38 solar panels on the roof of their homes and another 10 in their garage roof started putting into service the grid Ontario Hydro power on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 21.
The panels, fitted onto Breedyks ' Southern-facing backyard rooftop exposure, create a 9 .6-kilowatt generating station.As it is poured rain outside on Thursday afternoon, Peter lo and admitted that the system fired up about "the worst of the week of the year" for generating solar power.
Peter, a manufacturing specialist with Ross video in Iroquois, is a member of Brockville Climate Action Group, and had to consider the idea of installing solar panels for some time.
In August 2009 when he saw the provincial fee schedule announced for MicroFIT homeowners-up to 80 cents per kilowatt hour of power generated-he called Linda over his computer, ask her opinion.
Linda, which functions as a dental assistant, agreed that the time was right for them to take this. Both their children are grown, and Peter and Linda bring in a stable income, seemed the right to take on the original charge for the installation of solar panels, and then see their investment, pay for itself through the electricity they generate with in time.
"I think we were one of the first with a good-sized program, MicroFIT in Brockville," Peter said.
MicroFIT, (which stands for "micro feed in tariff") is offered by the Ontario Power Authority to homeowners, farmers, small businesses and institutions in the generation 10 kW or less of renewable energy.FIT Pro g ra m, on the other hand, is designed for small, medium and large renewable energy projects generate more than 10 kilowatts of electricity.
Simply put, creates solar system energy when the Sun is out.
"This is a revenue-generating (system)," explained Peter. "We have two meters: a meter measures how much we use, other meter measures how much we generate. If we consume more than we generate, we draw from the grid. If we generate more than we consume, we then add to neighbours requirements. we are getting paid 80 cents per kilowatt hour, and it only costs us eight to 10 cent, depending on which the rate is. "
"It will outweigh the costs to which we pay," added Linda. " If we were away from the grid, then we would have to have a solar battery system in order to save it. ""It is a big" If "," Peter added, "and we are not there yet."
Peter and Linda, who is "on the grid" like most of us, buy their household electricity through Bullfrog Power, which uses power from renewable energy sources such as wind, water and solar energy. they also updated their appliances and changed their energy consumption habits, all with the goal of "going green."
Then came the idea of installing solar panels, but the path to get them and run was not a smooth.
When they researched solar panels and decided that this was a viable venture, was their first decision to get a soil or roof-mounted unit.Aesthetic reasons they went with a roof-mounted unit.
Next up is downloading a building permit, mainly for to determine whether their spærfagene able to handle the additional weight of solar panels, along with a load of snow in the daylight saving time.They will also have to replace their 12-year-old roof.Attic ventilation problems had "boiled" their Shakes, causing them to distort early.
On Feb 2, 2010, the Ontario Power Authority applied to (OPA), and then waited in 101 days before the OPA, finally reacted.March applied for financing.Because the mortgage-f re e, they had to have their House, re-assessed and get a new credit limit.
Shortly after Peter and Linda received their conditional contract from the OPA, Ontario Government changes to the terrestrial solar panel fee schedule, which did not affect them.
Peter and Linda scrambled to find a roofer reshingle the roof, as well as their improve their attic insulation and ventilation, so the new shingles would last.
Then they solved various engineering and bureaucratic problems and got a building permit with the city. this process took about a month.
Linda was thwarted by the delays, but Peter took a more philosophical approach.
"This is a project which no one else has done," recalled Peter, telling her.
"We have no other here to go to the reference.We want to have problems that have not come up before, and we will need to be tolerant. we will work through the problems. "
Mike Jordan with the Upper Canada Solar installed fitting frames and panels.
After the roof was repaired and new shingles put on and then posts for solar panels railing system was bolted in the cross-braces, then flashing was slid down each record. Blinking is necessary to keep rainwater runs off the roof and prevent leaking around posts. Rails was then mounted onto the posts.
Solar panels provide direct current, as opposed to AC power. some types of inverter is necessary to convert direct current to alternating current, Peter and Linda had two choices: a-the less expensive of the two systems-large inverter or individual Enphase converters for each Panel on the roof. the selected Enphase system.
"By individual frequency inverters, they can generate independent," explained Peter. "They are less affected by the shadow, and if one fails, the rest of them are still functional. "
This first phase of the installation process took until mid-July. all that was left was to install solar panels, but it does not happen right away.
They were finally, following a delay in the supply of solar panels installed in the first week in September, followed by an electrical inspection. when there were finished, took blood pressure test site on Sept. 21.
This morning, close, Ontario Hydro power to Breedyks ' House. Then, when the final electrical work and electrica l inspection was done, restart their Ontario Hydro electrical service.
And at 3: 20, began Breedyks, generating electricity.
The entire process, including the installation of your new roof, cost couple $ 85,000. they expect to pay, in eight years.
"Environmental we are, we also do things that are financially viable," Peter said, adding that he hopes that he and Linda is only the first of many Brockville households, which will generate solar energy.
"Is the first and solve the problems, I can help pave the way for others to do what can be done," Peter "is reflected.It is good for your pocketbook, it is good for the environment, and it is good to get coal-fired plants (plant) off-stream. "
See photos of the entire installation process, check out Peter's blog on petessolarproject.blogspot.com.
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