Solar Power generation in Alberta - Truly competitive now, or soon?

[riander5]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Neighbour is getting it done, said up front cost was 20k, grants cover 25k and he can finance the rest. Supposedly hes goong to get a 5 year break even on this with his 1200 sqr foot house and soon to be electric car. Will be following his install closely.

This is explained in a very confusing manner

[phreezee]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Is it safe to say that works out to about $100 with of energy for May? (10c/kWh)

Are you still subject to all the misc fees every month or are they waived at some point?

No first hand experience yet and will have to wait for my Enmax bill. Basically if you produce more than you use, you get a credit. My coworker got a -$120 credit on his "bill" with a similar sized system, but his house is half the size of mine.
I will likely produce less than I use, so I'm interested to see what the fees look like.

- - - Updated - - -

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Do these have gorilla glass for hail? Or are they done if hail gets them?

I have JA panels and they are tested for 45mm hail @ 110kmh.

During the high-grade hailstone impact test, hailstones with a diameter of 45 millimeters strike the glass surface of JA’s modules at a speed of 30.7 meters per second (about 110.5 kilometers per hour). In contrast, hailstones used in the standard hailstone impact test strike are only 25 millimeters in diameter and strike modules at a speed of only 23 meters per second. The anti-kinetic energy impact performance of JA modules is ten times the original industry standard.

[Darell_n]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I don't know what my skylight is made out of, but that fucker has been through 15 years of hail and had zero damage. I always assumed it'd be the weak link but it seems like the strongest part of my roof.

Sorry about your loss next storm we get.

[killramos]

Do you guys with panels have commensurate insurance to cover them?

I know how anal my insurance company is about my current roof, I can’t imagine a $20k solar array is something they would overlook.

[phreezee]

I don't have additional insurance. They are attached to the house and are covered with TD.

Solar panel protection Insurance on solar panels is included in TD Insurance's mainstream insurance offerings.

The panels and inverters come with a 10 year warranty as well.

[Cagare]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Do you guys with panels have commensurate insurance to cover them?

I know how anal my insurance company is about my current roof, I can’t imagine a $20k solar array is something they would overlook.

For some folks I know with solar it actually caused their insurance to go down.

[killramos]

That seems to make a ton of sense lol

[vengie]

Solar panels are extremely durable.

[sabad66]

N00b question…what happens when you have to replace your shingles? Do you need to get the solar company to come take the panels down temporarily and then reinstall after? Or is it easy enough that the roofers can do it (I probably still wouldn’t trust a roofer to do anything like this but just for arguments sake.

[pheoxs]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

N00b question…what happens when you have to replace your shingles? Do you need to get the solar company to come take the panels down temporarily and then reinstall after? Or is it easy enough that the roofers can do it (I probably still wouldn’t trust a roofer to do anything like this but just for arguments sake.

Majority of the time they’d replace the shingles prior to installing the panels, and they’ll often go with a 40 year single for longevity. At some point you’ll have to replace the panels and they’d likely redo the roof at that time depending on the age.

[Xtrema]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

N00b question…what happens when you have to replace your shingles? Do you need to get the solar company to come take the panels down temporarily and then reinstall after? Or is it easy enough that the roofers can do it (I probably still wouldn’t trust a roofer to do anything like this but just for arguments sake.

I would love it if Elon's solar tiles worked out. Too bad it didn't.

[sabad66]

Shitty. So add another $10k on top if your shingles aren’t on the newer end? I’ve been seriously considering it with the free financing program, but this could definitely be a deal breaker. Sucks that I don’t know when the previous owners last replaced mine…I suppose professionals could probably take a look and tell me how much life they have left

Do the solar installers typically do shingles too? Or you are expected to do that on your own before the panels are installed?

[ExtraSlow]

Build a pole barn vaulted over the roof 2-3 feet above. @eblend can help.

[spike98]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

N00b question…what happens when you have to replace your shingles? Do you need to get the solar company to come take the panels down temporarily and then reinstall after? Or is it easy enough that the roofers can do it (I probably still wouldn’t trust a roofer to do anything like this but just for arguments sake.

Yes the system needs to be removed for a roof replacement. One MASSIVE oversight people don't consider. It also makes the roof replacement incredibly more expensive when you need to do it and the extra costs will also not be covered in the event of an insurance claim.

The system should be installed shortly after a new roof is installed so you can line up the 20 year replacement window of both the panels and shingles.

[eblend]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Yes the system needs to be removed for a roof replacement. One MASSIVE oversight people don't consider. It also makes the roof replacement incredibly more expensive when you need to do it and the extra costs will also not be covered in the event of an insurance claim.

The system should be installed shortly after a new roof is installed so you can line up the 20 year replacement window of both the panels and shingles.

Or get a standing seam metal roof and call it a day. It will outlive most people. I would never mount solar on a shingled roof, knowing full well it needs to be removed 10 years-15 years later.

[Darell_n]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Or get a standing seam metal roof and call it a day. It will outlive most people. I would never mount solar on a shingled roof, knowing full well it needs to be removed 10 years-15 years later.

^This x1000. I had a construction project near the airport with a flat asphalt roof and a few thousand solar panels. (new building, 6 months old). The last big hailstorm broke 10 or so panels so they stripped off the entire solar setup to replace the roof and every piece of piping and equipment on it. Ended up sending the entirety of the solar panels to auction to replace with new. Try as they might they couldn’t fill that money pit.

[ZenOps]

https://elements.visualcapitalist.co...rve-explained/

California grid will become the norm as more cities move to solar. Alberta is much more like California pre-2019.

From 4pm to 7pm, there will be a gigantic grid draw, which trails off to 9pm. Its probably what Ontario is basing their ULO on, predicted grid strain based on solar. No one can do wind within city limits, so its not even a factor in the big cities.

Visual capitalist is wrong though, peak solar is not a problem. What may become an issue is the huge ramp in needed grid power at 4pm as the sun weakens/sets. Later in the day the closer you get to the equator, and earlier in Canada. I'd say peak is 3:30 pm to sunset in Canada, but close enough.

https://www.enmax.com/generation-wir...-system-demand

Enmax might get ever so slightly less demand yoy as solar trickles in, especially on extra hot sunny days.

[redline]

With the price of power in alberta the solar guys are starting to get aggressive, i have had a couple door to door guys in the last week... going o be moving soon , i am going to do it on the new house but not the old one.

i think we are at point where it makes sense.

[The_Penguin]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Majority of the time they’d replace the shingles prior to installing the panels, and they’ll often go with a 40 year single for longevity. At some point you’ll have to replace the panels and they’d likely redo the roof at that time depending on the age.

I have a neighbour getting solar installed right now, on top of 23-year-old Pine shakes. They did get a few shakes replaced a year or 2 ago, but seems like they're pushing it a bit.

[JustinL]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

^This x1000. I had a construction project near the airport with a flat asphalt roof and a few thousand solar panels. (new building, 6 months old). The last big hailstorm broke 10 or so panels so they stripped off the entire solar setup to replace the roof and every piece of piping and equipment on it. Ended up sending the entirety of the solar panels to auction to replace with new. Try as they might they couldn’t fill that money pit.

This doesn't make any sense to me. They lost 10 panels out of a few thousand and decided to strip the 6 month old roof underneath, sell the panels at a loss and replace with all new panels again? That sounds like a strategy designed to burn as much cash as fast as possible.