BARRHEAD - A Town of Barrhead resident was the first, or at least amongst the first in the community, to install solar panels at his residence, and he believes they could be the right fit for other residents as well.
Earlier this year, Chris Kapler installed the panels of his garage, largely to lower his electricity consumption for his hobby greenhouse.
"If you can afford the [initial outlay], you are getting your power at a very cheap rate. If you can afford enough panels, you may even be able to get your power bill down to nothing," he said.
There are three types of solar installations; the first, which Kapler has installed, is where a residence is tied directly to the local utility's electricity grid.
"The power your solar panels generate goes into the grid where it is stored for later use," he said.
Kapler said the benefit is that the utility company, in his case, FortisAlberta, credits the homeowner for the power they contribute to the electrical grid.
The other installations include the installation of a battery bank to store the power generated by the solar panels for future use, whether it be for a totally off-grid system, which is usually augmented by supplemental power sources such as a gas-run generator or for an emergency backup in case of disruption to the electricity grid.
Kapler said he first started looking into solar power about two years ago.
"Although solar power has been available for some time, it is still a new technology, and that appealed to me, along with the ongoing savings from my utility bill," he said.
Kapler added that Alberta, especially Northern Alberta, is the perfect location for solar installations, having more sunny days than any other province (over 312, according to the province's Life in Alberta webpage) and long spring and summer daylight hours.
He said while he doesn't consider himself an environmentalist per se, he tries to live as clean as possible, reducing the amount of waste he produces to a minimum and likes the idea that his solar installation further reduces his environmental footprint.
Kapler noted the solar panel system could be purchased locally; however, he had difficulty finding a contractor available in the area that could install the panels, at least in his timeframe, so he had to expand his search to the Edmonton area.
Although Kapler did not want to disclose exactly how much it cost him to get his system up and running, it was the price of a decent used vehicle.
When asked if Kapler had noticed any immediate savings in his electricity bill, he said it was too early to tell, as he had not received a utility bill since the system had become operational.
"But I'm sure the savings will be noticeable," he said.
Things to keep in mind
A FortisAlberta spokesperson, Peter Brodsky, said that people need to consider a few things before signing an agreement with their electricity provider. The first is, as with any home improvement or renovations, doing your research on the solar company offering you their services.
"See what other customers have to say about their installation services and availability to answer questions or address concerns before, during and after installation," he said.
Brodsky added that potential solar panel users need to know their current power consumption and familiarize themselves with regulations related to micro-generation installations, like solar panels, suggesting that the Alberta Utilities Commission website (www.auc.ab.ca/micro-generation/), is a good place to start.
He said homeowners must also understand how a solar panel installation will impact their utility bills.
"Solar panels may reduce the kilowatt hours you draw from the grid, known as consumption, but you will still be responsible for system costs, like transmission and distribution charges and administration fees all utility customers in Alberta pay," Brodsky said.
He added that homeowners have to decide if installing solar panels makes sense for them, considering the age and condition of the roof of the structure, adding people don't want to install the solar panels to remove and reinstall them because they need to repair their roof.
And finally, Brodsky said they also need to check with their insurance provider to see if they will cover the solar panels and their roof once installed.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
