Choosing Solar Power
Choosing Solar Power
Equipment Selection
While safe installations of electrical systems are covered under the Canadian Electrical Code, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) governs product safety. CSA has standards for all electrical components, including solar equipment and all electrical equipment must carry an approval label. Products that are purchased outside Canada may not have undergone the testing process that the same product goes through when brought in by a solar product distributor. It is possible to find good quality PV modules that meet testing standards such as IEC 61215 crystalline silicon design qualification test performance (or the IEC 61646 for thin film modules) and the IEC 61730 (or the equivalent UL 1703) safety test. In addition, inverters have to meet the CSA C22.2 standard no. 107.1-01 to allow their interconnection to the grid. Discuss this with your solar dealer and electrical inspector before proceeding to install these products—often a “special inspection” or extra safety measures will satisfy electrical code requirements.
It is important to remember that PV systems are modular, and can be expanded as energy needs grow or as budgets allow. It is wise to anticipate future needs by purchasing larger or oversized wires, switching gears and controls, so that these components will not have to be replaced to accommodate a larger PV system. PV components have no moving parts—which keeps maintenance requirements to a minimum. Good quality PV modules are typically warranted for 20 to 25 years, and have life expectancies exceeding 40 years. PV panel efficiency can degrade over the years and warranties generally cover specific panel performance over the length of the warranty. The majority of the other electronic components, such as charge controls and inverters, will generally last ten or more years, if their ratings are not exceeded. Batteries typically need replacement every five to ten years.
Ask about component warranties and whether the dealer will guarantee the system. Inquire about after-sales service, including where the products need to be sent for warranty service, and who pays for shipping. An inverter that fails and needs to be shipped across the country for repairs could mean that you will be without solar power for a lengthy period—some professional dealers supply “loaners” while equipment is in for repairs.
Assuring a Safe Installation
The Canadian Electrical Code and its provincial equivalents govern installations of electrical systems. Section 50 of the Canadian Electrical Code describes the special requirements that apply to solar PV systems. In most cases, equipment must be installed by a provincially certified electrician. However, many electricians are not yet familiar with the design features of solar electrical systems and, while they will be able to install the system to meet the existing codes, they may be unable to maximize the PV system performance. In some jurisdictions, local electrical inspectors will allow non-certified electrical installers to install DC equipment, such as PV modules, charge controls and batteries. To help ensure a safe installation with optimal system performance, check whether the solar dealer has an electrician on staff or access to approved subcontractors. If contracting electricians directly, ensure that they are familiar with the design issues of PV systems by asking to see solar-related accreditation and/or a list of past PV system projects they installed, along with references.
To ensure that electrical systems, including PV systems, comply with the Electrical Code, the system may need to be inspected by the provincial Electrical Safety Authority (ESA)—your utility can supply local contact information. By having an electrical inspection done, you are ensuring the system is installed properly and is safe. Your local utility might have other requirements before allowing you to connect your PV system to the utility grid.
Integrating PV into New House Construction
If you are in the process of designing a new house or doing major renovations, you may want to consider installing a PV system, or at least preparing your house to be “PV ready.” You have an opportunity to substantially reduce costs and increase system performance. Although you may not yet be ready to invest in a PV system, the fact is that electricity prices will continue to rise while concerns about the reliability of the utility supply and the environment, combined with the decreasing cost of PV systems, will make solar electricity much more viable in Canada in the future. While doing this preparation work, you may also wish to consider making your home “solar ready” for both PV and solar domestic hot water systems.
Preparing your house to be solar ready now costs approximately $300 to $400 but can save thousands of dollars in the future. Natural Resources Canada has identified the following five basic requirements to make a home solar ready:
- A roof location of suitable size, pitch and orientation
- Labelled conduits from the mechanical room to the attic area below the future PV location
- Extra plumbing valves and fittings on the water heater (for solar hot water systems)
- An electrical outlet at the planned solar tank location (for solar hot water systems)
- Construction plans that indicate the future component locations. Orienting the house on the building lot to maximize its solar exposure and installing a roof with the correct solar pitch can maximize the performance of the PV array.
Alternatively, if the lot does not permit a house to be oriented south, consider a roof shape that will have a south-facing area. Landscaping features, such as trees, should be considered when preparing the site—removing trees or moving the house site slightly can make a significant difference in available solar radiation. Remember that trees can grow a couple of feet per year and mature tree heights should be considered when determining shading potential. Although trees can have a detrimental impact on PV system performance, they can offer other benefits such as summer shading, reducing heat island effect, providing a windbreak, adding privacy, improving air quality, providing wildlife habitat that must also be considered. By carefully selecting the variety of trees and their location, you can enjoy the benefits of trees without shading your PV system. Wires should be installed before interior walls are enclosed, as this will reduce installation time and hide unsightly conduits. Conduit runs through walls, for battery enclosure cables, battery vents, etc., should be done at the time of construction. It is far less expensive to put conduit runs in place when installing the foundation walls than to have to drill holes later. As solar systems generate low-voltage DC power, the system wires are generally larger than normal house wiring. Minimizing the distances of wire runs is an effective method of reducing costs and increasing system efficiency.
Commissioning and Contracting with Utility
Utilities and their regulators in Canada are only beginning to address the issues of on-site generation, where individual homeowners are their own power suppliers. Discuss the status of regulations in your utility area with your local solar supplier or utility—in some cases, utilities have not yet set up a single point of contact for this new breed of customer, which can lead to delays in obtaining permission to connect to the local utility grid.
A number of currently installed standard electric meters have not been approved for net-metering applications in Canada. A more expensive electronic meter that is approved may need to be purchased. Some utilities cover the meter costs, whereas others charge the customer.
Some utilities in Canada are thinking of moving to “time-of-day” billing, which can be advantageous for homes with net-metered PV systems. This is because most solar systems generate excess electricity during peak-times—when electricity costs can be four or more times the average cost. Times when the PV system is not generating electricity and the homeowner is purchasing more electricity would typically occur more often during off-peak times, when the price of electricity is lower.
Once you obtain approval from your local utility to connect your system to the utility grid, you can turn on your system and start generating electricity. It is a good idea to compare the expected performance of the system with the actual performance, to ensure that all components are operating as expected. Keeping track of your monthly or yearly PV generation over time will help you identify problems with your system. After factoring for annual variations in solar energy, if your system is still underperforming, it may be that one of your PV panels or another component of your system is malfunctioning.
Financing and Incentive Measures
For off-grid applications, PV systems are often cost-effective as they are competing against fuel-powered generators or power line extensions, which typically cost $5,000 to $10,000 per kilometre. However, for grid-connected PV systems, it is difficult to justify the installation of PV systems purely on the basis of current economics, given the current relatively low cost of grid electricity in most areas of Canada. However, some people are starting to treat PV systems like any other house upgrade. Instead of deciding whether it is cost-effective at the time of purchase, they are deciding whether they can afford it and considering their future needs along with the associated benefits of reducing one’s overall environmental impact.
The current cost of PV systems ranges from $8,000 to $10,000 per installed kilowatt, including all system components. In an effort to help accelerate the uptake of PV systems and drive down costs, some provinces and utilities are considering various incentive measures. As mentioned previously, one such measure is a feed-in-tariff (FIT), where a renewable energy generator is offered a premium for electricity produced, for a set term.
The most successful application of a FIT program to help accelerate the adoption of PV systems was seen in Germany, where the program helped the country become the world leader in installed PV capacity, despite its less than favourable solar resource. The first jurisdiction to offer a FIT program in North America was Ontario: it offered $0.42/kWh of electricity generated from solar energy for 20 years and had 240 contracts for systems under 10 kW at the beginning of 2009. Ontario recently revised its system after the passing of its Green Energy Act and has increased the rate it pays homeowners to $0.802/kWh for roof-mounted systems under 10 kW for at least 20 years. In 2009, this rate was higher than any other jurisdictions offering similar programs. The $0.802/kWh tariff was chosen by the Ontario government based on an analysis that found that proponents could generally be expected to recover project costs and earn a reasonable rate of return at that price.
Final Thoughts on PV Systems
Energy efficiency and conservation are important measures that should be considered in conjunction with PV systems. It is far cheaper to save a kilowatt-hour than to produce one. Even though PV systems may not be cost-effective in your area now, there is a wide variety of reasons why homeowners are considering generating some portion—if not all—of their energy requirements using PV systems. PV systems provide a buffer against rising energy prices, and the presence of an on-site battery system can supply electricity during utility power outages. Solar power can also help make a difference in the way that we address climate change and our impact on the environment.
Contact your REALTOR at Coldwell Banker Vantage Realty for more tips and advice on your home renovations.
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