Estimating Your Solar Output

One of the very useful tools I found to determine what to expect from solar arrays was PVWatts.

The PV Watts calculator asks for a weather station near your location, then looks at panel size and panel efficiency to determine what you should achieve from your panels.  In my case that was something just over 12KW hours per year.

Another tool lets you draw your system on your roof, using google satellite.  This allows you to measure the area of your roof and obtain an estimate of the system size/output.

There are other tools on the net too, that help you measure your roof size for panels.

I found my most accurate measure was to measure off the side of the house and then use some math to determine the area in which I had to place panels.  If you're more daring than I am, you can also measure the roof :)

Solar Vendors - or how to get some idea of price

Costing Solar Equipment - Ontario

When I first started down the road to purchase solar I very much wanted to understand the cost structure of a solar installation.

I discovered two vendors that display prices, and while these are "retail" prices they were reasonably competitive and provided me an idea as to what it would take:

1) Solacity Inc.


2) Dommel Valley Green Power


3) DNM Solar Solutions Inc.


If you are looking at solar you'll get some great information on pricing of panels and inverters.  Add to that the cost of racking, wiring, labour to install, electrician, building permit if required (not required in Toronto unless you are changing your roofline), ESA inspection, and Toronto Hydro hookup.

If you need to borrow to purchase and install the system, interest is deductible to the extent the project can be realistically forecast to make a profit.  The solar system (other than the inverter) is generally warrantied for 20-25 years and the information I've received is that the panels should last 40 years (although they will degrade over time).

The Inverter:

The big white box is the SolarEdge inverter.  Next to it you'll see they've installed a small grey box, which is the disconnect switch.

This was installed 10 days ago and still ... we're waiting.  What are we waiting for?  Toronto Hydro.

The cost for Toronto Hydro to install a meter and turn power on and off is about $1,500 and that probably amounts to 10% of the cost of equipment.  The fee isn't reasonable and even less reasonable when they push out the date, and I lose money.

Toronto Hydro - not impressed!

The solar panels were installed, and it took the better part of 3 days.  

FROM SOUTH SIDE:

These are from the "southish" side.  The third row of panels is actually on the north side of the roof.

FROM NORTH SIDE:

From here you can see the single row of panels on the north side, facing south.  This required a building permit.  The racking is by Schletter and you can see a horizontal row of sheet metal that protect the panels from wind.  

Preparing the Solar Project

What Equipment

Our roof had limited roof space facing south, and a very low pitch angle.

A south (or at least east/west) facing roof is best.  North facing isn't going to generate electricity.   While we aren't facing directly South, we are about 190 degrees, which isn't bad, and had no shade to interfere.   

Ideal pitch angle is available if you look on the web at places such as this.  That is all well and good, but the reality is that if you are placing panels on the roof, you aren't going to change the pitch angle.  It isn't worth it due to the danger of wind knocking them off (or vibrating the solar panels), and the cost of structure to achieve the tilt.  So I was stuck with about 15 degrees. 

I carefully measured (from the ground) the roof space, and soon realized it wasn't enough to generate 10KW, and I wanted 10KW to make the venture worthwhile.  That problem was resolved by:

1. Using Silfab's monocrystalline high efficiency panels. The panels we went with generate 285W each (versus the typical 250W) meaning the same power could be generated with 5 fewer panels.  
2. Placing Schletter windsafe racking at about a 30 degree angle on the north side, so it also faced south.

Those two items brought us to a full 10KW of power on the roof.

In addition to the solar panels you need to have an inverter that converts the DC electricity generated by the panels into AC usable by the utility.

There are two choices in that regard:

1. String Inverters (one inverter does numerous panels)
2. Micro Inverter (each panel has its own separate micro inverter)

There are arguments all over the net as to which is better, but ultimately we went with SolarEdge string inverter with optimisers.

Micro inverters have an advantage in that they are generally warrantied longer, and deal with shading issues.  SolarEdge string inverter was less costly, and the optimizers also dealt with shading issues.  While the warranty was shorter, the inverter was at the ground so easily replaceable.

Microinverters are sitting under hot panels, generating their own heat as well (which isn't good for the panel or the inverter) and while warrantied there have been failures and it is the labour to replace them that is costly.  I'm not planning to climb up on the roof.  

Both solutions, as I mentioned, dealt with shade issues.  Without optimization you generate based on the weakest link (ie. most shaded panel) in the solar panel chain.  Why am I concerned about shade on an unshaded roof?  Snow!  

Dealing with Toronto Hydro

Local Electrical Hoop Jumping 101

So I filed our application in the IESO portal and then waited.  Fortunately I monitored the portal, as I  received a message 10 days later that the name on the parcel registration didn't exactly coincide.  I fixed the minor glitch, and the application was resubmitted and approved within the hour.

Next I received the message "Pending LDC Offer to Connect".  This meant I had to make application to the local electrical authority (in my case Toronto Hydro).  

Toronto Hydro and most electrical utilities have their own set of rules to jump through.  Toronto Hydro's are outlined here.  The first step is relatively easy - I sent them an email to determine whether they had capacity to tie me into the grid.

After that Toronto Hydro makes you jump hoops.  You need to complete the Toronto Hydro Microfit application.  With a little thought you can figure out most of what they are actually asking on the application.  When they ask number of solar panels, just make it up..  It was one of the dumber things for them to ask since configurations change (including mine), but they really just want that total capacity number which should be 10KW (ie. 40 panels x 250W each).  

Toronto Hydro annoyed me not just with that question, but they suddenly forced me to get an HST number far earlier than I would have liked to.  Why?  Because they want a $500 deposit plus HST, and I wanted that HST back.  Toronto Hydro is absolutely wrong to require HST on a deposit, and I would highly recommend that they take a look at the Excise Tax Act.  I have, but time was running out and I wasn't going to waste it arguing with Toronto Hydro bureaucrats.

So off I went to apply for an HST number (you'll want it anyway, to recover HST paid for the rest of the solar system).  You don't technically require an HST number if revenues are under $30,000 a year but it makes no sense not to get one, when you are going to be spending a lot on HST.  

Toronto Hydro also wanted an electrical diagram.  I created one (although I left out the disconnect switch) but it was basically a diagram showing solar panels, hooked to an inverter, which was hooked to a disconnect switch, meter and to the grid.  

With that, we received an offer to connect - YAY!!

Solar - The Roof and Process

The Roof

I had a metal roof (though in hindsight not the right type) which would last as long as the solar panels.  The best roof would be a "standing seam" metal roof, which is fairly inexpensive.  Whatever you do, make sure your roof is in good shape before moving forward, as you don't want to have to remove the whole system for roof repairs.

Starting the Process

Given that it was late in the year, the first thing I did was make application.  Get approval, and then figure it out!  

The first step was to determine whether I was eligible.  Eligibility is fairly straight forward - do you own the property on which the microfit project will be installed?  It can't be on leased property.

Next was to review the standard contract and rules.  This is updated periodically, but everyone signs onto these contracts.  They are presently on version 3.

So far, so good.  But then I needed to find something called a property identification number ("PIN") for my property, which is on the "parcel register".  That involved a trip down to the land registry office, and after some initial confusion I found what I was looking for and took a picture with my cell phone.  You can pay someone to do this but this isn't something you can't manage yourself.

From there you head online to file your Microfit application. A summary of the requirements for the filing are located here, but as noted, most of that is the property register.

The registration process asks for the nature of the project (solar) and the KWs which should always be 10KW - you can go always go lower if wrong, but you can't go higher.

Once you've submitted the application, you'll receive a submission confirmation message.