what you’re producing using an app on your phone. I was in BC on holidays last summer and could sit on the beach and see my system generating as much as $9 per day in energy.
If you are interested in solar, ask one of your neighbours with nifty-looking panels on their roof what they recommend, or Google “Greener Homes Grant” to be taken to the NRCan website for more information. Due to the popularity of the program, energy advisors can be booked up for many months, so if you’re interested it’s best to call around and get yourself in the queue for an appointment.
One thing is for sure: energy prices are certainly not getting any cheaper. With a solar system you can begin to take advantage of high energy prices and help the environment at the same time.
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