Going Solar
Becoming a green energy producer is one of the biggest steps that an average Ontario homeowner can take toward greening their home, but make no mistake: an average homeowner can indeed take this step.
Follow our journey as we go solar, and decide for yourself whether this is a journey that you might like to consider.
Follow our journey as we go solar, and decide for yourself whether this is a journey that you might like to consider.
Active Solar (Photovoltaic)
Our decision to go solar started back in 2005, when Environment Canada's One-Tonne Challenge inspired us to to take an inventory of the various steps we could take toward greening our home and our lifestyles. At that time we created three groups of green initiatives: short-term, mid-term, and long-term. Six years later we realized the second of three long-term goals: the installation of a solar system on our roof. (See our family's original Carbon Reduction Plan below.)
Our decision to go solar started back in 2005, when Environment Canada's One-Tonne Challenge inspired us to to take an inventory of the various steps we could take toward greening our home and our lifestyles. At that time we created three groups of green initiatives: short-term, mid-term, and long-term. Six years later we realized the second of three long-term goals: the installation of a solar system on our roof. (See our family's original Carbon Reduction Plan below.)
grn_nbr_energy_reduction_plan_2005.pdf |
The Steps:
(Step, Description, Timeline)
1. Solar Assessment: This is generally provided from a solar consultant. Expect to wait one or two weeks.
2. Project Contract: This can be drawn up and signed very quickly.
3. Engineering Inspection: This can take a few weeks to arrange, but generally takes a few hours to complete.
4.i. Apply for Microfit Contract: One can apply for this at any time, and should probably do it sooner than later because it can take three or more months to process.
4.ii. Receive a Conditional Offer of microFIT Contract from the Ontario Power Authority: This is a conditional commitment from the Ontario Power Authority stating that the homeowner will receive the contract once the install and connection is complete. The conditional offer itself is not transferable. (It would be unwise to proceed with the purchase or install of a system without this notification.)
5. Install: This can occur within a day or two, but depends on the availability of the installers, time required to order the panels, as well as the weather.
6. Connection to grid: This can take a week or two depending on how busy the ESA is because they have to sign off on the work.
7. Sign microFIT contract between homeowner and the Ontario Power Authority: This contract has a term of 20 years and is transferable to the new homeowner should the house be sold in the future.
(Step, Description, Timeline)
1. Solar Assessment: This is generally provided from a solar consultant. Expect to wait one or two weeks.
2. Project Contract: This can be drawn up and signed very quickly.
3. Engineering Inspection: This can take a few weeks to arrange, but generally takes a few hours to complete.
4.i. Apply for Microfit Contract: One can apply for this at any time, and should probably do it sooner than later because it can take three or more months to process.
4.ii. Receive a Conditional Offer of microFIT Contract from the Ontario Power Authority: This is a conditional commitment from the Ontario Power Authority stating that the homeowner will receive the contract once the install and connection is complete. The conditional offer itself is not transferable. (It would be unwise to proceed with the purchase or install of a system without this notification.)
5. Install: This can occur within a day or two, but depends on the availability of the installers, time required to order the panels, as well as the weather.
6. Connection to grid: This can take a week or two depending on how busy the ESA is because they have to sign off on the work.
7. Sign microFIT contract between homeowner and the Ontario Power Authority: This contract has a term of 20 years and is transferable to the new homeowner should the house be sold in the future.
Our System:
The main components of a solar array are the panels and the inverters. Feel free to read the technical specifications (posted below) for both our solar panels and our microinverters. Our system went live on the grid at 11:30 AM on March 18, 2011. The next day (our first full day of energy generation) the system produced 17 kilowatt hours of energy. If the system were to do that every day, it would generate over 6000 kilowatt hours a year! (Greatly exceeding our family's energy needs.) However, we don't expect every day to be a cool, clear, sunny day (perfect for solar energy generation). On June 15, 2011, after what was perhaps the rainiest spring on record, we celebrated our first megawatt. The public can view our solar system's output in real time. Click here to monitor the Green Neighbour solar system. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
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Video of online monitoring for the Green Neighbour solar array during a bright, sunny day with a few white fluffy clouds passing overhead throughout the day.
Click the button above to monitor the Green Neighbour solar array.
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Passive Solar
Having southern facing windows can be extremely advantageous for homes in colder climates. Fortunately for us, our home is particularly well designed to take advantage of passive solar heating in the winter, as the home has a broad vertical axis along the east-west plain (i.e. a broad southern-facing surface), a short vertical axis along the north-south plain, and a large area of window facing south. In the winter, when the sun is low in the sky, this allows the sun's rays to penetrate through the front windows all the way to the back of the house. Opening the blinds on a sunny winter day will instantly heat the home - regardless of how cold it may be outside. Naturally, this design characteristic results in marked energy savings and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.
Ask Your Builder
The average home could be built a lot greener for little or no extra cost if consumers make their wishes known to builders.
Consumers should consider asking builders to:
References:
Having southern facing windows can be extremely advantageous for homes in colder climates. Fortunately for us, our home is particularly well designed to take advantage of passive solar heating in the winter, as the home has a broad vertical axis along the east-west plain (i.e. a broad southern-facing surface), a short vertical axis along the north-south plain, and a large area of window facing south. In the winter, when the sun is low in the sky, this allows the sun's rays to penetrate through the front windows all the way to the back of the house. Opening the blinds on a sunny winter day will instantly heat the home - regardless of how cold it may be outside. Naturally, this design characteristic results in marked energy savings and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.
Ask Your Builder
The average home could be built a lot greener for little or no extra cost if consumers make their wishes known to builders.
Consumers should consider asking builders to:
- make homes that are shorter. A lot of heat gets wasted floating up into high ceilings. These high ceilings are great for making rooms look bigger, but they do not actually increase useable living space.
- make homes that have a large, flat area of the roof oriented towards the sun;
- make homes that have rooftops that are pitched at approximately 45 degrees.
References: