It’s a great time for solar energy
There’s never been a better time for installing solar panels on your property to generate part or all of the power you use:
- The cost of solar arrays continues to come down as manufacturing technology is improved and more systems are installed
- The payback for solar panels gets better every time power rates go up
- Depending on where you live, great incentives are available
Basic solar systems consist of just four key components:
- Solar panels
- A system for mounting them; roof mounts tend to be cheaper than ground mounts, but ground mounts offer perfect orientation and angle to the sun
- An inverter, to convert the direct current generated by panels to grid-compatible 110 volt alternating current
- A bidirectional meter, installed by your utility to measure power flowing into the grid when panels produce more than is being used in your home, and from the grid when your home’s power consumption exceeds what panels are generating (IE at night)
Up to $5000 in incentives are available through the federal government’s Greener Homes Grant, and an interest-free loan of up to $40,000 is available through the federal government’s Greener Homes Loan. Additional incentives are available under many provincial energy efficiency programs as well. Payback periods for basic solar systems are now in the range of 7-10 years, depending on location, power rates, incentives and type of system.
We’ve had a grid-tied, ground mount solar array with battery backup at our place for over two years now. It has provided 2/3 of the electricity we use to power our home and charge our EV. In fact, it’s worked so well we’re expanding it in the coming weeks so it will provide 100% of our annual power needs – and we’re holding an Open House this Saturday, June 3 from 10 AM to 3 PM for anyone who would like to learn more about solar. If you’re within range and interested in seeing an installed, functioning system, consider this your invitation to attend; details are here*. To whet your appetite, below is a graphic from yesterday, a very sunny day here in New Brunswick, when the array generated 30 kilowatt-hours, well beyond what we used.
Free energy from the sun; savings, especially in the face of rising electricity costs; and zero-emission electricity… what’s not to love about installing solar panels and generating your own solar power?
*PS Please don’t be deterred if you’re not into ‘Green’ politics; no pressure. Donations are welcome but optional; my aim is simply to help anyone with an interest in solar. Oh yeah – plus energy self-sufficiency, resilience, jobs, lower bills and lower emissions for NB ☺️.)
In the news:
It’s ‘more likely than not’ that the world will soon see 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming, the World Meteorological Organization says.
A new study links extreme wildfires directly to emissions from oil companies – opening the door to holding fossil fuel companies accountable for costs of climate change.
Drivers of Ford EVs will soon have access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America.
Quotable
“We can thank the fossil fuel industry for costly decades of relative inaction. They are the villains in this story. But we can still be the heroes.”