Did you know the Ontario Government has changed the rules regarding solar panel integration in Ontario?

Under the new Feed-In-Tarrif published by the Ontario Power Authority, home owners in Ontario can receive up to $0.802/kWh for solar power generation. What does this mean to you?

Quite simply, if you add solar panels to your roof, or have the ability to mount them on the ground somewhere on your property, the government will pay you for electricity you generate that goes back to the grid.

How much will they pay? Depending on the size of your installation, it can be a nice sum. Take for example a 10kW system.

(Note: these values are approximate. Cost of system includes a rough estimation for installation, but please understand every installation is unique. For budgeting purposes, figure $1.20/watt. Annual Income is based on 80.2c/kWh for systems between 0 and 10kW.)

• Nameplate Capacity: 10kW
• Number of solar panels: 50qty, 200watt panels
• Annual Electricty Generation: 14,111kW
• Annual Income: $11,317
• Cost of System: $79,000
• Length of Contract with OPA: 20 years

Now if your math is good, you will notice something important about these figures: Your return on investment is outstanding.

At this point you are probably asking yourself, "How do I enjoy this wonderful opportunity?"

Here some finer points you should be aware of when considering a solar solution for your home or business:

• For roofmount installations, you need a relatively free area of roof that faces mainly south. You will lose small fractions of sunlight power if your selected area is not facing directly south, but not as much as you might think.
• For ground mount installations, you need an area where we can set down poles in large pads of concrete (think of an old-style rotary clothes line with the top angled south). Fence-lines on farms are perfect for this.
• For any installation, you should have as little shading as possible throughout the day.
• You will sign a 20 year contract with the Ontario Government for power generation. While this is an excellent long-term investment, it is also a long term responsibility.