An array of solar issues: from here to the future

As published in MapleLine Magazine: Aug.5, 2009

by Mary P. Brooke

It's easy to say that the solar generation of electrical power should be adopted by all. It's tougher to do. What made it easier for the local T’Sou-ke Nation (in Sooke) to install a 75kW array in one year was available land and ample government funding. For householders in both urban and rural areas it’s a different story.

Urban householders currently face considerable management hurdles and steep costs to install solar panels. The time period for savings in power generated (i.e. not used from the BC Hydro grid) can be several years, making up-front investment unappealing. For rural homeowners there might be more space and often the need is indisputable (if BC Hydro grid lines don’t reach to their property or area) but the costs are still signficant for equipment and contractor services. Even with a solar array in place, BC Hydro is still reluctant to offer a feed-in tariff (i.e. a premium for each kWh contributed to the grid) compared to Ontario that pays 42 cents/kWh (and is considering raising that to 82 cents/kWh to match Germany’s recent feed-in success). Saskatchewan pays a 8.42 cents/kWh feed-in; householders are credited 10.22 cents/kWh if solar panels eliminate the need to draw electricity from the SaskPower grid.

Solar array installations use a battery to store the generated electricity. If the battery stores up enough to supply the home with power (therefore not drawing power from the utility system), the hydro meter will spin backwards, ultimately reducing the amount of kWh’s that the customer will see on their hydro bill. “If a home at night has only minimal electrical needs (e.g. refrigerator, security system, a few lights) then it’s likely the battery will supply enough and the BC Hydro meter will turn backwards,” says Dale Read of Dale’s Electric in Sooke. Read explained that home energy kits are available from the Victoria-based Home Energy Solutions (HES). HES coordinated the T’Sou-ke Nation installation in one year during 2008-2009, a considerable accomplishment which was celebrated at a highly publicized event July 17-18 in Sooke.

Solar home energy kits could run a whole house including cooktop stove, electric fireplace and hotwater, says Read, a qualified electrician. “Solar works year round. It’s not noisy like a (gas-fueled) generator,” says Read. Solar setups are a good backup solution in the event of power outages. “They kick in within a few minutes.”

For any electrical job, qualified electrical installers must take out a permit based on materials installed. With solar, the technology is supplied by someone else and “we make sure to deal with reputable suppliers,” says Read. Qualified electricians must do the installations. Technicians wanting to get into the field must take their Electrician trades ticket (6 months in class plus 4 to 5 years apprenticeship). Camosun College offers trades training and recently launched a two-year Electronics and Computer Engineering Technology diploma program in Renewable Energy.

As a supplier and contractor, HES seems to have the confidence of the market (electricians and customers). Their highly comprehensive Canadian Solar Energy Guide 2009 catalog explains complex technical and financial concepts in a clear, concise way. The catalog as well as technical spec sheets and a credit application are online at <heshomeenergy.com>.

“The cost to install the average household system is about $25,000,” says Ed Knaggs of HES. That’s based on $10/W and the average system being around 2,500 W of solar power. That would run up to 50% of a typical household load (appliances, computers, electronics). “You end up with two power sources – solar from your own system and hydro from BC Hydro’s grid. When it’s sunny you use up your solar and push solar back to BC Hydro (spinning the meter backwards and building up a credit); when sunshine is not available you can use up that credit to the point you are buying power back again,” he said.
Knaggs says that in BC we’ve had the luxury of “really inexpensive power but this year we saw the top tier increase 14% so that’s a big jump, and top tier increases will continue”. This stimulates conservation.

Until recently it has not been straightforward for homeowners to find installers or learn about pricing and payback periods. But the interest in solar- supplied electricity is “now reaching a tipping point”, says Knaggs. “It’s really exciting. After being in the industry so long I’m finally seeing that,” he said in July.

The majority of Canadian demand for solar is due to necessity (for rural properties that are off the grid). For urban homeowners it still about “choosing an alternative” to supplement or to provide backup power, says Knaggs.

Urban homeowners with solar installations can produce clean power from their own rooftops, saving up to 50% of their hydro purchase. A grid-tie system safely disconnects in the event of power failure, with the option for a secure source battery backup that would run selected loads (pumps or lighting).

Off-grid systems in rural areas are designed to match the electrical load of a property (based on use within the home). Modular systems are expanded as required.

The solar industry is attempting to woo an increasingly keen but economically-challenged consumer householder market. But with ever-increasing environmental consciousness and upward hydro rates, a bright future is likely for the advancement of small-setup solar. MM

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Other Solar Stories:

Exciting year for solar - power up! August 11, 2009. Read story.

First Solar scores large California deal - August 18, 2009. Large US company gets contract as part of California's goal to have 20% of its energy supplied by renewable resources by 2010. Read story.

Solar BC offers bulk buy discounts on solar hot water installations in new homes. Learn more.

See another article about solar installations on page 4 in the print edition of MapleLine Magazine (Fall 2009 issue / Aug.-Oct.2009), available starting August 5. Subscribe to MapleLine.