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This article was published 17/6/2016 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
More Manitobans than expected are plugging into Manitoba Hydro’s new solar-energy incentives in a bid to harness the power of the sun and reduce energy costs.
“We were expecting 50 installations over the next year, and we got 21 applications in the first month,” Manitoba Hydro spokesman Scott Powell said. “We received over 300 inquiries from interested Manitobans, as well.”
Powell said most applicants have been urban and rural homeowners.
He said Manitoba Hydro has money set aside if the number of applications exceeds 50.
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Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 17/6/2016 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
More Manitobans than expected are plugging into Manitoba Hydro’s new solar-energy incentives in a bid to harness the power of the sun and reduce energy costs.
"We were expecting 50 installations over the next year, and we got 21 applications in the first month," Manitoba Hydro spokesman Scott Powell said. "We received over 300 inquiries from interested Manitobans, as well."
PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Tyson Beasley and April Fields, with their son, Andrew, and daughter, Abigail, will charge their Volt electric cars using power from the solar-energy system on their garage.
Powell said most applicants have been urban and rural homeowners.
He said Manitoba Hydro has money set aside if the number of applications exceeds 50.
"We’re always hoping for a better response than we had planned, and if that’s the case, we’re more than happy to see that. It’s a good thing."
The co-owner of one local solar-energy provider — Sycamore Energy — said he’s not surprised by the strong response.
"Everybody in the industry (who attended the April 22 program launch) was shaking their heads and going, ‘You’re totally off your rocker. You’re going to see way more uptake than what you’re expecting,’" Alex Stewart said.
"I think single-handedly we might do better than that (50 installations). There’s a pent-up demand."
Stewart said so far, customers taking advantage of the incentives are people who believe in solar power and other types of renewable energy, see it as a good long-term investment and were just waiting for it to become more affordable. Now, with the help of the new Hydro incentives, they’re taking the plunge.
Tyson Beasley and his girlfriend, April Fields, fall into that category. Both drive hybrid-electric cars, and they’ve been using solar-powered floodlights to light their yard.
Beasley said he has wanted to install a solar-energy system for about 10 years but couldn’t afford it. Now, thanks to a $7,425 rebate and a $14,000 loan from Hydro, they can afford to have Sycamore install a 7.5-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system.
He said their system is expected to generate an average of about $80 worth of solar energy per month, which will reduce their monthly Manitoba Hydro bill by the same amount.
Although it’s a 15-year loan, he said they hope to have it paid off in nine or 10 years.
"So I can’t thank Hydro enough for putting that rebate out there, because it sure made it (buying a solar-energy system) more attainable," he said.
The program is part of Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart initiative, which is aimed at reducing energy consumption and freeing up power for export.
Powell said solar PV systems of anywhere from 2.9 kilowatts (2,900 watts) to 30 kilowatts (30,000 watts) are eligible for the rebate. He said a typical system for a home would produce about five kilowatts (5,000 watts) of solar energy. The estimated cost of purchasing and installing such a system is from $16,000 to $20,000, and it should enable the homeowner to save about 65 per cent, or $510, on their annual hydro bill.
Stewart said Sycamore’s customers have chosen systems that generate between six kilowatts (6,000 watts) and 10 kilowatts (10,000 watts) of power. For competitive reasons, he wouldn’t reveal how many new customers the company has landed since the incentive program was launched.
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"In terms of how it’s going to affect the industry, I will say that our business (before) this was 20 per cent in the province and 80 per cent out of the province, and that ratio is now reversed," he added.
The president of another local provider — Solar Solutions Inc. — said his company has seen an increase in business since the incentives program was unveiled. He declined to give specific figures.
"It’s made a difference. There is a fair amount of interest, for sure," Tim Yusishen said. "For people that were kind of sitting on the edge, this now gives them a little nudge to move forward. Even I am doing it (going solar) in a larger way myself."
Stewart said there are four main providers operating in the province — Sycamore, Solar Solutions, EvolveGreen.Ca and Stellar Earth Energy.
He expects that number to grow as new providers enter the market because of the new incentive program.
murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
Bright idea
Here’s how Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart solar energy program works:
Launched on April 22, the program is open to both residential and commercial customers.
It offers an incentive of $1 per watt for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems ranging in size from 2.9 kilowatts (2,900 watts) to 10 kilowatts (10,000 watts). So if a customer installs a five-kilowatt (5,000-watt) system, the incentive would be $5,000. If it’s a 10-kilowatt system, the incentive is $10,000.
Manitoba Hydro estimates it costs about $4 per watt to install a system, although some providers are charging $3.50. So at $1 per watt, the incentive should cover at least 25 per cent of the costs of a new installation.
Customers can apply for a loan from Manitoba Hydro for up to $30,000, with up to 15 years to pay it back at an interest rate of 4.9 per cent per year. Their monthly installment can be added to their monthly Manitoba Hydro bill.
The solar system is connected to the customer’s breaker panel, and the power it produces flows to wherever it is needed at that time. So if the customer is home and using power to run the house lights, the kettle, or whatever, the power goes to the house, and the customer’s Manitoba Hydro meter stops spinning because the house isn’t drawing any power from the grid. Whatever power the customer doesn’t use flows into Hydro’s power grid, and the customer receives a credit on their monthly bill.
— source: Manitoba Hydro / Sycamore Energy
Illuminating
Manitoba solar-energy providers aren’t the only ones singing the praises of Manitoba Hydro’s new program. Here’s what others had to say about the program:
Patrick Bateman, director of market intelligence & research for the Canadian Solar Industries Association:
Bateman said Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta now have incentive programs for solar energy, and Nova Scotia should soon have one. He said Ontario’s program has been the most successful so far, and Manitoba’s program is competitive with Ontario’s program as well as Saskatchewan’s.
“Manitoba Hydro’s new solar program is an excellent example of how utilities can give their consumers more choice, leverage private capital to invest in the electricity system and gain experience with new technologies,” he added. “Manitoba Hydro’s approach reduces the upfront costs for adopters and allows them to finance the balance with a competitive rate of interest.”
He noted the cost of solar energy systems has dropped by more than two-thirds in the past five years, “and all of the provinces that have not considered it as a mainstream option in the past are now examining their policy and regulatory frameworks to understand the role it will play as it becomes one of the lowest-cost options for new (electrical) generation in the future.”
Sentinel Solar Inc.
The Ontario manufacturer and distributor of solar systems and components — panels, storage batteries and converters — to providers and dealers across the country, describes the Manitoba program as the best in Canada.
“The cost to install a solar system has been reduced drastically in the last few years, and this new program further reduces the cost, making it more affordable to go green,” company president Adam Webb said.
Derick Lila, the company’s marketing director, said the new program makes it easier for new players, such as electrical companies, to diversify into selling and installing solar-energy systems.
“This is a really good opportunity for them (Manitoba homeowners and commercial property owners and managers) to buy into the industry. We’re anticipating the (Manitoba) industry to grow fairly quickly,” he added.
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