Solar PV Grid Tie
Using a photovoltaic system to provide energy is a great idea. The downside to using an off-grid, or stand alone system, is the cost and maintenance of a battery bank. For an average household, the battery bank alone could run into tens of thousands of dollars quite easily. The alternative to this solution is to invest in a what’s known as a Solar PV grid tie system. This type of energy system operates in the same fashion except that instead of using the solar panels to charge batteries, you’re feeding the energy directly into the power grid. In other terms it can be said that a grid tie system “banks” electrical power within the grid when more electricity is produced than is used. When electrical demand is greater than the amount of electricity being produced, grid power is used. This provides you with the ability to generate some of your own electricity and reducing your dependence on your utility. A small solar system will “slow the meter down”, reducing the monthly utility bill.
The costs of generating your own power is expensive compared to buying it from your local utility. Ontario has a buy-back program to offset the initial costs. Despite low power costs, many people In Canada are installing systems to not only reduce their electrical bill, but also provide backup in the event of a power failure. A system that does both is termed a hybrid system as it has both batteries and the ability to sell power back to the grid. A link to the latest proposals can be found at on OPA’s webpage. Feed in tariff will finally exceed the cost of a residential solar panels under 10kW on your roof or on your building lot.
A typical system has a 3 kW solar array installed on a well exposed, south facing area or roof. A 3kW system can generate between 3500 and 4500 kWh of electricity annually, depending on location. The Ontario Government and the Ontario Power Authority recently revised their proposals for microFIT also called micro feed-in tariff also called the Standard Offer Program to a proposed $0.802 per kilowatt hour an amount that almost doubles the amount paid for power sold back into the grid previously. Ontario is leading the way with alternative energy support for residential rooftop and ground mount systems allowing green power to take hold in Canada. While investment for residential roof top and ground mount solar applications remains high, NOW there’s a payback!
Solar Power is a one-time investment. Unlike grid power, electricity produced by your solar doesn’t increase thereby protecting you from electricity costs increases. The price of the electricity you generate is based on your initial investment.