Solar power systems for the home

[sketchyt]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

The energy audit will answer these questions.

How do I get started on an energy audit? Is it eligible for a grant? Any YYC companies you recommend?

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

How do I get started on an energy audit? Is it eligible for a grant? Any YYC companies you recommend?

This is a list of certified auditors: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/...3772#wb-auto-4

I don't believe the audit is eligible, only the upgrades. Last time I checked they are around $500.

Good luck!

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

So my understanding is that the capacity is calculated based upon historical usage, and companies aren't allowed to install generative capacity in excess of what is historically required of the home. How do they verify? Do you provide bills, or do they check utilities usage through the electrical provider?

Any suggestions for how to artificially amplify usage amounts to justify greater capacity (and then reduce once the installation is done) without feeling like a dick for leaving lights on all the time? How else do people amplify their usage?

Do you have A/C? Set it so you need a sweater all summer?

[Torture]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

So my understanding is that the capacity is calculated based upon historical usage, and companies aren't allowed to install generative capacity in excess of what is historically required of the home. How do they verify? Do you provide bills, or do they check utilities usage through the electrical provider?

Any suggestions for how to artificially amplify usage amounts to justify greater capacity (and then reduce once the installation is done) without feeling like a dick for leaving lights on all the time? How else do people amplify their usage?

You give them an Enmax bill. Usually they have a little bit of wiggle room if you say "I'm planning on getting an EV" or something to that effect that justifies your usage is going to go up, but we're talking +/- 10%, not installing double your usage.

If you're going to feel like a dick for leaving lights on all the time, why wouldn't you feel like a dick for wasting energy in other ways? PS. Your dryer is probably one of the highest draws of electricity.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

This is a list of certified auditors: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/...3772#wb-auto-4

I don't believe the audit is eligible, only the upgrades. Last time I checked they are around $500.

Good luck!

You $ to cover some of the cost of the pre and post audit. $600 total I believe.

[DionTheDman]

Originally Posted by Torture

If you're going to feel like a dick for leaving lights on all the time, why wouldn't you feel like a dick for wasting energy in other ways? PS. Your dryer is probably one of the highest draws of electricity.

I still will... but I guess it's one of those out of sight, out of mind situations. I just want to blow out my power usage for a few months to get some inflated historical data and then I will reduce my usage afterwards.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

I still will... but I guess it's one of those out of sight, out of mind situations. I just want to blow out my power usage for a few months to get some inflated historical data and then I will reduce my usage afterwards.

One way that isn't a total waste is to switch to using electric heaters instead of your furnace during the winter. It's more expensive than gas by quite a bit, but at least there is some productive use by doing it.

You could also mine bitcoin/crypto. Whether that's a productive use is very much up for debate, but it does generate some offsetting money.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

You could also mine bitcoin/crypto. Whether that's a productive use is very much up for debate, but it does generate some offsetting money.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Torture

[Calgary14]

Originally Posted by DionTheDman

So my understanding is that the capacity is calculated based upon historical usage, and companies aren't allowed to install generative capacity in excess of what is historically required of the home. How do they verify? Do you provide bills, or do they check utilities usage through the electrical provider?

Any suggestions for how to artificially amplify usage amounts to justify greater capacity (and then reduce once the installation is done) without feeling like a dick for leaving lights on all the time? How else do people amplify their usage?

If you're looking at solar my understanding is solar is always one of the recommendations regardless of the power consumption. The only exception of course is if you already have solar. But solar will reduce your enmax bill regardless of consumption so it's recommended. That is how they explained it to me during the initial energy audit

[Fuzz]

https://deepfriedneon.com/tesla_guide.html


A Tesla coil generating 10 ft of arc length will consume about 5000W, and look cool as hell doing it. If anyone asks, it's your mosquito zapper.

[stampsx2]

How much can i expect to receive back yearly in carbon credits?

When i do my calculations in June i’m looking at saving $100 by getting solar panels and in November my electricity savings will drop to about $30 by getting panels.

Since i’m paying $200 monthly to pay back the government loan on the ten year term, i’m really interested how much everyone is getting back in carbon credits to offset the loan. Otherwise in november i’m saving $30 in electricity costs but paying $170 more than a non solar house because of the loan.

Trying to make this work

[gasman]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

How much can i expect to receive back yearly in carbon credits?

When i do my calculations in June i’m looking at saving $100 by getting solar panels and in November my electricity savings will drop to about $30 by getting panels.

Since i’m paying $200 monthly to pay back the government loan on the ten year term, i’m really interested how much everyone is getting back in carbon credits to offset the loan. Otherwise in november i’m saving $30 in electricity costs but paying $170 more than a non solar house because of the loan.

Trying to make this work

You need to factor in the solar club. My savings in the summer months are over $300, in the winter you are definitely not going to be making much of a dent in your bill, in some cases (for me anyways) it was more expensive. Because my winter rate was $0.08 but if I didn't have solar I would have kept my $0.06 plan, so for a.few months having solar cost me $20-30

[AC]

We have our SolarYYC install happening tomorrow after a surprise opening. Happy to move the install up a couple weeks.

I'm curious how long the remaining parts of the process take. City inspection, 2nd energy audit, and receiving the grant.

It's been pretty seamless so far other than needing to wait 6 months post new build possession.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by AC

We have our SolarYYC install happening tomorrow after a surprise opening. Happy to move the install up a couple weeks.

I'm curious how long the remaining parts of the process take. City inspection, 2nd energy audit, and receiving the grant.

It's been pretty seamless so far other than needing to wait 6 months post new build possession.

Based on my experience:

-Inspection should be about a week.

-After the inspection is passed your installer will submit your microgen application to Enmax for approval and that could take 3 or 4 weeks depending on how backed up they are (it says it should take 10 days but that wasn't my case recently.)

-Depending on your auditor it might be about two weeks before they can do your post-retrofit evaluation. After that it could be a few weeks before they submit your paperwork to the Greener Home program portal (in my case it was almost 4 weeks and I had to hound them to get it submitted.)

-After that is submitted you can request your loan amount within a few days and payment will be about two weeks. The grant approval and payment will be about 8 weeks.

My install was around May 10. July 21 was the day that my loan was deposited. Yesterday was the day that my grant was finally approved and it says it could take up to 30 business days for the cheque to arrive but my buddy said it is much quicker than that.

[AC]

Perfect, thanks!

I received notice that SolarYYC submitted a MG application with Enmax already back in June. I'm guessing they do so ahead of the install in order to reduce that delay, so it'd be nice if that cut some of the waiting down a bit.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by AC

Perfect, thanks!

I received notice that SolarYYC submitted a MG application with Enmax already back in June. I'm guessing they do so ahead of the install in order to reduce that delay, so it'd be nice if that cut some of the waiting down a bit.

I forgot to mention that if you don't already have a bidirectional meter Enmax will install that after your inspection and that could add another week or so.

Regarding that microgen application, from what I understand Enmax won't really look at that and approve it until after your inspection. The way it worked with Zeno is that the inspector gave them the passed report and they had to submit that to Enmax for the microgen final approval. My microgen application was actually submitted on May 11 and my site wasn't actually assigned as microgen until June 22. I couldn't switch over to a solar club until I received microgen status.

[Calgary14]

Just got my first Enmax bill after installing solar about a month ago. The electricity is significantly lower and the difference is about $200 compared to no solar. Pretty good start I would say. I have central AC so peak summer electricity makes a difference

I am now just waiting on the grant funding, Ive submitted all my docs and paid up front now just waiting for the loan and grant to come through

[calgarygeologist]

Received my first solar club bill today for late June through mid July and I sold 866 kwh and received a credit of $166. This is the first time I've been excited to see my energy bill.

[Calgary14]

What's better for peak solar production months (ie. May-Aug), a solar club or Enmax's solar program? And if you go on either would you then lose your 5 year Enmax rate heading into winter?