NEWS RELEASE
SUSTAINABLE ORILLIA
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There’s a movement underway. Everyone and everything is going electric.
We’re moving from fossil fuels to a more sustainable, electric-powered future. That transition is called “electrification” — and we can’t do it fast enough.
What made Mike England of West Street Storage (just south of Nor-Weld Ltd.’s large solar installation) decide to install a solar energy system on his roof?
“It was basically a financial decision,” says England. “At the beginning, when the company (London, Ont.-based German Solar Corporation) first approached me, we saw it as an opportunity to establish another revenue stream for West Street Storage.
“They told us the payback was going to be six to seven years. We did have one surprise — we had to replace our old roof. Since then, we haven’t had a hiccup. It’s been a great deal. Essentially, we just rent our roof. We didn’t pay a dime. Our panels are covered with snow for some of the winter, but we still get a cheque every three months like clockwork.”
Some homeowners start their electrification journey in order to generate clean power that can be used on site or sold back to the electrical grid. Some are motivated by the thought of reduced hydro bills. Some want to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Some want to generate and store their own clean energy to keep their home running during power outages.
Tony Telford is president of Orser Technical Services in Orillia and an experienced local installer. He likes to balance optimism with realism. While some people have stars in their eyes over solar energy, others have questions.
“Help is available,” says Telford. “Solar is a realistic option for homeowners to offset some of their electricity costs. I am quite willing to discuss the pros and the cons with homeowners and businesses.”
Electrification is coming, says Telford.
“Absolutely. Solar energy will kick in soon. In the last 10 years the efficiency of solar panels has gone up by 50 per cent. In five years, there will be momentum — it will be a juggernaut. Every home being built right now will need to be ready for more than the typical 100-amp service.”
He goes on to suggest, “It would be worth exploring how Sustainable Orillia could put pressure on the city to pass a bylaw requiring all new single-family dwellings to have a minimum 200-amp electrical service. This might be the single most effective way of helping prepare for the future electrification of our homes.”
Telford says interested home or business owners should begin by figuring out the electricity consumption of their building.
“For example,” he says, “my house needs roughly 54 kilowatt hours each day. To power my household, I’d need five-and-a-half hours of sun each day on a 10-kW system. Orillia has an average of 4.7 hours per day of solar hours. A small, two-kW solar system (four 500-watt solar panels, inverter, etc.) will cost approximately $5 per watt or $10,000. The payback period will be approximately 15 years.”
For a small solar system, Telford recommends taking the following steps:
- Consult Hydro One to determine your capacity to deliver to the grid through existing lines.
- Is your roof profile favourable for maximum production potential? South-facing is preferred.
- Is your roof designed to withstand the additional weight of the panels? Make sure your roofing material is in good condition. This is sometimes overlooked.
- Typical production today is approximately 20 watts per square foot. Expect little production in the winter. We had 23 days with no sun in January.
“Before long,” says Telford, “our houses will have an integrated, bi-directional electricity system, integrating sun, wind, car battery and home battery.”
In the longer term, Telford believes the future of power generation lies with wind.
“Wind is the power source of the future — it’s not far away. Turbines have a low-intrusive profile and are cost effective. Wind will become the way to go.”
Telford suggests it’s best if your electricity consumption is greater than your production (likely with a small system). If not, you’ll need to set up “net metering” where Hydro One credits you with the excess at the same rate you are currently paying for your electricity. Hydro One will connect your solar generator to the distribution system under a fixed-price contract, delivering the electricity you produce to businesses and people across Ontario.
Electrification is coming, and it will require some big changes in how we work, live and think.
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