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Why do you no longer have a shopping cart?
Due to the fluctuating prices and item availability from our manufacturers, it is difficult to keep a cart up-to-date. By having direct contact with our clients throughout the purchasing process, we are able to troubleshoot and help you make a purchase that better suits your needs.
I live in a standard 1500 sq ft home and would like to know how much a solar electric system would cost?
The size of a home is irrelevant to determining the cost of going off-grid. Only the electrical requirement is of importance. The best way to determine your electrical requirement is to fill out a spreadsheet that lists all of the electrical appliances to be used with the daily/monthly usage rates. This is also an excellent approach to determine which appliances are essential and which are desirable, and which can or should be upgraded with newer, energy-efficient ones. We would be happy to e-mail a copy of our spreadsheet for you to fill out.
A faster way is to look at your consumption on your current electrical bill. According to the electrical utility, an average home uses 750 KW of power each month or 25 KW each day. This would require a solar array of at least 12.5 KW to compensate for the 2 hours of sunshine on an average winter day (worse case). The cost of this array allowcan be as much as $125,000 and is generally not a feasible option.
For those who are interested in being off-grid and cannot afford to install such a system at once, there is the option of doing it gradually.
What government incentives are in place to support the installation of renewable energy systems?
There are only 2 incentives in place to help offset the capital cost of a renewable energy system as follows:
FIT and MicroFIT programs, introduced in the fall of 2009 by the Government of Ontario, will pay up to 80.2 cents per KW that is generated by solar power. The amount offered by OPA is based on the type of renewable energy and its size.
Tax deduction. For those systems that are selling power back to the electrical grid, the owners will be allowed to depreciate their assets on their personal income taxes. If the system is generating more than 3 KW then the deduction can be as high as 50% per year.
I have been trying to find information on renewable energy use that is applicable to Canada and more specifically Ottawa.
NRCan and CMHC are two organizations that conduct renewable energy research that is applicable to Canada. The Renewable Energy portion of the NRCan web site is http://www2.nrcan.gc.ca/es/erb/english. CMHC does most of its research in Ottawa. It is best to surf their web site (www.cmhc.gc.ca) for detailed information pamphlets that are applicable to your interests.
In addition, Quallium retails The Renewable Energy Handbook by Bill Kemp that discusses living off-grid in the Ottawa region. The information it contains is useful even if you are planning a grid-tie application.
What can I do with solar or wind to have an emergency back-up power supply?
The first aspect for an emergency back-up system is to determine what electrical applances are critical; for example, sump pumps, medical equipment, furnace motors, refrigerators, hallway lighting, et cetera. Once that has been evaluated it is possible to determine if solar panels or wind turbines can be used with a battery bank to power these circuits. If you live in a city then wind may not be an option due to building regulations.
What is the payback period for a renewable energy system?
The payback period for a renewable energy system is highly dependent on several factors. If you wish to install solar power in a house that is already connected to the grid then the system would have a payback period starting at 7 years.
If you are looking to offset the cost of bringing hydro to a rural home then the payback can be instantaneous due to the huge fees charged by the utility company to bring power to your house.
I cannot afford to put in a systme to replace all of my power needs at once and I still want to use renewable energy. What options are available to me?
Our systems can be designed with the ability to be upgraded. Certain parts can be easily upgraded and others may need to be replaced if they have not been sized to handle your ultimate electrical requirements upfront. The most important aspect is to size the inverter powerboard to handle the ultimate electrical requirement. This component is the limiting factor in determining how far a system can be upgraded.
What financing options are available to me to support the installation of a renewable energy system?
Financing options are available either through us or your local bank. These include rolling the system upgrades into an existing or new mortgage, taking out a secured line of credit against your home, using an unsecured line of credit, or taking out a demand loan.
What is involved in getting a quotation on a renewable energy system?
In order for us to be able to provide a reliable quote we must know your electrical requirements. The best way to determine these requirements is to complete our electrical spreadsheet.
I’m thinking of buying a system. Can you come to my home to discuss options?
There is no need, in the early stages for us to visit your site. A site visit is only required once an estimate has been provided to you and you agreed to commit. There is a fee associated with site visits that is payable at the time of the visit.
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