From design to maintenance and weather, we tackle a few commonly asked questions. If your question isn't here, please contact us!
Solar panels turn sunlight into direct current (DC) power through photovoltaic cells; when photons hit the panel, they free electrons to create energy, and your inverter converts that DC into AC power your home runs on. Microinverters do this conversion right on the roof beside each panel, so the power coming off your roof is already in AC.
Solar installation costs depend on system size, site conditions, and your home's consumption profile, with most Alberta homes landing around $2.5 –$3.0 per watt installed. Use our free calculator or request a custom quote to get accurate, all‑inclusive pricing for your home.
Most solar panels coming into Canada are warranted for at least 25- years, and there is no reason why they shouldn't last longer.
Solar panel models entering Canada are tested for hail by throwing 11x 1 inch hail balls at 80km/h onto the panels, so they shouldn't have problems surviving hail storms. They should however be added to home insurance in case of a freak hailstorm or other uncommon events.
Solar panels are actually more efficient when they’re cold! They’re also inclined, super smooth and warm up quickly under sunlight so if we get a snow dump, they won’t be covered for long. Overall, snow will only reduce a system's output by around 5% per year. We account for all these parameters in our designs & financial projections.
A solar array requires almost no maintenance. Occasional rainfall keeps them clean and we always install a protective guard that keeps animals and leaves from getting under the panels. We offer inspections to check that the wires stay in place and the monitoring app will let you (and us!) know if anything isn't working like it should.
Your production will drop on cloudy or hazy days, but summer days are so long in in Alberta that your solar system will still produce a sizeable amount!
That really depends on how much your home uses! if you look at your electricity bill and find your monthly usage in kWh (not dollar amount!), you can use our calculator to determine how many solar panels you will need.
On our site visit, we will assess your roof and ask you how old it is - if your roof is over 18 years old and depending on the condition of the shingles we might recommend replacing your roof before we install solar. If you need to replace your roof and it has solar, we would need to uninstall and reinstall the system.
Absolutely, our systems are modular so we can add more panels if your electrical needs increase and we can also switch your system to a hybrid system (toggle between grid-tied and off-grid). If you want to add a battery to a system we didn't initially install, we would have to do a site visit to confirm your system is hybrid-compatible.
Because solar costs have dropped over 80% in the past 10 years, payback periods are much better nowadays. Our clients see payback periods between 6 to 12 years, depending on what you are currently paying for electricity, and your roof geometry and orientation. Your solar system will produce electricity for 25+ years so after it has paid for itself, you'll keep making money.