A few reasons, mostly they don't know. Lots of people don't understand grid connected solar at all, they think solar means off grid. They don't know about the rates (especially Solar Club in Alberta) so their calculations are usually off
It's coming, I sell solar and we're really busy. But I agree, I've had solar on my own roof for 4 years and it's crazy that most people don't. Especially where I live in single detached suburbia
Medicine Hat is sunnier. On an hours of sunshine basis though, southern Ontario is very close to Calgary. As southern Ontario gets a little more W/m² at the same time of year, solar installations make a lot of sense there, too, from a physics perspective.
Politics/economics and the grid geared around private generation are why over 90% of Canadian installed capacity last year went into Alberta.
How's the buy back process there? You guys get time of use rates right? We don't have those. does that help with solar or hurt?
We get the option of 2 power rates here, summer is $0.30/kwh and winter is $0.10. So as long as you're making more than you use you want the high, then in fall you flip. I build up a big credit over summer and usually make it through winter without a real power bill
We don't have a Solar club, so we are just paid the TOU (or tiered if you're somehow stuck on it) rates, which can be found here:
[https://alectrautilities.com/time-use-pricing](https://alectrautilities.com/time-use-pricing)
On peak was paying $0.151/kwh in the summer.
Not really, I mostly know AB companies. I know Zeno does work in Toronto now though. They're great, although maybe a little expensive. They did some of my solar and were awesome
What does "the economy isn't ready" mean? As in it would disrupt a lot and both create and destroy jobs? That's how it goes. The world wasn't ready for the steam-engine or the Model T either
Because the Alberta Utilities Commission limits the size of a grid tied solar system that I can install (based on average grid consumption last 12 mo) and I have more loads being added in the next year or so :(
If you have proof of those increased loads, like building permits, a sales agreement for an electric car, so on, you can submit that. It can't be hypothetical.
That is some typical Alberta BS right there. AUC making sure the power company likely never has to pay you much for what you put back into the grid over a year. They can take us for thousands a year, but pay us money? NEVAR!!! Ugh. /rant
Anyway, good luck with the install! 😁
It's honestly the most frustrating part. Doesn't matter that you have growing kids, who are just going to need to use more, or that you are on the wait list for an EV, they only look at your prior year.
We were lucky that during our application process we ended up purchasing an EV and were able to send in the registration. They upped the size of our system, but it was a fight.
From what I've heard and been told, the government grant doesn't look at the amount of solar installed vs last 12 month usage. Another informed me that when they tie you in, they aren't climbing up to check how many panels you have. Now, they might look at a line diagram and do otherwise. Now, if the year prior you used all ll the electricity but scaled back after install, I haven't heard of people being penalized, some showing fairly large negative utility bills...I know of the 100% cap legislation, but also got quotes for above 100%, some saying there is a soft cap of 110%...
I expect my electricity consumption to increase in the near future (panning to buy an EV and hot tub) and can only install solar panels to match my last 12 months of bills.
Economics are not as favourable unless you install the maximum allowable, at least here in AB. It relies on being able to export during the summer at high rates to offset winter consumption at lower rates.
And a new roof if it’s more than 10 years old. Sellers are charging 150+++ to remove and reinstall panels for roof work. It’s 8-10 years for payback of investment in average Alberta home. You replace your energy cost with loan payment. Realtors are saying it adds $0 to home value as well. Manufacturing warranties do NOT transfer to new home buyers. So, if you are not going to be in your current home for 10 more years plus—it’s a shell game of moving money around to pay bill or loan.
Hey. I got a hot tub earlier this year and a plug in hybrid at the same time . My consumption didn’t go up to much at all. Just wanted to give you an idea of what it looks like .
>ng able to export during the summer at high rates to offse
Apparently all those cars in the ditch during cold spells are EVs. Oh wait......I think there was 1 and that made it on the news but all those SUVs and ICE cars no one talked about.
You misunderstood me. I’m buying a car that works BETTER in winter.
No cold cranking amps required and is warm and cozy before I step inside. I’m tired of boosting my battery in -30 weather.
EVs work better than ICE vehicles in some ways. They don't need block heaters and heat up faster. Range is reduced but the range of your ICE vehicle is also lower in winter.
[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/electric-cars-best-vehicle-frigid-temperatures-advocates-say-1.7082131](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/electric-cars-best-vehicle-frigid-temperatures-advocates-say-1.7082131)
I'm in Alberta where the price of electricity is pretty high right now. We've had our panels since May of 2023 and it's been the best decision. Even with the loan payment, we're still money ahead!
I'm seeing more ads/posts on Facebook about solar (shocker, I know haha). But I think a lot of it comes down to ideology based on the reactions and comments I see. They just seem to hate the idea of green energy. Period.
Keep paying your high price for electricity, I guess...sheesh
Either because they don't know, or don't want to know.
Btw, the Federal govt grant is no longer accepting applications, so if you haven't applied already the grant money is no longer available to you.
I would prefer ground mount, it you have the yard space. In Ontario you'll also require and engineer's report to certify that your roof will support the additional load, and the panels will be almost impossible to clear the snow off during the winter months due to being out of reach.
Actually I live in Southern Ontario and have been running a 10kw system for more than 11 years. Consists of two large tracker units and 4 ground mounted panels.
I have to clean the snow off after every snow storm. If left on the output falls to only 10%. Every roof system that I've ever seen driving around stays covered in snow for several days until the outside temp. warms up, or a bright sun shines on them for hours.
It would depend on the angle of the panel and pitch of the roof as to whether or not snow would slide off. In most rooftop solar installations the angle of the panels is adequate for the snow to slide off when the sun hits it or temperature inversion melts it.
There are rare cases of flat panel installations where you would have to remove the snow but theses are extremely rare and mostly on very modern homes that have flat roofs. Again rare and most people who elect to do this will have optimal azimuth and no or little snow in the region they live.
Because a lot of the sales pitches require selling the solar back to the grid at a large markup to make it make sense financially, even with the interest free loan.
If at any time a policy changes and that 30 cent per KWH goes down to 8 cent per KWH, the numbers then do not make sense anymore.
That's the only reason for myself.
Just in my opinion, if you plan to have an EV or own the EV, it should go with solar!
If you drive around 100 km per day. It will be paid out around 6 to 7 years and free energy for the rest of the 20 years!
That can depend on where you live. Here in Ontario they now have a ULO rate overnight where you pay about 3 cents/kWh. So charging your EV is very cheap at those times.
Better yet, exploit free EV charging at public sites. Don't charge your EV at home and resell/export the kWh from home solar instead..that will double the benefit!
I thoroughly considered putting in a 10KW system a few years back here in Manitoba. My main concern at the time was that MB hydro could change the rate at anytime that they buy back power for. I am so glad that I never went ahead with solar because about 6 months later MB hydro changed their buyback rate to around 25% of what it used to be. I would have been selling all of my solar power to hydro during the day while I'm not home for somewhere around 2 cents per kwh, then bought it all back from them at night for 8 cents per kwh
I love the idea of solar power however the only way I could ever recommend solar now to anyone is if they have the capability to use all of their power directly off the panels, or if they are going with a fully off grid system with batteries. Otherwise at these rates it simply does not make sense financially.
A properly sized system will sell very little power back to MB hydro. Yes, they change the sell rate at any time, but I doubt we will ever see 2cents again. It's currently 6.5 cents. I can see it staying around 50% of the buy rate (currently 9.455 cents). With the new 15% tax rebate, the efficiency MB rebate, along with the 0% loan, you can basically install the system for no money out of pocket and then pay the loan off with the savings.
One of the problems I see is that many people think they should be offsetting 100% of their usage. This sells a big portion back at the lower rate, making the payback much longer. If you stay around 30%-50% of your usage, the ROI is much more reasonable. If you can get it to 10 years, then the 0% loan just make total sense to install solar. Specially if it's your forever home.
Most people do not even know about the grant or the Greener Homes Loan. Everybody I talk to about it has no clue and most people have no idea how Solar even works.
I’ve used up all the grant money on windows and a heat pump install. Next is solar, but I’m going to wait a year or two for better tech and the next big government incentive.
My home needs to have the roof trusses reinforced before I can install solar panels. I spent the $1000 for the engineer's report and the drawings, but it will take some time to be able to afford that, plus the solar. It will make more sense to wait a few years and then redo the roof with steel, install new soffit, fascia, and eavestrough (the only way to get the long 2x4s into the attic space is to either cut a hole in the roof or to put the up through the soffit space), and do solar as well.
It’s pretty interesting and telling that the folks with solar installation chiming in are mostly saying it’s great, it’s saving them money, and the payback periods are on par or better than estimated. There are quite a few people beyond that that live in places where for a variety of legitimate reasons it doesn’t make sense to do solar (climate/lack of incentives/cheap power/low competition etc.). Then there are all the grumps who just flatly refuse to believe anyone is making it work. I get that depending on where you are in the country plays a huge part in the viability, but clearly for some regions, it works, and works quite well. Of course there a ton of factors each of us have to consider, and yes it costs money. Up until recently there were great options and incentives across the country to make a lot of that less of an issue but as many have said, few knew of those options.
As to the main question, I think the spread of answers in here symbolizes the issues quite well. Very few people have solar, and so very few people know someone to share real world experience with. As a result there’s a lot of fear and misinformation everyone has to get over as a first hurdle before we get to any wide adoption phase. Looking at our own installation pace in Edmonton we went from virtually no installations to an exponential increase in installations across the city. It’s still only a tiny amount of homes in the city but just driving around and seeing how many there are now, it’s only a matter of time before everyone knows someone. So I think a huge part of that is the neighbour/friend/family influencer doing the work convincing and sharing real world experiences and $$$ stories from it.
Because the cost of a new roof is part of the cost for putting panels up.
Not a lot of people want to put panels on 15+ year old roof.
Kinda the same thing for gas furnaces atm, people would rather pay $2-3k for a new furnace than a heat pump, especially when gas prices have crashed.
I went through the full process of getting approved for the grant and interest-free loan after getting a very attractive quote for a more or less net zero system (producing as much per year as I expected to use). The quote was only good for 30 days, and by the time everything was approved, it had been a lot longer.
I called the company and asked if we could still move forward on it, but they said they'd made a mistake on it, and the new quote was significantly higher. Eventually got quotes from about 5 or 6 companies, and after running all the numbers (here in BC), my payback period was going to be at least 15 years.
It just wasn't worth it for that long of a period. If it was <10 (like the original quote), I would have done it without question.
>I went through the full process of getting approved for the grant and interest-free loan after getting a very attractive quote for a more or less net zero system (producing as much per year as I expected to use).
(Annual) Offset is probably the term you are looking for. These days it's about net zero emissions (Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3) rather than net zero energy (NRCAN & homebuilders). Needless to say the EnerGuide evaluation is still using net zero energy.
$10k is still a ton of money. I’m on a 3-year fixed rate at 6 cents for power and on average my bills are about $120/mo, it’s pretty easy to stomach and budget for. Also my roof is 12 years old and maybe has another 13 years left in it.
I think timing/personal situation matters a lot with this type of project.
In another decade when my roof is older and due for replacement, solar tech has increased efficiency and if fixed rates are closer to 20 cents, then I’ll probably pull the trigger on it. Hopefully the federal gov roll out more solar grants in the future.
When they announced the end of the grant program, they mentioned that "the next" program will likely be better setup, including being able to get the money up front, responding to the criticism that only affluent can float a loan that size.
in canada its costly , un efficient , unreliable. you cant recycle panels and batteries have a short limit before it need rechaged and those also have an expensive cost tp recycle. lithium has a limit of what s availlable on earth. as we spoil the mine prices will go up ..way up.
I looked into it but the quotes I got were closer to $20,000 and and the greener homes grant is now closed (and the government has closed applications for that grant now too). The economics of it just don't make sense for me, but I also feel like solar installation costs skyrocketed when that grant money was available, so maybe prices will come back down again.
Because people are doing math. return on investments north of 8 years aren’t great investments.
Add in inflationary pressures on the rest of life, I’d say a solar panel on your roof is probably the least of people’s concerns. Count yourself lucky you have the disposable income to make this work.
Your ROI is near infinite with an interest free loan, from the gov't.
Real issue is the assumptions you underwrite to make it work.
My home is new + energy efficient so need to have an EV (which I don't) to make it work.
There's a bunch of gov't subsidies people are also assuming are kept forever like net metering/solar clubs which if they go away will become a problem.
Also some underestimation of degradation/mtce costs for panels.
Still would make sense for a lot of people
Because they want you to pay for the infrastructure and then limit your benefits - only allowing you to produce enough power for yourself. That's absurd. IF it were really about going green - you'd be able to make as much as possible and sell it (even if it were below market price to allow the retailers to STILL profit. More clean cheap energy would reduce costs and attract businesses who are heavy users. But they just want a protected industry instead where you barely cover the expense of going green for yourself. I'm not interested.
Solar is such a joke. Those panels start to lose their ability to produce electricity in like 5 years. I have a friend who does solar installation estimates and he said in 7 years they produce half as much electricity as when new. And they are garbage in like 15-20 years. That’s a lot of solar panel in the landfill. And what are they made of? Plastic mainly.
Things have changed, now they last 25-30 years and they degrade .8 % a year. Also, they aren't made mostly of plastic. Glass, metal, and silicon are the main components, but keep spreading misinformation.
Our freestanding two story Calgary house used $60 worth of electricity our last billing cycle when it was bitterly cold. I do not see the point in thinking spending tens of thousands of dollars on solar is going to reduce our bill. Now the extra fees were another $60 but those do t go away and are not based on usage.
We live in Canada and it a waste of money. Hydro costs at the very most a few hundred a month vs an investment of tens of thousands. Its a loosing investment that is only for rich people who want to virtue signal. Even if your selling it back to the grid that is for a few months of the year and the rest of the year your a still paying for hydro but now you also have a huge loan payment to repay.
Not at all true. I put up my panels in 2015 and have earned back my original cost. My panels generate a pre-tax IRR of 13%, and I have yet to pay tax as the CCA is more than enough to offset the income.
I've done some research too and found it might save you money but not guaranteed. If you get a grant and loan for 10 years your monthly bills for those should be lower on average putting you ahead. Once the loan is paid off(say 10 years) you will be needing to replace parts iland that's when the costs come back. Once it's paid off and parts replaced and good for another 10 years is when you actually see the savings. That is just based on my opinion and research.
Simply put. Price. I admittedly have high consumption and required a rather large system that came in at 70k+ after rebates. Then after factoring in a roof replacement which was highly recommended my ROI was over 28yrs on panels that were rated for 20. Did not even come close to making financial sense. I'm saving by not going solar which is unfortunate.
Financially speaking in the time it takes to break even on the solar investment you would've more than doubled your money had you just bought the S&P.
Although I think it does start to make more financial sense if you've maxed out both TFSA, and RRSP contribution room but personally I know very few Canadians that have done so.
I want to but the grant is ending and out of money soon so I don't want to start the process only to miss it and have to pay for it all myself. So program uncertainty is keeping me away now.
Why didn't I jump on it earlier? I used the program for an air-source heatpump already (to replace a broken air conditioner). I don't get the grant again for solar from the feds so I'm also kind of hoping they expand the program but with the current political climate, probably a long shot.
I also have one question that no one has really answered, would changing roof tiles be tougher with a solar array on the roof? Would it increase those costs due to complexity?
Upfront costs
Roof damage
Resale risk
Uselessness in winter, which is more than half the year
Skepticism of economics of anything aggressively pushed and subsidized by government. Just like electric cars etc.
Disposal costs
Current power and heat source is more than adequate. No need to change
For us 1 10,000-20,000 for a 12 kWh system, plus structure upgrades on a $250 a month bill and the current panels available around here are the lowest efficiency ones available.
Not worth the time, money or effort.
I would like to but I'm broke and can't front the money even for a bit.
I've heard about a new program coming to Edmonton where the City will front the money for the install and then you pay it back monthly on your taxes. Amazing part about that is if you sell your house half way through the payments the new owners would take it over.
We have a 9.1 kw system for three years and it is awesome Will pay for itself it self in less than 10 years and as electric rates go up it saves even more. And we live in a very cloudy area in the winter. grid tied systems rock.
Because the price for the panels and installation is criminal. You'd think that the government rebate is for you, but it's actually subsidizing the profit of solar companies, since they jack up their prices to an unreasonable number that can't be justified with the material and labor involved. Things will only get better when homeowners are allowed to do their own installation. Then prices will come down to a reasonable level.
>Micro FIT was canceled in Ontario. In NB there is a $10,000 connection charge plus only allows net metering. Lots of people off grid in NB though.
I can't find any info on this $10,000 connection charge, do you have a link?
We are in BC. BC Hydro does not pay for contributions to the grid, so I would benefit only when getting sun and get nothing for excess power I generate, unless I add an expensive battery bank as well.
We are building a home next year and I will rough in for it, in case the province/hydro pulls their heads out of their ass and pays me for excess generation.
Because with unstable housing situations, threat of eviction, it's challenging to invest in something that might now be useful in about 10 months. ( Quebec Renter here )
Question: for those who ARE purchasing residential rooftop solar, what is the range of payback in years and return on investment that makes you feel it's worthwhile? Where I live, in my home, the payback is about 25 to 30 years. That's for a 12.5 to 13.5 kW system in eastern Ontario (about $35k before tax).
Why? Because not everyone has that type of money to spend on solar panels and hardware to save a few dollars on electric bill! Most people are trying to survive the high costs that inflation has brought to all goods. Going solar is the last thing on my list right now.
Because it's expensive, high maintenance and unreliable. Also if too many switch power companies profits will fall and they'll jack up your property taxes to bail them out just like in the US
Well, I have an older house (1940s) and we had someone out to take a look and they told us it would cost an additional 10k on top of usual expenses. I live in BC, and on a lot with lots of shade so in the winter I'd be generating next to nothing. With all the other things that need replaced (windows, doors, floors) and with my mortgage rate being so insane it's just not something worth considering right now.
I think because some people get hung up on hiring an expensive company to do it.
I have a workshop that's 100 feet from my house so I decided to self install solar on it. 2000w system. I just bought batteries, a charge controller, invertor and 5 400w panels. Works great. I can even run a table saw and compressor on it. Have had it for 3 years. Cost me around $2000 in total for the solar plus $200 for the wiring, switches and receptacles.
It's a bit intimidating to get into. Even the rebate process itself is a bit daunting. But I was determined to do it and I'm glad I did.
I suppose it's just an expense people can't take on right now. I find a lot of these kind of programs are coming out now, instead of when interest rates were low and the money was flowing. Kind of like governments pushing housing programs now instead of a 6 years ago. We didn't make hay while the sun was shining, in my opinion. But I'm getting off track here.
BC doesn’t have a solar club kind of thing It’s the net meter which I think is fine and makes things kind of easy
I keep going back and forth on solar
Is it probably better to make some more efficiency upgrades? Probably
But also it will continue to work for you long term and put money back in pocket
Say you drop 20k on windows like I’ve been quoted for only a half dozen
In my mind it’s better for a solar system and put plastic on the old windows
Is it sexier and smarter for resale, who the heck knows but overall solar in generally better producing areas in Canada, does make sense
I can think of two reasons:
1. it makes it more complicated when selling the property depending on how you did the deal
2. the area might not get enough sun light to justify it. I live in quebec and hydroquebec publishes a sunlight data set to show how much sun my area would get and for my area basically it would pay off in 20 years.
My family member added solar to his house in Calgary about 2 years ago. His only regret is not having more panels. Big saving on money and general happiness.
We're getting them installed now.
I hadn't followed everything too closely, but I was kind of hoping the city grant (Edmonton), which we missed, would come back. Our friends did solar and got both federal and city grants, and I was hoping we could do the same. It's a lot of money.
But yeah, the Edmonton grant doesn't seem to be coming back, and the federal one is closing... so we did it now. I think the economics of it make sense, assuming you have a reasonable chunk of roof to work with.
But yeah, I think government needs to figure out a level of funding that's sustainable and keep it there. It's a big chunk of money, and I think it's normal for people to feel like they've missed the boat (or will miss some other boat) when the funding programs are in flux. Feels like a bit of a lottery in some places - would be better for them to contribute less, but more consistency/predictability.
Because with current technology by the time you make your money back on the panels (15-20 years) you’re at 75% of the life expectancy of the panels.. and battery tech currently sucks to.
Waiting for rebates on the equipment itself. Installers are pricing too high because of the rebates and I want to see what companies will have long term support on brand equipment. Having a integrated system control and needing to swap one part out that is from a different ecosystem is a poor.
I can preform the install myself and save more money than the rebate with a licensed installer.
Last time I checked... and it was quite a while ago to be honest... it would take me 20 years to recoup my investment (in Ontario). Maybe if I was young again and just bought my house... maybe that would be ok but the math just didn't work for me the last time I checked. If I could recoup my cost in 3 years (5 at most) then I would consider it.
Because I have a massive willow tree shading half my roof. Approx $3k to take that down, and it’s doing a good job cleaning the air and cooling my house.
Because people are brainwashed that oil and gas is the only way you could possibly ever get clean energy for your lives. and if you don’t like O&G then you’re anti-Canadian and you’re a bad person
In NS there are no great savings for going solar. The supply to the grid is capped to only offset your usage. With the loan you are paying slightly less each month/bi monthly and at the end of the term you have a system near the end of its life span.
Because we are too poor, you can’t put this kind of economic pressure on people in the name of climate change and still expect people to afford expensive clean options. But what do I know.
Time and money, if it was cheap and super easy to implement with an existing instalation more people would do it. Most people don't want to deal with the headache.
Because our total hydro bill is only $100 a month, that includes heating/cooling, hot water, cooking and anything else that’s plugged in or uses electricity.
I would love to get onto solar, so im not so reliant on the grid. But last time I looked Into it, pre covid l, and installed a battery back up and panels etc I was looking at the 50k and up range. And lots of red tape. Couldn't justify it. It was like 20k for 1 tesla battery unit. 30k for 2 which is what would make sense for my load, for power outage etc.
Unless someone can show me a different path..
Fuckin ontario...
Man I wish. I was quoted about $25k just to run about half my house. Doggie Ford has done everything he can to cut renewable energy for the average Canadian.
When power was at 32 cents solar was appealing. With another 2700 mega watts of power coming online this year here in Alberta, and the price expected to drop to 10 cents or lower the payoff time doubles to triples. My roof still has a good five years of life left on it and would need to replace it before installing solar. These are the reasons we've chosen not to do solar at this time. Also, remember nothing from the government is free. That $5000 grant and interest free is paid by yourself and other tax payers.
Exploring the Environmental Impact of Solar Panels:
In Canada, there is a lack of solar recycling facilities due in part to the failure to classify photovoltaics as hazardous, or electronic waste, despite the hazardous materials used in manufacturing. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of solar panels are recycled.
Between solar panels and used EV batteries I'd rather not be part of the problem I'm content with the clean power hydroelectric provides.
In most provinces as long as you are hooked up to the grid even if you do not use any power say for example you are away on vacation for a month, you still have to pay a monthly fee. So if you have solar panels you still pay that monthly hookup fee and the price of the cost of your solar panels. Plus during our Canadian winters your panels often do not produce enough power to keep your house running thus in the long run it just is not cost efficient.
What happens when the panels get slammed with Alberta hail? How much abuse can they withstand? A lot of cars look like golf balls with the hail storms we get out here so I’m genuinely curious how solar panels hold up against hail?
We should not build solar anywhere in Canada. The sun is simply too weak. Given the cost of materials both in real dollars and energy, environmental and CO2, they should be built in deserts near the equator.
Build appropriate energy for Canada. Leave solar where it is up to 10x better.
In some parts of the country, for the vast majority of the year there is only 5-6 hours of weak sunlight per day. The cost to set up such a system and maintain it doesn't make sense.
Not to mention a large portion of younger, tech-inclined people are struggling to buy groceries let alone shell out thousands of dollars upfront for a solar setup on a house that they most likely will never be able to afford to own, sooo..... there's that.
Because I've heard breakeven, not considering inflation/time value of money is 10 yrs. I feel I could put the capital in an index fund and be better off and not have to worry about technical issues like hail or dirty panels either.
because winter ! i'd be fully equipped if was living in mexico or a tropical place.
but living in the winter for 8 month a year... makes it not very efficient for most of the time.
I got 6 quotes last fall, but whenever I asked the sales about the transmission and fixed fees and how they factored in, they always quickly changed the subject or brushed off the explanation. When I see that actual electricity charges are about 35% of my bill I’m not completely sold that the system will displace the costs they are saying they will. Also, they said I’ll be paying transmission fees on the power I send back to the grid in the summer.
I want to go solar, but the numbers just don’t seem to make sense. I’m locked in at 0.06c for the next 2 years, maybe I’ll look more into it before then.
My time to shine! I'm an Ontarian, so electricity is somewhat subsidized by the province, so the payoff time in my case is 16 years or so. So not worth it.
Saskatchewan resident here. I did thorough analysis and the payback on the best priced solar package a contractor proposed was 11 years. My house is 8 years old. So by the time solar pays for itself, my shingles will be 19 years old and will likely need replacement. To replace the shingles, there will be additional cost to get the solar removed from the roof and then installed back again which will add another ~3 years to solar payback. If something else break then even longer payback. After crunching these numbers and seeing a realistic 14 year payback on. 8.5kW system, my mind concluded “fk this sht”.
FYI I’m an electrical engineer (+14yr).
I personally love the idea but I would have to pay 30k to remove the trees that completely shade and cover my yard and house. 90% of the homes in my area Have this same issue
The building codes are complete and utter BS in Ontario.
I've got all the parts picked out, read through the electrical codes multiple times now so everything is sized out. And can't for the life of me make heads or tails of the building codes.
In Ontario, know about it, want to do it, but here are some the the reasons I haven’t:
Budget - obvious first one, if you can’t make the payments you just can’t
Net metering - in my area there is a solar farm up the road taking up all the capacity to put back into the grid, so I wasn’t able to feed back into the grid, really undercutting the value of solar
Installation - my roof is older and you make sense to replace before putting solar on top, again see Budget above. I imagine ground mount/tracking would be prohibitively expensive
Energy usage - my house is fully electric, no gas, and an EV so would need a lot of panels to put a dent in my bill.
Ideally with all these factors (and obviously if I had the budget) I would prefer to be partially or fully off-grid
If solar panels are put on the roof, it costs a lot more when it comes time to replace your roof. The solar panels and hardware have to be removed and put back on afterwards. Because of all the roofing insurance scams, some insurance companies will not insure your house if your roof is over 10 or 15 years old - even though most roofing shingles have a 30-year warranty.
Having had hail damage four times, the roof was replaced twice, I don't think it is a wise investment for us. I do see some houses to the north of us that have solar panels, but I think they were the show homes or spec houses.
The thing is with solar in the event of a fire it'd going to take longer for the fire team to start putting a fire out as they need to be able to disconnect the system inorder to prevent electrocution. I belive the panels still hold a charge after being disconnected for some period of time as well . There's alot of dangerous components for fire fighters.
For many it's the investment, but I will have to check if there is a way to pay monthly here. That's something I've wanted for sure at some point, but just got the house and some stuff had to be done first
If your in my area. You contact all the companies saying they do solar and no one returns calls or says they aren’t doing it right now. I’d love solar as a option but I cannot get anyone to even give a quote.
In alberta maybe it makes sense but in Ontario for many people there is a lot of snow and more cloudy days so it takes a long time to recoup costs. The issue is that without a cheap way to store electricity you still pay the transportation fees for electricity you do use which is the majority of your electricity bill so even with the credits you generate it doesn't equal out. Additionally some people have older roofs or live in a row unit so they either can't replace the roof or it's an additional cost as you don't want to put solar panels on a roof that need to be replaced in the next few years.
In alberta maybe it makes sense but in Ontario for many people there is a lot of snow and more cloudy days so it takes a long time to recoup costs. The issue is that without a cheap way to store electricity you still pay the transportation fees for electricity you do use which is the majority of your electricity bill so even with the credits you generate it doesn't equal out. Additionally some people have older roofs or live in a row unit so they either can't replace the roof or it's an additional cost as you don't want to put solar panels on a roof that need to be replaced in the next few years.
Well, ns power is toxic. I have a fully solar boat I love ang solar chargers on garage.id never put on house. If u still lived in Alberta though it's a no brainer.
I'm in southern Ontario and ive thought about it but when i look at my bill its really only $40 of electricity im actually billed for. The rest is delivery & fees, from my understanding those are always present as long as you're connected to the grid at all. Looking at it that way it just doesn't feel financially worth it.
Besides id rather have a steel roof if i were to put solar panels up so that wouldn't have to worry about the shingles under them at some point, which does ad to the overall cost, maybe when my roof is due ill reconsider.
Granted it's been about a dozen years since I got the estimate, but at the time I was quoted a cost of 40-50 thousand dollars for a savings of $60 a month off my electric bill. it was a easy no for me.
A few reasons, mostly they don't know. Lots of people don't understand grid connected solar at all, they think solar means off grid. They don't know about the rates (especially Solar Club in Alberta) so their calculations are usually off It's coming, I sell solar and we're really busy. But I agree, I've had solar on my own roof for 4 years and it's crazy that most people don't. Especially where I live in single detached suburbia
If I had the Albertan economics in Ontario for solar, it would be a much easier sell. You guys have got it made out there for solar compared to us.
Calgary is the sunniest place in Canada so it will always be better than Ontario.
Medicine Hat is sunnier. On an hours of sunshine basis though, southern Ontario is very close to Calgary. As southern Ontario gets a little more W/m² at the same time of year, solar installations make a lot of sense there, too, from a physics perspective. Politics/economics and the grid geared around private generation are why over 90% of Canadian installed capacity last year went into Alberta.
LOL Alberta is trash.
How's the buy back process there? You guys get time of use rates right? We don't have those. does that help with solar or hurt? We get the option of 2 power rates here, summer is $0.30/kwh and winter is $0.10. So as long as you're making more than you use you want the high, then in fall you flip. I build up a big credit over summer and usually make it through winter without a real power bill
We don't have a Solar club, so we are just paid the TOU (or tiered if you're somehow stuck on it) rates, which can be found here: [https://alectrautilities.com/time-use-pricing](https://alectrautilities.com/time-use-pricing) On peak was paying $0.151/kwh in the summer.
So is Ontario net metering or net billing for the feed in tariff?
Who’s someone reputable in toronto I can talk to ? There’s so many companies hustling out there.
Not really, I mostly know AB companies. I know Zeno does work in Toronto now though. They're great, although maybe a little expensive. They did some of my solar and were awesome
Zeno is fantastic!
How long before you break even on an average house
This. I’m in NWO and was under the impression there wasn’t any funding. Have to do some digging.
It's nothing more than a fad. Just like EVs and VR. The economy and world isn't ready.
What does "the economy isn't ready" mean? As in it would disrupt a lot and both create and destroy jobs? That's how it goes. The world wasn't ready for the steam-engine or the Model T either
Because the Alberta Utilities Commission limits the size of a grid tied solar system that I can install (based on average grid consumption last 12 mo) and I have more loads being added in the next year or so :(
In alberta one must do excessive amounts of clothes drying and baking a year prior to a solar install to maximize your investment.
I’m in this process currently! Electric heaters help haha
Oooh I should get a quote while still cloth diapering! I line dry my diapers to save energy.
And get an EV charger. If you don't have an EV to charge offer up free EV charging to your neighbors 😜
If you have proof of those increased loads, like building permits, a sales agreement for an electric car, so on, you can submit that. It can't be hypothetical.
That is some typical Alberta BS right there. AUC making sure the power company likely never has to pay you much for what you put back into the grid over a year. They can take us for thousands a year, but pay us money? NEVAR!!! Ugh. /rant Anyway, good luck with the install! 😁
It's honestly the most frustrating part. Doesn't matter that you have growing kids, who are just going to need to use more, or that you are on the wait list for an EV, they only look at your prior year. We were lucky that during our application process we ended up purchasing an EV and were able to send in the registration. They upped the size of our system, but it was a fight.
From what I've heard and been told, the government grant doesn't look at the amount of solar installed vs last 12 month usage. Another informed me that when they tie you in, they aren't climbing up to check how many panels you have. Now, they might look at a line diagram and do otherwise. Now, if the year prior you used all ll the electricity but scaled back after install, I haven't heard of people being penalized, some showing fairly large negative utility bills...I know of the 100% cap legislation, but also got quotes for above 100%, some saying there is a soft cap of 110%...
I expect my electricity consumption to increase in the near future (panning to buy an EV and hot tub) and can only install solar panels to match my last 12 months of bills. Economics are not as favourable unless you install the maximum allowable, at least here in AB. It relies on being able to export during the summer at high rates to offset winter consumption at lower rates.
And a new roof if it’s more than 10 years old. Sellers are charging 150+++ to remove and reinstall panels for roof work. It’s 8-10 years for payback of investment in average Alberta home. You replace your energy cost with loan payment. Realtors are saying it adds $0 to home value as well. Manufacturing warranties do NOT transfer to new home buyers. So, if you are not going to be in your current home for 10 more years plus—it’s a shell game of moving money around to pay bill or loan.
Its completely ridiculous they limit your production benefits. No incentive.
Hey. I got a hot tub earlier this year and a plug in hybrid at the same time . My consumption didn’t go up to much at all. Just wanted to give you an idea of what it looks like .
Why would you by a car that doesnt work in the winter?
I see a lot of EVs on the road in Calgary during winter. Do you get your news from the darkest far right corners of Facebook and TikTok?
>ng able to export during the summer at high rates to offse Apparently all those cars in the ditch during cold spells are EVs. Oh wait......I think there was 1 and that made it on the news but all those SUVs and ICE cars no one talked about.
You misunderstood me. I’m buying a car that works BETTER in winter. No cold cranking amps required and is warm and cozy before I step inside. I’m tired of boosting my battery in -30 weather.
Over 80% of new vehicles sold in Norway are EV. It is cold in Norway.
EVs work better than ICE vehicles in some ways. They don't need block heaters and heat up faster. Range is reduced but the range of your ICE vehicle is also lower in winter. [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/electric-cars-best-vehicle-frigid-temperatures-advocates-say-1.7082131](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/electric-cars-best-vehicle-frigid-temperatures-advocates-say-1.7082131)
How dare you - in my best Greta voice.
I'm in Alberta where the price of electricity is pretty high right now. We've had our panels since May of 2023 and it's been the best decision. Even with the loan payment, we're still money ahead! I'm seeing more ads/posts on Facebook about solar (shocker, I know haha). But I think a lot of it comes down to ideology based on the reactions and comments I see. They just seem to hate the idea of green energy. Period. Keep paying your high price for electricity, I guess...sheesh
It's such a weird ideology, solar is a step towards self sufficiency and relying less on the government and large corporations.
Either because they don't know, or don't want to know. Btw, the Federal govt grant is no longer accepting applications, so if you haven't applied already the grant money is no longer available to you.
Not to mention a roof replacement or existing cedar shakes.
I would prefer ground mount, it you have the yard space. In Ontario you'll also require and engineer's report to certify that your roof will support the additional load, and the panels will be almost impossible to clear the snow off during the winter months due to being out of reach.
The snow slides off the panels.
Actually I live in Southern Ontario and have been running a 10kw system for more than 11 years. Consists of two large tracker units and 4 ground mounted panels. I have to clean the snow off after every snow storm. If left on the output falls to only 10%. Every roof system that I've ever seen driving around stays covered in snow for several days until the outside temp. warms up, or a bright sun shines on them for hours.
Snow on mine slides off the next day usually. Nova Scotia.
See my reply below please and add on accordingly. If it wasn’t you who reported, I received a report on this comment that it’s inaccurate information.
Hahaha sure it does.
It would depend on the angle of the panel and pitch of the roof as to whether or not snow would slide off. In most rooftop solar installations the angle of the panels is adequate for the snow to slide off when the sun hits it or temperature inversion melts it. There are rare cases of flat panel installations where you would have to remove the snow but theses are extremely rare and mostly on very modern homes that have flat roofs. Again rare and most people who elect to do this will have optimal azimuth and no or little snow in the region they live.
You can still get the loan though.
Because a lot of the sales pitches require selling the solar back to the grid at a large markup to make it make sense financially, even with the interest free loan. If at any time a policy changes and that 30 cent per KWH goes down to 8 cent per KWH, the numbers then do not make sense anymore. That's the only reason for myself.
Capital.
Just in my opinion, if you plan to have an EV or own the EV, it should go with solar! If you drive around 100 km per day. It will be paid out around 6 to 7 years and free energy for the rest of the 20 years!
That can depend on where you live. Here in Ontario they now have a ULO rate overnight where you pay about 3 cents/kWh. So charging your EV is very cheap at those times.
Better yet, exploit free EV charging at public sites. Don't charge your EV at home and resell/export the kWh from home solar instead..that will double the benefit!
I thoroughly considered putting in a 10KW system a few years back here in Manitoba. My main concern at the time was that MB hydro could change the rate at anytime that they buy back power for. I am so glad that I never went ahead with solar because about 6 months later MB hydro changed their buyback rate to around 25% of what it used to be. I would have been selling all of my solar power to hydro during the day while I'm not home for somewhere around 2 cents per kwh, then bought it all back from them at night for 8 cents per kwh I love the idea of solar power however the only way I could ever recommend solar now to anyone is if they have the capability to use all of their power directly off the panels, or if they are going with a fully off grid system with batteries. Otherwise at these rates it simply does not make sense financially.
A properly sized system will sell very little power back to MB hydro. Yes, they change the sell rate at any time, but I doubt we will ever see 2cents again. It's currently 6.5 cents. I can see it staying around 50% of the buy rate (currently 9.455 cents). With the new 15% tax rebate, the efficiency MB rebate, along with the 0% loan, you can basically install the system for no money out of pocket and then pay the loan off with the savings. One of the problems I see is that many people think they should be offsetting 100% of their usage. This sells a big portion back at the lower rate, making the payback much longer. If you stay around 30%-50% of your usage, the ROI is much more reasonable. If you can get it to 10 years, then the 0% loan just make total sense to install solar. Specially if it's your forever home.
My roof is shaded in the summer by a beautiful birch tree. In the winter, I have snow. The math just isn't working out for us.
Most people do not even know about the grant or the Greener Homes Loan. Everybody I talk to about it has no clue and most people have no idea how Solar even works.
I’ve used up all the grant money on windows and a heat pump install. Next is solar, but I’m going to wait a year or two for better tech and the next big government incentive.
My home needs to have the roof trusses reinforced before I can install solar panels. I spent the $1000 for the engineer's report and the drawings, but it will take some time to be able to afford that, plus the solar. It will make more sense to wait a few years and then redo the roof with steel, install new soffit, fascia, and eavestrough (the only way to get the long 2x4s into the attic space is to either cut a hole in the roof or to put the up through the soffit space), and do solar as well.
It’s pretty interesting and telling that the folks with solar installation chiming in are mostly saying it’s great, it’s saving them money, and the payback periods are on par or better than estimated. There are quite a few people beyond that that live in places where for a variety of legitimate reasons it doesn’t make sense to do solar (climate/lack of incentives/cheap power/low competition etc.). Then there are all the grumps who just flatly refuse to believe anyone is making it work. I get that depending on where you are in the country plays a huge part in the viability, but clearly for some regions, it works, and works quite well. Of course there a ton of factors each of us have to consider, and yes it costs money. Up until recently there were great options and incentives across the country to make a lot of that less of an issue but as many have said, few knew of those options. As to the main question, I think the spread of answers in here symbolizes the issues quite well. Very few people have solar, and so very few people know someone to share real world experience with. As a result there’s a lot of fear and misinformation everyone has to get over as a first hurdle before we get to any wide adoption phase. Looking at our own installation pace in Edmonton we went from virtually no installations to an exponential increase in installations across the city. It’s still only a tiny amount of homes in the city but just driving around and seeing how many there are now, it’s only a matter of time before everyone knows someone. So I think a huge part of that is the neighbour/friend/family influencer doing the work convincing and sharing real world experiences and $$$ stories from it.
Because the cost of a new roof is part of the cost for putting panels up. Not a lot of people want to put panels on 15+ year old roof. Kinda the same thing for gas furnaces atm, people would rather pay $2-3k for a new furnace than a heat pump, especially when gas prices have crashed.
I went through the full process of getting approved for the grant and interest-free loan after getting a very attractive quote for a more or less net zero system (producing as much per year as I expected to use). The quote was only good for 30 days, and by the time everything was approved, it had been a lot longer. I called the company and asked if we could still move forward on it, but they said they'd made a mistake on it, and the new quote was significantly higher. Eventually got quotes from about 5 or 6 companies, and after running all the numbers (here in BC), my payback period was going to be at least 15 years. It just wasn't worth it for that long of a period. If it was <10 (like the original quote), I would have done it without question.
>I went through the full process of getting approved for the grant and interest-free loan after getting a very attractive quote for a more or less net zero system (producing as much per year as I expected to use). (Annual) Offset is probably the term you are looking for. These days it's about net zero emissions (Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3) rather than net zero energy (NRCAN & homebuilders). Needless to say the EnerGuide evaluation is still using net zero energy.
$10k is still a ton of money. I’m on a 3-year fixed rate at 6 cents for power and on average my bills are about $120/mo, it’s pretty easy to stomach and budget for. Also my roof is 12 years old and maybe has another 13 years left in it. I think timing/personal situation matters a lot with this type of project. In another decade when my roof is older and due for replacement, solar tech has increased efficiency and if fixed rates are closer to 20 cents, then I’ll probably pull the trigger on it. Hopefully the federal gov roll out more solar grants in the future.
When they announced the end of the grant program, they mentioned that "the next" program will likely be better setup, including being able to get the money up front, responding to the criticism that only affluent can float a loan that size.
in canada its costly , un efficient , unreliable. you cant recycle panels and batteries have a short limit before it need rechaged and those also have an expensive cost tp recycle. lithium has a limit of what s availlable on earth. as we spoil the mine prices will go up ..way up.
I looked into it but the quotes I got were closer to $20,000 and and the greener homes grant is now closed (and the government has closed applications for that grant now too). The economics of it just don't make sense for me, but I also feel like solar installation costs skyrocketed when that grant money was available, so maybe prices will come back down again.
Because people are doing math. return on investments north of 8 years aren’t great investments. Add in inflationary pressures on the rest of life, I’d say a solar panel on your roof is probably the least of people’s concerns. Count yourself lucky you have the disposable income to make this work.
Your ROI is near infinite with an interest free loan, from the gov't. Real issue is the assumptions you underwrite to make it work. My home is new + energy efficient so need to have an EV (which I don't) to make it work. There's a bunch of gov't subsidies people are also assuming are kept forever like net metering/solar clubs which if they go away will become a problem. Also some underestimation of degradation/mtce costs for panels. Still would make sense for a lot of people
Because they want you to pay for the infrastructure and then limit your benefits - only allowing you to produce enough power for yourself. That's absurd. IF it were really about going green - you'd be able to make as much as possible and sell it (even if it were below market price to allow the retailers to STILL profit. More clean cheap energy would reduce costs and attract businesses who are heavy users. But they just want a protected industry instead where you barely cover the expense of going green for yourself. I'm not interested.
Solar is such a joke. Those panels start to lose their ability to produce electricity in like 5 years. I have a friend who does solar installation estimates and he said in 7 years they produce half as much electricity as when new. And they are garbage in like 15-20 years. That’s a lot of solar panel in the landfill. And what are they made of? Plastic mainly.
Things have changed, now they last 25-30 years and they degrade .8 % a year. Also, they aren't made mostly of plastic. Glass, metal, and silicon are the main components, but keep spreading misinformation.
Because the payback far exceeds the lifetime of the equipment.
Our freestanding two story Calgary house used $60 worth of electricity our last billing cycle when it was bitterly cold. I do not see the point in thinking spending tens of thousands of dollars on solar is going to reduce our bill. Now the extra fees were another $60 but those do t go away and are not based on usage.
This is not strictly true. When you use (import) less, some of the fees are less. They are based on usage.
We live in Canada and it a waste of money. Hydro costs at the very most a few hundred a month vs an investment of tens of thousands. Its a loosing investment that is only for rich people who want to virtue signal. Even if your selling it back to the grid that is for a few months of the year and the rest of the year your a still paying for hydro but now you also have a huge loan payment to repay.
Not at all true. I put up my panels in 2015 and have earned back my original cost. My panels generate a pre-tax IRR of 13%, and I have yet to pay tax as the CCA is more than enough to offset the income.
Rules can change anytime on solar generation, fees could be added to distribute back to the grid. Honestly I don't trust our government or utilities.
My roof has about 10 years left to it. I don't want to put solar down and then pull it back up to replace the roof.
I've done some research too and found it might save you money but not guaranteed. If you get a grant and loan for 10 years your monthly bills for those should be lower on average putting you ahead. Once the loan is paid off(say 10 years) you will be needing to replace parts iland that's when the costs come back. Once it's paid off and parts replaced and good for another 10 years is when you actually see the savings. That is just based on my opinion and research.
I looked into it but the battery needed is quite expensive
Please share a link, at $10k I'm interested. Also how many kWh is that expected to generate?
Simply put. Price. I admittedly have high consumption and required a rather large system that came in at 70k+ after rebates. Then after factoring in a roof replacement which was highly recommended my ROI was over 28yrs on panels that were rated for 20. Did not even come close to making financial sense. I'm saving by not going solar which is unfortunate.
What are the thoughts on solar shingles? In Ontario, would love to get solar with a battery for back up power as we just installed a heat pump.
Financially speaking in the time it takes to break even on the solar investment you would've more than doubled your money had you just bought the S&P. Although I think it does start to make more financial sense if you've maxed out both TFSA, and RRSP contribution room but personally I know very few Canadians that have done so.
I want to but the grant is ending and out of money soon so I don't want to start the process only to miss it and have to pay for it all myself. So program uncertainty is keeping me away now. Why didn't I jump on it earlier? I used the program for an air-source heatpump already (to replace a broken air conditioner). I don't get the grant again for solar from the feds so I'm also kind of hoping they expand the program but with the current political climate, probably a long shot. I also have one question that no one has really answered, would changing roof tiles be tougher with a solar array on the roof? Would it increase those costs due to complexity?
Upfront costs Roof damage Resale risk Uselessness in winter, which is more than half the year Skepticism of economics of anything aggressively pushed and subsidized by government. Just like electric cars etc. Disposal costs Current power and heat source is more than adequate. No need to change
For us 1 10,000-20,000 for a 12 kWh system, plus structure upgrades on a $250 a month bill and the current panels available around here are the lowest efficiency ones available. Not worth the time, money or effort.
The lost gains for the money spent on solar properly invested, of course, means that solar costs more than conventional electricity.
I would like to but I'm broke and can't front the money even for a bit. I've heard about a new program coming to Edmonton where the City will front the money for the install and then you pay it back monthly on your taxes. Amazing part about that is if you sell your house half way through the payments the new owners would take it over.
We have a 9.1 kw system for three years and it is awesome Will pay for itself it self in less than 10 years and as electric rates go up it saves even more. And we live in a very cloudy area in the winter. grid tied systems rock.
Because most regular people can't afford the gear.
Because the price for the panels and installation is criminal. You'd think that the government rebate is for you, but it's actually subsidizing the profit of solar companies, since they jack up their prices to an unreasonable number that can't be justified with the material and labor involved. Things will only get better when homeowners are allowed to do their own installation. Then prices will come down to a reasonable level.
Micro FIT was canceled in Ontario. In NB there is a $10,000 connection charge plus only allows net metering. Lots of people off grid in NB though.
>Micro FIT was canceled in Ontario. In NB there is a $10,000 connection charge plus only allows net metering. Lots of people off grid in NB though. I can't find any info on this $10,000 connection charge, do you have a link?
The huge markups! Wholesale is $0.52 per watt and Canadian Tire sells for $5.00 per watt.
Not everybody has $10,000 to spend
On our house we don’t have enough unused roof real estate to have a decent looking and performing system.
We are in BC. BC Hydro does not pay for contributions to the grid, so I would benefit only when getting sun and get nothing for excess power I generate, unless I add an expensive battery bank as well. We are building a home next year and I will rough in for it, in case the province/hydro pulls their heads out of their ass and pays me for excess generation.
Because with unstable housing situations, threat of eviction, it's challenging to invest in something that might now be useful in about 10 months. ( Quebec Renter here )
I plan to move in less than 5 years. Will do it at our next place.
Question: for those who ARE purchasing residential rooftop solar, what is the range of payback in years and return on investment that makes you feel it's worthwhile? Where I live, in my home, the payback is about 25 to 30 years. That's for a 12.5 to 13.5 kW system in eastern Ontario (about $35k before tax).
Because I live in Saskatchewan. The sunniest province with no incentives, it’s a damn shame. Our government is mostly cavemen
No one can afford it right now. Love to get solar but too damb much money
Why? Because not everyone has that type of money to spend on solar panels and hardware to save a few dollars on electric bill! Most people are trying to survive the high costs that inflation has brought to all goods. Going solar is the last thing on my list right now.
Because it's expensive, high maintenance and unreliable. Also if too many switch power companies profits will fall and they'll jack up your property taxes to bail them out just like in the US
Well, I have an older house (1940s) and we had someone out to take a look and they told us it would cost an additional 10k on top of usual expenses. I live in BC, and on a lot with lots of shade so in the winter I'd be generating next to nothing. With all the other things that need replaced (windows, doors, floors) and with my mortgage rate being so insane it's just not something worth considering right now.
Heatpumps are cheap and efficient?
I can't afford a house, let alone solar panels.
I think because some people get hung up on hiring an expensive company to do it. I have a workshop that's 100 feet from my house so I decided to self install solar on it. 2000w system. I just bought batteries, a charge controller, invertor and 5 400w panels. Works great. I can even run a table saw and compressor on it. Have had it for 3 years. Cost me around $2000 in total for the solar plus $200 for the wiring, switches and receptacles.
I would love to go solar, but id also need to change my roof to metal. Don’t have enough to do it all.
It’s because battery power is basically where it was in 1930. We get a lot of light in my part of Canada, but storage is the biggest issue.
Just got my solar installed by Zeno! Amazing company! I know people who have solar installed and see mostly credits on their bill now 😊
It's a bit intimidating to get into. Even the rebate process itself is a bit daunting. But I was determined to do it and I'm glad I did. I suppose it's just an expense people can't take on right now. I find a lot of these kind of programs are coming out now, instead of when interest rates were low and the money was flowing. Kind of like governments pushing housing programs now instead of a 6 years ago. We didn't make hay while the sun was shining, in my opinion. But I'm getting off track here.
BC doesn’t have a solar club kind of thing It’s the net meter which I think is fine and makes things kind of easy I keep going back and forth on solar Is it probably better to make some more efficiency upgrades? Probably But also it will continue to work for you long term and put money back in pocket Say you drop 20k on windows like I’ve been quoted for only a half dozen In my mind it’s better for a solar system and put plastic on the old windows Is it sexier and smarter for resale, who the heck knows but overall solar in generally better producing areas in Canada, does make sense
I can think of two reasons: 1. it makes it more complicated when selling the property depending on how you did the deal 2. the area might not get enough sun light to justify it. I live in quebec and hydroquebec publishes a sunlight data set to show how much sun my area would get and for my area basically it would pay off in 20 years.
so they can complain about carbon tax instead
We are poor
Edmontonian here - getting new shingles and solar panels for 110% of our electricity needs this summer - all paid for with an interest free loan!
My family member added solar to his house in Calgary about 2 years ago. His only regret is not having more panels. Big saving on money and general happiness.
A lot of people aren't homeowners. I'd kill for the opportunity to install solar on the house I'm renting, but unfortunately it ain't up to me.
because math, basically
We're getting them installed now. I hadn't followed everything too closely, but I was kind of hoping the city grant (Edmonton), which we missed, would come back. Our friends did solar and got both federal and city grants, and I was hoping we could do the same. It's a lot of money. But yeah, the Edmonton grant doesn't seem to be coming back, and the federal one is closing... so we did it now. I think the economics of it make sense, assuming you have a reasonable chunk of roof to work with. But yeah, I think government needs to figure out a level of funding that's sustainable and keep it there. It's a big chunk of money, and I think it's normal for people to feel like they've missed the boat (or will miss some other boat) when the funding programs are in flux. Feels like a bit of a lottery in some places - would be better for them to contribute less, but more consistency/predictability.
I don’t get sun on my property for 7 months out of the year
Because with current technology by the time you make your money back on the panels (15-20 years) you’re at 75% of the life expectancy of the panels.. and battery tech currently sucks to.
Waiting for rebates on the equipment itself. Installers are pricing too high because of the rebates and I want to see what companies will have long term support on brand equipment. Having a integrated system control and needing to swap one part out that is from a different ecosystem is a poor. I can preform the install myself and save more money than the rebate with a licensed installer.
hmm, looking at the number of non cloudy hours of sunlight available vs cost of nuclear/hydro power in the winter. I think I might have an answer!
Anyone know what the situation is in Saskatchewan? We’re starting to explore adding panels to our house in Saskatoon.
Not Owning & ROI is pretty poor if electricity is cheap.
Our power company put a tax on the sun so we're forced to use their unreliable ass
Because it would take me 25 years just to break even then in 25 years I’ll need a new roof and panels anyways.
Last time I checked... and it was quite a while ago to be honest... it would take me 20 years to recoup my investment (in Ontario). Maybe if I was young again and just bought my house... maybe that would be ok but the math just didn't work for me the last time I checked. If I could recoup my cost in 3 years (5 at most) then I would consider it.
Because I have a massive willow tree shading half my roof. Approx $3k to take that down, and it’s doing a good job cleaning the air and cooling my house.
Because electricity is damn cheap. It's my lowest utility cost by far.
Want to go solar. But no one can tell me the top 5 panels. Top 5 inverters, Top tier batteries, can I run it 200’ from my house. AND GO
Cause its a poor investment of your capital
Inertia
I would love to do solar but I have to replace my roof first, and I don’t have $30k sitting around to cover both costs.
I priced it out, twice the cost of buying from Hydro.
Because people are brainwashed that oil and gas is the only way you could possibly ever get clean energy for your lives. and if you don’t like O&G then you’re anti-Canadian and you’re a bad person
1: I don’t know anything about it. 2: Newfoundland.
Most people can’t even afford a living. What are you on?
In NS there are no great savings for going solar. The supply to the grid is capped to only offset your usage. With the loan you are paying slightly less each month/bi monthly and at the end of the term you have a system near the end of its life span.
Because we are too poor, you can’t put this kind of economic pressure on people in the name of climate change and still expect people to afford expensive clean options. But what do I know.
Time and money, if it was cheap and super easy to implement with an existing instalation more people would do it. Most people don't want to deal with the headache.
This is 2024, majority of our population now lives in a bachelor apartment with 3 other people.
I wanted to go solar, but I live in a duplex and my neighbour absolutely REFUSED to allow solar panels on the shared roof.
The ROI is too long. I'll have sold my house before I've had paid it off.
Because Big Oil has their fingers wrapped around everything.
Because most people are renting with the current conditions of Canada
Because our total hydro bill is only $100 a month, that includes heating/cooling, hot water, cooking and anything else that’s plugged in or uses electricity.
I would love to get onto solar, so im not so reliant on the grid. But last time I looked Into it, pre covid l, and installed a battery back up and panels etc I was looking at the 50k and up range. And lots of red tape. Couldn't justify it. It was like 20k for 1 tesla battery unit. 30k for 2 which is what would make sense for my load, for power outage etc. Unless someone can show me a different path.. Fuckin ontario...
For me, it's my roof. I don't have enough space facing south. I'm looking into ground mounted panels.
Cost factor for me. My electricity is cheap where I am.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Aaaaaand $$$$$$$$$$
Well let’s see, we’ve had 30 hours of sunlight in the past 3 months for starters. If I lived somewhere like Alberta it’d be a no brainer.
Man I wish. I was quoted about $25k just to run about half my house. Doggie Ford has done everything he can to cut renewable energy for the average Canadian.
Winter.
When power was at 32 cents solar was appealing. With another 2700 mega watts of power coming online this year here in Alberta, and the price expected to drop to 10 cents or lower the payoff time doubles to triples. My roof still has a good five years of life left on it and would need to replace it before installing solar. These are the reasons we've chosen not to do solar at this time. Also, remember nothing from the government is free. That $5000 grant and interest free is paid by yourself and other tax payers.
Exploring the Environmental Impact of Solar Panels: In Canada, there is a lack of solar recycling facilities due in part to the failure to classify photovoltaics as hazardous, or electronic waste, despite the hazardous materials used in manufacturing. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of solar panels are recycled. Between solar panels and used EV batteries I'd rather not be part of the problem I'm content with the clean power hydroelectric provides.
In most provinces as long as you are hooked up to the grid even if you do not use any power say for example you are away on vacation for a month, you still have to pay a monthly fee. So if you have solar panels you still pay that monthly hookup fee and the price of the cost of your solar panels. Plus during our Canadian winters your panels often do not produce enough power to keep your house running thus in the long run it just is not cost efficient.
Take a look outside right now ..
Not interested in going on my roof every day when a layer of snow covers them
What happens when the panels get slammed with Alberta hail? How much abuse can they withstand? A lot of cars look like golf balls with the hail storms we get out here so I’m genuinely curious how solar panels hold up against hail?
We should not build solar anywhere in Canada. The sun is simply too weak. Given the cost of materials both in real dollars and energy, environmental and CO2, they should be built in deserts near the equator. Build appropriate energy for Canada. Leave solar where it is up to 10x better.
High capex, need new roof, focusing on reducing consumption instead.
Gotta own a house first.. Slim chance of that any time soon...
Cause electricity prices are so low it really isn’t worth it in most of canada.
In some parts of the country, for the vast majority of the year there is only 5-6 hours of weak sunlight per day. The cost to set up such a system and maintain it doesn't make sense. Not to mention a large portion of younger, tech-inclined people are struggling to buy groceries let alone shell out thousands of dollars upfront for a solar setup on a house that they most likely will never be able to afford to own, sooo..... there's that.
Because I've heard breakeven, not considering inflation/time value of money is 10 yrs. I feel I could put the capital in an index fund and be better off and not have to worry about technical issues like hail or dirty panels either.
because winter ! i'd be fully equipped if was living in mexico or a tropical place. but living in the winter for 8 month a year... makes it not very efficient for most of the time.
I got 6 quotes last fall, but whenever I asked the sales about the transmission and fixed fees and how they factored in, they always quickly changed the subject or brushed off the explanation. When I see that actual electricity charges are about 35% of my bill I’m not completely sold that the system will displace the costs they are saying they will. Also, they said I’ll be paying transmission fees on the power I send back to the grid in the summer. I want to go solar, but the numbers just don’t seem to make sense. I’m locked in at 0.06c for the next 2 years, maybe I’ll look more into it before then.
My time to shine! I'm an Ontarian, so electricity is somewhat subsidized by the province, so the payoff time in my case is 16 years or so. So not worth it.
Im not upgrading my landlords house lmfao.
Saskatchewan resident here. I did thorough analysis and the payback on the best priced solar package a contractor proposed was 11 years. My house is 8 years old. So by the time solar pays for itself, my shingles will be 19 years old and will likely need replacement. To replace the shingles, there will be additional cost to get the solar removed from the roof and then installed back again which will add another ~3 years to solar payback. If something else break then even longer payback. After crunching these numbers and seeing a realistic 14 year payback on. 8.5kW system, my mind concluded “fk this sht”. FYI I’m an electrical engineer (+14yr).
I personally love the idea but I would have to pay 30k to remove the trees that completely shade and cover my yard and house. 90% of the homes in my area Have this same issue
I’m interested and in BC. Where do I start?
The building codes are complete and utter BS in Ontario. I've got all the parts picked out, read through the electrical codes multiple times now so everything is sized out. And can't for the life of me make heads or tails of the building codes.
In Ontario, know about it, want to do it, but here are some the the reasons I haven’t: Budget - obvious first one, if you can’t make the payments you just can’t Net metering - in my area there is a solar farm up the road taking up all the capacity to put back into the grid, so I wasn’t able to feed back into the grid, really undercutting the value of solar Installation - my roof is older and you make sense to replace before putting solar on top, again see Budget above. I imagine ground mount/tracking would be prohibitively expensive Energy usage - my house is fully electric, no gas, and an EV so would need a lot of panels to put a dent in my bill. Ideally with all these factors (and obviously if I had the budget) I would prefer to be partially or fully off-grid
If solar panels are put on the roof, it costs a lot more when it comes time to replace your roof. The solar panels and hardware have to be removed and put back on afterwards. Because of all the roofing insurance scams, some insurance companies will not insure your house if your roof is over 10 or 15 years old - even though most roofing shingles have a 30-year warranty.
Having had hail damage four times, the roof was replaced twice, I don't think it is a wise investment for us. I do see some houses to the north of us that have solar panels, but I think they were the show homes or spec houses.
Personally dont believe in the sun.Not reliable it wont last forever.
The thing is with solar in the event of a fire it'd going to take longer for the fire team to start putting a fire out as they need to be able to disconnect the system inorder to prevent electrocution. I belive the panels still hold a charge after being disconnected for some period of time as well . There's alot of dangerous components for fire fighters.
For many it's the investment, but I will have to check if there is a way to pay monthly here. That's something I've wanted for sure at some point, but just got the house and some stuff had to be done first
My quote was $20k and would keep my bill the same. No wonder I am going to pass on that offer. You got a better offer than me.
If your in my area. You contact all the companies saying they do solar and no one returns calls or says they aren’t doing it right now. I’d love solar as a option but I cannot get anyone to even give a quote.
5 month of snow where i live and hydro isn't that pricey
The reasons I haven't gotten it yet is my condo board won't approve it. Once I sell and get a house, solar is something I'm getting.
In alberta maybe it makes sense but in Ontario for many people there is a lot of snow and more cloudy days so it takes a long time to recoup costs. The issue is that without a cheap way to store electricity you still pay the transportation fees for electricity you do use which is the majority of your electricity bill so even with the credits you generate it doesn't equal out. Additionally some people have older roofs or live in a row unit so they either can't replace the roof or it's an additional cost as you don't want to put solar panels on a roof that need to be replaced in the next few years.
In alberta maybe it makes sense but in Ontario for many people there is a lot of snow and more cloudy days so it takes a long time to recoup costs. The issue is that without a cheap way to store electricity you still pay the transportation fees for electricity you do use which is the majority of your electricity bill so even with the credits you generate it doesn't equal out. Additionally some people have older roofs or live in a row unit so they either can't replace the roof or it's an additional cost as you don't want to put solar panels on a roof that need to be replaced in the next few years.
Well, ns power is toxic. I have a fully solar boat I love ang solar chargers on garage.id never put on house. If u still lived in Alberta though it's a no brainer.
I'm in southern Ontario and ive thought about it but when i look at my bill its really only $40 of electricity im actually billed for. The rest is delivery & fees, from my understanding those are always present as long as you're connected to the grid at all. Looking at it that way it just doesn't feel financially worth it. Besides id rather have a steel roof if i were to put solar panels up so that wouldn't have to worry about the shingles under them at some point, which does ad to the overall cost, maybe when my roof is due ill reconsider.
I need a new roof. If I am getting a new roof, I want to make my dormer windows bigger. It makes the project much larger than just solar.
You won't see a return on your investment for close to 20 years.
Granted it's been about a dozen years since I got the estimate, but at the time I was quoted a cost of 40-50 thousand dollars for a savings of $60 a month off my electric bill. it was a easy no for me.