Are you looking for ways to make your home greener? There are many ways to incorporate sustainable living practices in your day-to-day routine, from recycling to purchasing clothes made only of recycled, natural materials, but even your home can be a hub for green living. One of the best ways to do this is to incorporate renewable energy sources into your home to lessen your carbon footprint. If this is of interest to you, then continue reading on to learn about the power of solar panels!
How do solar panels work?
Solar panels can generate either electricity or heat by harnessing solar energy. Electricity-generating panels use a method called the photovoltaic effect, using solar cells. Simply put, solar cells are typically made up of semiconductive materials such as silicon. When these cells are exposed to direct sunlight, electrons are loosened within them, creating an electric current, which will then flow into a converter to generate AC electricity – the kind that is used in your home! You can then use this electricity to power your appliances as opposed to sourcing power from the grid.
A lot of solar systems also make use of a battery that stores up excess solar power for use during nighttime hours, ensuring that your home can be completely self-sufficient. An alternative option is solar hot water systems that generate heat as opposed to electricity. These solar panels are typically used to heat water systems, and do not generate power for use in the rest of the home.
How much should you expect to pay for solar panels?
On average, you can expect to pay around $3 per watt for solar panels, with the average Canadian household requiring an average of 7.5kW of energy per year. This would come to around $22,500 in upfront costs. Prices may vary depending on who your supplier is or which type of solar panels you opt for. Generally, solar panels are categorised as monocrystalline, which are more efficient and thus more expensive, or polycrystalline, which are the more affordable option.
Though this is certainly a hefty price to pay cash for (which long-term will be the most cost-efficient option), there are alternative funding methods. There is an option to take out solar loans to help finance this investment, or you can also make use of your home’s equity to finance this purchase. The upside is that you may be able to benefit from a variety of government programs and incentives, including tax rebates, for the purchase of your solar panels, which can certainly help to offset the cost.
Given that solar panels have a useful life of 25-30 years, depending on which type of panels you choose to buy, the potential long-term savings will outweigh the costs. The average Canadian household spends around $100 – $150 on electricity bills monthly, which adds up to $36,000 to $54,000 over 30 years. Hence, payback on the upfront costs will likely be achieved halfway through the lifespan of your solar panels, promising 10-15 years of free electricity before needing to replace or upgrade your panels! Plus, you have the benefit of knowing that you are contributing to a greener earth!
Some municipalities provide the option of net-metering, where you can sell excess energy back to the power grid and earn credits to reduce your monthly bills, giving you even more cost savings.
However, it is also important to consider what factors may impact the overall cost of installing solar panels. If your roof is under a large, shaded tree that could hinder the efficiency of power generation, it will be important to factor in the mitigating costs for that (such as tree felling, or installing more panels than would otherwise be necessary to compensate for the blockage). If your roof has not undergone sufficiently frequent maintenance, it would be important to account for the additional cost of validating the integrity of your roof to ensure that it will hold up under the weight of the solar panels.
Do solar panels make sense in the Canadian climate?
The technological advancement of solar panels has increased their efficiency greatly, allowing them to work effectively despite many obstructions. You may be concerned that your panels will be rendered useless during long winters with overcast skies and snowfall on the roof. You should be glad to know that solar panels are still effective even in cloudy weather, and even under snowfall – as long as it’s not too heavy. Also, as was mentioned earlier, the ability to store the excess energy that you won’t use up immediately can give you peace of mind knowing that you have reserves for bad weather days, power outages, or whatever other emergencies.
Conclusion
If you are ready to make the switch to renewable energy, feel free to reach out to us here at JG Contracting. Whether you need a roofing inspection or you would like our expert advice on the best suppliers in town, we are happy to help you every step of the way!
📞 Call us at: 437-259-9632
✉️ Email us at: jgcontractingyyz@gmail.com
🌐 Website: https://jgcontractingyyz.com
