When building systems that Ontario Solar Farms will own, via a lease of your rooftop, or a joint venture, we always sell our output via the Standard Offer Program . This guarantees us a rate of 42 cents per kilowatt hour for the next 20 years.
However, operating as a Business, if you are looking to own your PV system and presently use as much electrical power as you will generate, you have a couple of options. You can purchase, install and operate your system PV system and once you are producing power, you can sell it to OPA via the standard offer program. Payback is based on the total cost of the system and your average income based on electrical production per year.
A second option for a commercial setup that will use as much or more power as they will generate, is called Net Metering. Under this system, your production offsets your usage, but you do not receive credit for any yearly surplus. Under Net Metering both the provincial and federal governments offer incentives that could cover up to 50% of the initial cost of the system. These incentives certainly improve your payback.
Residential customers also have the option to choose the Standard Offer Program or Net Metering. Under the SOP, the rate is the same, 42 cents per kwh. However, for net metering operations, a residential customer has different provincial and federal incentive programs. The residential programs require an energy audit to be performed before the installation starts, and limits payments to a set amount based on the items covered under the audit. Typically, for a residential PV system the maximum grant from provincial and federal programs is $1000, with another $300 to help pay for the audit (which averages $450).
Regardless of your situation, Ontario Solar Farms can make the whole process a go smoother for you.
