Residential Solar PV Systems

Residential solar systems can connect to either Netmetering or the Standard Offer Program (SOP) in Ontario. At the present time, the SOP plan has a small flat-rate monthly fee, which makes it uneconomical to use this plan for very small solar systems (1 kilowatt). Small systems should opt for Netmetering.

Netmetering

Your electrical meter is replaced with a new meter that can run forward and backward. All electricity produced by your solar system is first used within your residence. If there is a surplus, it runs onto the electrical grid and your electrical meter runs backwards. You get billed for your "total" usage over a period of time - usually billed per month, but your total usage in taken over a one year span. If you happened to have a surplus during this "total" usage timeframe, you would not get any credit for the extra electricity you generated. Very few (if any) residential systems can produce enough power to cover the needs of the household. Residential solar systems typically are sized to cover less than half of the total electrical needs of the household.

Standard Offer Program

Your production of electrical power, is kept completely separate from all other systems. Production is metered as it goes onto the electrical grid. Your contract is with the Ontario Power Authority, though you deal with the Local Distribution Company for Impact Assessments and connection issues. You are paid 42 cents per kilowatt-hour produced, for a period of 20 years. At the moment, you can qualify for an additional 1 cent per kilowatt hour for 10 years under a separate program.

Incentives

The provincial government offers grants up to $500 for installed solar PV systems and the federal government is matching these grants. An energy audit is required before any work starts, at a cost of around $450. Both governments offer a grant of $150 each ($300 total) to help off-set the cost of the energy audit.

FAQ About Solar PV Systems

Will it get cheaper if I wait? A. No. The price of solar PV panels has not changed over the past 5 years. Newer panels can produce more power in the same physical size, but cost more per panel. The cost per watt is still the same.
Will solar panels work in Ontario? A. Yes. Southern Ontario and southern Alberta have good quantities of sunlight.
What about trees? A. No part of a solar panel should be covered in shade between 10:00am and 6:00pm during peak summer months. Even a small amount of shade can drastically reduce electrical production.
Do I need to face Due South? A. While solar thermal systems that heat water can face east, west or south, solar PV panels need to point close to a southerly direction. Some mounting systems can assist with aiming the panels if they are not to far off of south.

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