Copperhill

General Overview

1)  Changes are here.

Ontario

As of October 1, 2009 the microFIT / FIT program is official. A system can now earn 80.2 cents per Kwh.

Contact us for a free 12 page booklet.

2) PV System Overview

PV panels produce electricity.Selling electricity back to the grid is the best option. Contact us for details.

2) Selling Back to the Grid

Ontario is leading North America in the renewables sector with the new microFIT / FIT program. Copperhill has a 10 kwh tracker that meets the Ontario content requirement.

3) Going off the Grid

Although this is a dream for many people, it may not be one of the better financial choices.The reason is that the cost of equipment compared to the payback is too high. The investment in a system is better if you are far away from a grid connection because you can factor in the potential costs of bringing the hydro in. If you are near the grid, it will take over 30 years to recover your investment.

4) Backup Power

Depending on your electrical requirements, a good first choice is usually a generator.  Outlined below is an example of PV  electrical sizing. It will give you a better understanding of the limitations. Keep in mind the replacement cost of putting in a large battery bank.

 How many PV panels will I need and how much will it cost?

Check your hydro bill and you will find the average number of Kwh (kilowatt hours) that you use per day.It will probably be between 15Kw and possibly150kw if you use electric heat.

A typical solar panel will be rated between 50 W (watts per hour) and 200 W. For this example, let's use a 100 W panel for ease of calculation. In very general terms one 100 W panel would light a 100 W light bulb.

Canada has annual sunlight between 1500 hours (Prince Rupert BC) and 2500 hours (Medicine Hat AB) with Toronto and Vancouver near 2000 hours. Using 2000 hours divided by 365 days means that we  have an average of 5 1/2 hours of sunlight per day.

One panel (100 W) x 5 1/2 sunshine = 550 W or 0.55Kw (kilowatts)(1kw = 1000 W)

A 100 W PV panel will cost about $700.00 plus batteries, inverter etc.

Let's put up 10 x 100 W PV panels for a total of 1 Kw x 5 1/2 hours of sunshine = 5.5 Kwh per day.It should be installed on a tracker for the maximum benefit. The panels will only produce 70% if they are installed in a fixed position (ie: 550 W x70% =380 W) Another solution would be to add 30% more panels.

1 Kw x 5 1/2 hours of sunlight = 5500 W or  5.5 Kwh per day.

Along with the PV panels ($7,000) you will need a tracker ($2,500) a control panel including inverter and both AC and DC breaker panel ($4,000) a bank of batteries ($2,000 to $4000) plus the wiring and installation. The total cost will be between $15,000 and $25,000 and the system will produce a portion of your hydro needs. A system like this can run part of a household for a short while. A longer power outage could leave you stranded,depending what you want to run.

A generator can make a good first choice if it is sized right and the fuel is available.

In Ontario, one of the more expensive Provinces, 1Kw costs appx. 12 cents delivered.

The savings of using the solar PV electricity yourself.

5.5 Kw x 0.12 x 365 = 240.90 per year in savings.

$20,000 divided by $240.90 = 83 years (eighty three years)

Sell The Solar PV electricity to the grid.

Ask for our free 12 page booklet about the new FIT / microFIT program and ATRAX trackers to meet the Ontario content requirements.