Who is considering solar?

[Jeron Kahyar]

With the newly announced rebate is anybody contemplating installing solar for their home?

https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?x...391B3112A56664

"The Alberta government is creating a $36-million rebate program for solar installation on residential and commercial buildings."

[ganderblaster]

I was wondering when this was coming. My friend started a solar panel installation company two years ago in speculation of this.

[Badgerbadger]

Ya.

My place needs shingling soon. I'll look at Elon Musk's stuff a bit deeper now.

[260 Rem]

Have not looked at solar ... does it require battery storage or can it be fed directly into the grid?

[Opa]

We looked into it last spring, but in doing comparative numbers, the anticipated cost recovery in savings will be over quite a protracted period. Now with the government donating to part of "the cause", we will be redoing the math and looking at it again. Maybe there will be some savings.

[hover]

So where does one find info on Alberta companies that sell and install this stuff? Sure as guns, the Government will create a sun tax as soon as everyone converts.

[jesse10gun]

our gun club is run on solar power. the reason was atco wanted a hundred and ten thousand dollars to go 3/4 of a mile and then send you a bill every month. the system required two big forklift batteries and was designed to give us twice as much power as we need. this was because we didnt know what we would need in the future its cost was 50000 and it has been working for 2 years and we havent done a thing or got a bill. northern alta

[lannie]

Originally Posted by jesse10gun

our gun club is run on solar power. the reason was atco wanted a hundred and ten thousand dollars to go 3/4 of a mile and then send you a bill every month. the system required two big forklift batteries and was designed to give us twice as much power as we need. this was because we didnt know what we would need in the future its cost was 50000 and it has been working for 2 years and we havent done a thing or got a bill. northern alta

Do you heat the building or what are you actually using solar for?

[260 Rem]

Originally Posted by lannie

Do you heat the building or what are you actually using solar for?

Yes, wondering about keeping the batteries from freezing?

[CNP]

I'm 62 years old. Solar will never pay for itself in my lifetime.

“The Energy Efficiency Advisory Panel heard that Albertans wanted this program."



“Albertans are ready to go solar, with growing demand, a world-class solar resource and an eager and capable solar industry. A sustained government push has been the missing piece for creating local jobs and clean energy in our province.”



My average electricity bill is roughly $65 a month. Here is my last monthly electricity bill. $74. Actual electricity used is $11. Fees are $63. If I consumed $0 in electricity I would still pay the fees. How would I ever recoup my expenses for going solar on saving $11 a month? Answer: I would never recoup my expenses is the answer unless I produced more electricity that I needed and put it back onto the grid. It's just my opinion but I think solar panels are unsightly, moreso than wind turbines......but that's just me. These things weigh a ton and don't think that they do not require maintenance.

It's not for me.

[Scott h]

Definitely looking at having panels installed in Calgary when they finally get the particulars of the plan put together. If they do this well it will put a lot of guys to work installing and selling product.

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by jesse10gun

our gun club is run on solar power. the reason was atco wanted a hundred and ten thousand dollars to go 3/4 of a mile and then send you a bill every month. the system required two big forklift batteries and was designed to give us twice as much power as we need. this was because we didnt know what we would need in the future its cost was 50000 and it has been working for 2 years and we havent done a thing or got a bill. northern alta

That's quite a saving. I can really see appeal for solar/batteries with rural properties when the cost of running power is so high .

[Scott h]

Originally Posted by Opa

We looked into it last spring, but in doing comparative numbers, the anticipated cost recovery in savings will be over quite a protracted period. Now with the government donating to part of "the cause", we will be redoing the math and looking at it again. Maybe there will be some savings.

Oh the government isn't giving you anything. It is merely returning the carbon tax to you. Plenty of people will be lining up to take advantage and Alberta is a remarkably good place for solar production.

[Opa]

Originally Posted by Scott h

Oh the government isn't giving you anything. It is merely returning the carbon tax to you. Plenty of people will be lining up to take advantage and Alberta is a remarkably good place for solar production.

I was just being sarcastic. Gov'ts can only squander the money they have grabbed from its citizenry in taxes to entice your vote!!

[250mark1]

i don't believe the hype on the whole solar thing most people do not live in a house long enough to ever get close to a payback or net gain with solar

solar is great imo for a cabin or off grid situation and is great for RV's but for
the average person in the city i dont see the payback selling power back to the grid too much upfront costs

cost of panels and installation
cost of new roof
cost to replace roof in the future as the solar system would need to be taken down first and then reinstalled or upgraded
would you need to have the roof reinforced for the weight of the solar panels and potential wind and snow loads created by the panels

[Rig-Rat]

We are considering building a house here in the next year or so, and I may look into it and see if it's worth it for a couple small things. Like mentioned though if I will never recoup any of the costs though I don't see why I would spend the $$ up front. Possible re-sale benefit at the other end?? Not sure

[chasingtail]

The government will subsidize up to 25%, Solar power companies will increase costs by 25% due to increased demand, the result is zero savings. Should be noted you must be hooked into the grid to get the subsidy so no way around the fees that make up 80% of the power bill.
Doesn't look like the owner would get credited for excess power produced which isn't right.
The Government needs to make the power companies buy excess power in order for solar power to be feasible IMO. Considering the public paid for the cost of the power lines it's not unreasonable.

[whiteout]

Originally Posted by chasingtail

The government will subsidize up to 25%, Solar power companies will increase costs by 25% due to increased demand, the result is zero savings. Should be noted you must be hooked into the grid to get the subsidy so no way around the fees that make up 80% of the power bill.
Doesn't look like the owner would get credited for excess power produced which isn't right.
The Government needs to make the power companies buy excess power in order for solar power to be feasible IMO. Considering the public paid for the cost of the power lines it's not unreasonable.

Enmax already buys back any excess power fed back into the system through solar generation. They have to buy it back at the same rate they sell it.

[Gabby61]

Our neighbor in Phoenix put solar on his house last year at a cost of $23,000 and he said he wont pay for it in his life time and that's with 340 days of Sunshine there.
The only one that might think it will pay for itself here, might be our Premier and her cabinet of mental midgets !!!

[PartTimeHunter]

I looked at solar a couple of years ago and it wouldn't work for me. For just shy of 50K I could not get a system that would effectively operate a single trough heater through the winter. I was told that any plugging in of heaters such as block heater on a vehicle or trough/stock waterers would severely tax the system to the point of not being reliable. Oh and 220 would not be a viable option so I would then have to get a new stove and hot water tank then bring in natural gas or propane. So add in those costs.
That was a lot of money to put out for something that wouldn't do all I needed it to and would likely be a pita.

[Norwest Alta]

I often wonder what the greenies and the granola people that think this solar energy is going to save our planet plan to do with the batteries after they wear out? These batteries can't be good for the environment.

I won't be going solar. I'm in favour of coal mines and power plants.

[Norwest Alta]

Originally Posted by PartTimeHunter

I looked at solar a couple of years ago and it wouldn't work for me. For just shy of 50K I could not get a system that would effectively operate a single trough heater through the winter. I was told that any plugging in of heaters such as block heater on a vehicle or trough/stock waterers would severely tax the system to the point of not being reliable. Oh and 220 would not be a viable option so I would then have to get a new stove and hot water tank then bring in natural gas or propane. So add in those costs.
That was a lot of money to put out for something that wouldn't do all I needed it to and would likely be a pita.

I also wonder what the house insurance rates would do? A guy would hate to leave home for a couple of days and come home to find your house froze up because a blizzard covered up your panels and the batteries ran dead and froze. Instant snafu in my mind.

[nube]

I run a solar system at my trapline cabins for lights and also for security. They may be able to break in and steal the $100 worth of stuff but they will have their pictures taken multiple times lol
I run a car battery, LED lights and a controller to charge the system. I have lights that will run for a very long time and never have been worried about lighting the way it is set up.

[rugatika]

Originally Posted by Norwest Alta

I often wonder what the greenies and the granola people that think this solar energy is going to save our planet plan to do with the batteries after they wear out? These batteries can't be good for the environment.

I won't be going solar. I'm in favour of coal mines and power plants.

Yep, like CNP said, it would take several lifetimes to pay for installing solar. My electric bill is similar to his. Most people factor in all the other fees they have to pay anyway. I looked into it several years ago, and the economics weren't even close enough to consider.

If you look into all the heavy metal mining and etc's that go into solar panels, it is far more environmentally friendly to stick with natural gas and electricity. Solar panels are a feel good virtue signalling thing that makes people feel good. They're good for remote locations.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...ility-ranking/

Fabricating the panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid, and the process uses water as well as electricity, the production of which emits greenhouse gases. It also creates waste. These problems could undercut solar's ability to fight climate change and reduce environmental toxics.

A new ranking of 37 solar manufacturers, the Solar Scorecard, shows that some companies are doing better than others. Chinese manufacturer Trina scored best, followed by California-based SunPower.

The annual scorecard was created by the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC), a San Francisco-based nonprofit that has tracked the environmental impact of the high-tech industry since 1982. It's the group's fifth scorecard, and it shows that the industry is becoming more—not less—opaque when it comes to the sustainability of its manufacturing practices.

The SVTC relies on companies' self-reported data for its scorecard, which looks at such things as emissions, chemical toxicity, water use, and recycling. The coalition says the market share of companies willing or able to share details about their operations is declining. It praises the third- and fourth-ranked companies, Yingli and SolarWorld respectively, for responding to the survey every year and for showing a continued commitment to sustainability.

China has already seen a backlash. Panel manufacturer Jinko Solar, for example, has faced protests and legal action since one of its plants, in the eastern province of Zhejiang, was accused of dumping toxic waste into a nearby river.

I'll stick to the environmentally friendly sources of electricity we have now instead of damaging the planet with wind and solar.

[FCLightning]

If they go by the same payout model that has been offered to the farmers for the past few years it still will not be enough to make solar actually pay it's way.

[rugatika]

If the NDP want people to adopt solar they need to jack the electricity rates way up.

Saving 20 bucks a month will take close to forever to pay off. And solar panels don't last forever...they eventually need to be disposed of...which is a whole other problem.

[Sundancefisher]

US comparison.

[Jays toyz]

We will be building soon and I just got an estimate for connecting to the grid, but wanted to use a large solar array for the first few years as we won't be living there in the winter and tie into the grid after.

[Peace Meal Farm]

very similar - different jurisdiction.

my cousin installed a solar array on his farm in the Yukon, gov'y chipped in about 20% worth of rebates. all excess power generated is purchased into the grid by Yukon Energy.

planning is key. he has a very large southern exposure through a very wide valley. essentially, his panels face south via a large hay field. even in the winter when solar gains are at their lowest he is getting all of that light reflecting off of the snow pack. it is very well planned and designed.

as a rural farmer he has the normal demands of the yard, plus he also has a couple rental cabins which tie into his meter. power is one of his chief monthly costs.

he estimates total repayment in ~5 to 7 years. it has been a good program for him as well as the Territory, whose power generation is typically maxed out.

[traderal]

As said above, great for RV or remote cabin, or emergency power for lights and furnace motor. Cheaper though to use a backup generator. Technology is changing fast and todays solar panels will be old tech in a few years. If payback is 20 to 25 years you will be changing out hardware many times over that time and never get out of the hole you are digging yourself into. One option is to have solar feeding into batteries and then into the grid. Another option is to use special inverters and feed directly into the grid, however when the line power goes down your solar feed into the grid is also stopped so you can't even use it for your home. To maximize efficiency you also need solar trackers which are expensive. Lots of maintenance and over time the thrill of it all will become a headache. Also municipalities will tax you on this as a home upgrade. I use solar on my RV but will stick to a generator as backup for the home. If a lengthy power outage is due to some natural disaster then not even solar will be able to handle the power requirements. And yes a 25% rebate will usually mean a similar jump in prices charged. Anytime the government gets involved in anything it always leads to a complete #$&***up.