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

[pheoxs]

The funny part? Their peak / high demand rate is still lower than Alberta’s regular rate.



edit: apparently only partial true, AB’s floating rate was higher the last few months but only just dipped below this month. AB is still higher 19 hours a day though.

[Tik-Tok]

Do they have the same usage based delivery fees that we do?

[pheoxs]

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Do they have the same usage based delivery fees that we do?

Calgary’s combined transmission / distribution variable fee is 3x higher (5.5 cents/kwh) than Ottawa’s (1.6 cents/kwh). Our fixed portion is lower ($19.5) than theirs though ($32)

[Darkane]

Good info in this thread.

Fun fact, enmax just ran a EV charging pilot and are considering offering 3.5c/kWh savings off your normal bill for off peak charging.

I’ll take it, our hydro is pretty low here. But our wind and solar can supply 1/3 of Alberta’s needs under the right conditions.

[ZenOps]

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Lmao. Do you think the NRCAN program they just cut cheques for any person and just let them go on their merry way? The government is inept, but not that inept.

They give you an interest free loan, you use it to invest in infrastructure for your home that offsets your electrical costs / increases energy efficiency. If you choose to install solar, you have now hedged your electrical costs (to a degree). This isnt rocket science, its a few lines on an excel sheet. There are already tons of case studies online on reddit where people seem to be doing well and looking at sub 10 year payback periods at current electrical rates. Let me repeat - CURRENT rates. Not future increased rates.

Getting an interest free loan to apply to this is the game changer that you seem to not understand. You're already paying for this program with your taxes, if you don't want to use it that's your prerogative.

Governments change, every four years. Give it eight or twelve years and who knows, maybe Canada will be more right than the USA or maybe the Green party will win majority. Personally I'm betting on people voting AI to win.

Solar is incredibly high density value if you consider that 400 watts is two square meters of land, which otherwise you would be planting grain which you might get $150 per ton for. Output per square meter for "Growing food" is not as lucrative as some make it to be.

[phreezee]

My system went live this week and today will be the first full day of monitoring.
I sized the system to ensure the government paid 1/3 of the cost.
If a future grant comes along I will add on to the system.

[Xtrema]

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Fun fact, if you want to charge your car from 2300-0700 in Ontario, it only costs 2.4c/kWh.

That is not a typo.

They are begging surrounding states to take their nuclear excess. So it make sense if they turn that into EV charging incentive.

They would be royally fucked if Pickering is decommissioned on schedule with 1st SMR not coming online til 2028. Pickering's life just got extended.

[mr2mike]

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Seems like a poor bet that power prices will not increase with the decarbonization being pushed on everyone from all angles.

The number of grants to buy electric anything for your house is crazy.
It's almost like they want to see how high electricity spikes can go before it breaks.

https://www.furnaceprices.ca/government-hvac-rebates/

[sabad66]

Good Reddit thread about someone going through this in Lethbridge
https://www.reddit.com/r/PersonalFin...r_homes_grant/

Coles is that he is paying $163/month for 10 years to cover the loan, but saving $120-220/month on energy. Definitely makes me want to look into it more.

[M.alex]

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Good Reddit thread about someone going through this in Lethbridge
https://www.reddit.com/r/PersonalFin...r_homes_grant/

Coles is that he is paying $163/month for 10 years to cover the loan, but saving $120-220/month on energy. Definitely makes me want to look into it more.

So basically you pay $160/mth and you may save $160/mth on average but you have to deal with a headache of contractors drilling shit in to your roof and then having ugly ass solar panels on your roof.

And then in 10yrs time when you're like 'ahahah, pure savings now bro since my loan is paid off' Alberta introduces some form of time-of-use and with how much solar is out there gangbanging the system on-peak solar value becomes worthless.

[phreezee]

Didn't know about the carbon credit offset. Thanks, I signed up : https://www.solaroffset.ca/calculator

Over the project term, after fees, you could be paid between**:
CA$2,608 to CA$3,353

[ExtraSlow]

Remember when I said vertical panels made a lot of sense in northern regions?
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/04/...parking-areas/

[BerserkerCatSplat]

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And then in 10yrs time when you're like 'ahahah, pure savings now bro since my loan is paid off' Alberta introduces some form of time-of-use and with how much solar is out there gangbanging the system on-peak solar value becomes worthless.

Just parsing your comment, your expectation is that residential solar generation capacity will be so high here that Calgary's time of use rates would have the daytime consumption/generation rates be significantly lower than nighttime, the opposite of everywhere else in the world? Or is there an example of this occurring somewhere? I'm genuinely curious.

[riander5]

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So basically you pay $160/mth and you may save $160/mth on average but you have to deal with a headache of contractors drilling shit in to your roof and then having ugly ass solar panels on your roof.

And then in 10yrs time when you're like 'ahahah, pure savings now bro since my loan is paid off' Alberta introduces some form of time-of-use and with how much solar is out there gangbanging the system on-peak solar value becomes worthless.

Its really only a problem in the looks department if you have a north facing back yard like a pleb

[ZenOps]

If you happen to have a lot of open land and sun, screw pile ground mount is actually cheaper than roof mount.

[colsankey]

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.

[phreezee]

First month report: although missing about 3 days of May, my system generated 1050kWh which is roughly what Enmax says I used last May.

[mr2mike]

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

[Bytem3]

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First month report: although missing about 3 days of May, my system generated 1050kWh which is roughly what Enmax says I used last May.

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?

[ExtraSlow]

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.