Question 1

Why are people going Solar in Alberta?

Accepted Answer

-     The sun is a remarkable source of renewable and sustainable energy. Alberta is the sunniest province in Canada. Specifically in Calgary, we have an of average 333 sunny days, and 2400 hours of sunlight per year, which allows Albertans to build home solar power system to generate electricity from sunlight.
-     The price of electricity is going up, which is about 3 times higher when compared to 3 years ago. Going solar will significantly reduce your electricity bill.
-     Government Support - Eligible for up to 5K greener grants and 40K interest-free (10 years) greener loans from federal government.

Question 2

Why I still need to connect to the grid when I have a solar system installed?

Accepted Answer

·       Solar-powered households consume energy generated from the solar array first, before accessing the grid. As a result, fees associated with grid-supplied electricity are expected to be lower where the array is performing as expected.
·       Nearly all Alberta homes are connected to the grid as grid-supplied electricity is necessary during the evenings or on days with little to no sun. As such, other charges such as Transmission and Distribution, applicable taxes and similar fees still apply, though are typically lower than for homes without a solar power system.

Question 3

How do I sell electricity back to the grid?

Accepted Answer

·       In Alberta, the Micro-Generation Regulation states that every electrical retailer must purchase a home’s excess solar energy exported to the grid through a bi-directional meter (supplied free of charge by the utility). Thus, any surplus power generated by a home solar power system is “sold” back to the grid to create a micro-generation credit (https://www.enmax.com/home/renewable-energy/solar/solar-costs-credits-and-your-utility-bill/solar-and-your-utility-bill#microgeneration)on a homeowner’s monthly utility bills. 
·       The price you sell back to the grid and the price you buy from the grid are EQUAL.

Question 4

How will snow affect my power production?

Accepted Answer

Research conducted by the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology indicates that snow has a mere 2.2% impact on your overall production throughout the year. Snow is expected to melt nearly three times faster off solar panels compared to a typical asphalt shingle roof. With sufficient energy production and storage during the summer, you should be able to meet your energy requirements during the winter months

Question 5

Can I install solar panels for my new-built?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but you will not be able to get the Greener Homes Grant. You need to live in your home for 6 months to be eligible for the program.

Question 6

What warranty do I get?

Accepted Answer

1. Peakshow will provide a warranty to the customer for a period of 3 years, including materials, items, products and workmanship. Peakshow also provides extended maintenance and operation packages.
2. Solar Panel – 15 years product (quality) warranty, and 25 years peak power (performance) warranty 
3. Micro-inverters – 12 years product warranty, can extend to 25 years with additional cost
4. Workmanship – 3 years workmanship warranty.

Question 7

Will it ruin my roof?

Accepted Answer

No. 
-   Firstly, our racking system has CSA certificate, which means it complies with the construction code defined by local structure engineer.
-   Secondly, we have 3-layer waterproofing process to further ensure it won’t ruin house owner’s roof. After put flashings in right place, and apply sealed lag bolt, we will add one more layer of Solar Glue.

Question 8

Do I get Home Insurance?

Accepted Answer

After Solar System being installed and successfully deployed, please inform your client to phone his insurance company to have the new solar system covered under his home insurance policy. It’s free of charge for most of the insurance companies.

Question 9

Can You Claim Insurance If Your Solar Panels Are Damaged by Hail?

Accepted Answer

YES. Solar panel warranties do not include hail damage. However, as long as you have included your solar panels on your home insurance policy, that policy will cover hail damage.

Question 10

Are Canadian solar panels hail proof?

Accepted Answer

Similarly, solar panels are typically mounted facing south at angles (18 degrees to 45 degrees) that deflect the natural path of hail. If your panels are mounted at 10 degrees, they are at a slightly higher risk of damage from hail impact, but they will still stand up to most hail storms that Canada can throw at it.

Question 11

What happens if a solar panel is damaged by hail?

Accepted Answer

Call your insurance company, file a claim for that damage, then follow the claim process. Please also let your insurance company knows that Peakshow Energy is your solar system service provider.

Question 12

How do I calculate my solar power system capacity?

Accepted Answer

Home solar power systems cannot be sized with the capacity to generate more electricity than is used by a household annually. Installing a smaller solar power system can help partially offset energy consumption from the grid and may or may not result in excess power generation. As time passes, if your home energy consumption increases, more solar modules can be added.

Question 13

How big are the solar panels used in my rooftop?

Accepted Answer

Solar panel size is can vary in size and weight, depending on the brand and panel availability. Typically, Peakshow uses Thornova TS-BB60 460W solar panels. The dimensions are 1903 x 1134 x 30 mm (74.92 x 44.65 x 1.18 inch), weighing roughly 52 pounds.

Question 14

How much does it cost to install solar panels on my home?

Accepted Answer

The cost of residential solar panel installation varies based on the size of your home and its energy needs. At Peakshow, we understand that every home is different, which is why we maximize your space by designing a residential solar panel system around your property’s size and needs.
As all home energy and home layouts are unique, we recommend getting a FREE quote from us to determine more accurately in terms of what you can expect to pay.

Question 15

What is my return on Investment (ROI)?

Accepted Answer

Depends on your energy use and size of system - usually around 7-9 years. A variety of factors such as sunlight, weather, and system performance affect this timeframe. However, factoring in the steady rise of electricity rate, the ROI will only get shorter starting now.

Question 16

Will I still receive an electricity bill when I have solar panels?

Accepted Answer

YES, YOU WILL, as you are still connected to the city’s power grid (allowing you to get power when your panels aren’t producing as much power as you need at that time). However, you will be drastically decreasing the amount of the bill, or even go into a negative where the energy company owes YOU credits!

Best of all, you can use these credits to pay for the transmission and distribution charges and municipal service charges shown on your electricity bill.

Question 17

How do I sell electricity back to the grid?

Accepted Answer

In Alberta, the Micro-Generation Regulation states that every electrical retailer must purchase a home’s excess solar energy exported to the grid through a bi-directional meter (supplied free of charge by the utility). Thus, any surplus power generated by a home solar power system is “sold” back to the grid to create a micro-generation credit (https://www.enmax.com/home/renewable-energy/solar/solar-costs-credits-and-your-utility-bill/solar-and-your-utility-bill#microgeneration)on a homeowner’s monthly utility bills.

The price you sell back to the grid and the price you buy from the grid are EQUAL.

Question 18

Would I sell low and buy high?

Accepted Answer

NO. The price you sell back to the grid and the price you buy from the grid are EQUAL.

Question 19

Why I still need to connect to the grid when I have a solar system installed?

Accepted Answer

Solar-powered households consume energy generated from the solar array first, before accessing the grid. As a result, fees associated with grid-supplied electricity are expected to be lower where the array is performing as expected.

Nearly all Alberta homes are connected to the grid as grid-supplied electricity is necessary during the evenings or on days with little to no sun. As such, other charges such as Transmission and Distribution, applicable taxes and similar fees still apply, though are typically lower than for homes without a solar power system.

Question 20

How should I read the electricity bill?

Accepted Answer

Your electricity bill consists of 3 parts: The cost of electricity you consume; Transmission and Distribution charge (the more electricity you use, the more you pay); and Municipal Service Fee (fixed charge).

Question 21

What are Transmission and Distribution charges?

Accepted Answer

Energy delivery charges include two components: transmission and distribution. Transmission charges cover the cost of moving electric energy from generating facilities through high-voltage transmission lines to distribution utility substation transformers. Distribution charges cover the cost of moving electric energy from these transformers through local, lower-voltage lines that carry electricity to the customer’s meters.

Rate riders (https://ucahelps.alberta.ca/rate-riders.aspx)are added to transmission and distribution charges which create variations in average monthly charges year over year. Rate riders are used to reconcile expected costs with actual costs of operation.

In 2021, monthly transmission charges paid by the average residential customer with 600 kWh of consumption ranged from $19.94 (in Enmax’s service area) to $28.31 (in ATCO’s service area). Transmission charges constitute approximately 17% of a customer’s total bill, on average.

Question 22

Why am I not seeing microgeneration credits on my bill?

Accepted Answer

If this has only occurred for one month, it may likely be the case that your energy retailer has missed a meter reading and you will be credited on your next billing cycle. It is recommended that you call them to check regardless. If you have not seen any credits since the installation of your system, please reach out to your energy retailer to confirm you are registered as a microgenerator. This is automatically triggered during the installation process, but a confirmation call won’t hurt. Your microgeneration approval letter will also have been sent to you in your turnover package. It may also be the case that in that specific month, you consumed all the power produced by your solar system in the home, and none was exported.

Question 23

I am moving. What do I do with my system?

Accepted Answer

Firstly, provide us with the email of the new occupant, so that we can send them an invite to the monitoring portal and the turn-over package which has all the information on their system including warranties, manuals, and microgeneration information.
Secondly, direct them to our website FAQ for instructions on how to connect the solar system to their new Wi-Fi and how to download any relevant applications on their phone for monitoring.
Lastly, we will have to submit a revised Microgeneration Application to the utility so that the solar is assigned to the new homeowner.

Question 24

My system isn’t working, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please refer to our FAQ Page (https://www.livezeno.com/faq/)to see if any of the scenarios described apply to you. Please also check if your system is covered with snow. If not, please reach out to us at peakshowenergy@gmail.com.(mailto:peakshowenergy@gmail.com) Someone will assist with your request. Please allow for 24- 48 hours for your inquiry to be addressed.

Question 25

Why is the maximum power being produced less than the size of my system and modules?

Accepted Answer

The size of your system and modules are in Direct Current (DC) power, which is not usable in the home. The string inverter or micro-inverter converts this to Alternating Current (AC) power to be used in the home. The size of the inverter represents the AC system size. There are several reasons to oversize the system for the inverter. A couple include accounting for DC to AC power losses, and ensuring you are getting the most out of your inverter during low sunlight periods.

Question 26

Why are people going Solar in Alberta?

Accepted Answer

a)       Government Support - Eligible for up to 5K greener grants and 40K interest-free (10 years) greener loans from federal government.
b)       The price of electricity is going up, it’s about 3 times higher when compared to 3 years ago. Going solar will significantly reduce your electricity bill.
c)       The sun is a remarkable source of renewable and sustainable energy. Alberta is the sunniest province in Canada. Specifically in Calgary, we average 333 sunny days, and 2400 hours of sunlight per year, which allows Albertan to build home solar power system to generate electricity from sunlight.

Question 27

How does a typical rooftop solar power system work?

Accepted Answer

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b0804e_a27bff8f6c4f4821bf9e8107deb69cf8~mv2.jpg

1.    Solar panels are typically installed on the roof of the home and/or garage. These photovoltaic (PV) solar cells convert sunlight into direct current (DC) power.
2.     The inverter(s) converts DC electricity from the solar array to the AC electricity found in the building.
3.     The inverter feeds electricity into the electrical distribution system (ie. electrical panel).
4.     The bi-directional meter (supplied free of charge by the utility) keeps track of both the energy imported from the grid and the energy exported to the grid. Savings and export credits are reflected on your electricity bill.
5.     If you own an electric car, you can charge it up with solar power generated on your own home.
6.       Your home remains connected to the utility grid to supply you with electricity when you need more power than your system is producing, such as at night.

Question 28

What is involved in a free assessment?

Accepted Answer

To complete our free solar assessment, you will need to provide our sales team with information and photos. This includes but is not limited to the following:
A copy of your most recent energy bill. This will allow us to model your energy consumption in order to design an optimal solar system and provide accurate pricing.
Pictures of your electrical infrastructure and roof type. This will allow us to determine if your new solar system can be easily integrated with your home’s existing electrical infrastructure and roof.
Confirmation of your address. This allows us to use Google imaging combined with our in-house software to remotely design your system while taking into consideration available roof space, potential shading structures, and optimal tilt.

Question 29

How dose the residential solar process work?

Accepted Answer

A residential solar power system typically takes 6 to 12 weeks to complete, which includes:

-     Preliminary assessment -- includes online/phone consultation and site visit to answer any questions you might have and conduct survey to collect site information, monthly electricity usage, and identify requirements.

-     Detailed design and quotation – come out with a detailed design plan that fits your needs, based on roof measurements and conditions, financial analysis, and historical electricity consumption.

-     Customer approval – we sign the contract of building the solar power system to start the green energy journey.

-     Permitting and procurement (2 to 6 weeks) – Peakshow submits applications to obtain approvals from City and your energy provider (Enmax etc.), and take care of all required paperwork.

-     Installation – typically takes 1 to 2 days

-     Inspections – After installation, City and Enmax conduct electrical inspection and make sure the system works properly as expected.

-     Bi-directional meter replacement -- typically 1 to 4 weeks after inspections have been done.

-     System walkthrough and energization

Question 30

What maintenance will I need to consider?

Accepted Answer

The regular monitoring of energy production will be able to tell us the overall status of the panels. However, the panels will need regular cleaning and inspection which is included in the professional service packages from PeakShow.

Question 31

How will snow affect my power production?

Accepted Answer

Current studies show that snow coverage will decrease 3% of annual energy production as the seasons with snow fall are the seasons with the least amount of sunlight.

Question 32

What happens when it is cloudy?

Accepted Answer

The panels will produce less energy, and your system will draw energy from the grid to make up for the energy that you are actually requiring at that time.

Question 33

Will it increase my home value?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in general around 4.1%.

Question 34

Can I get it for my new-built?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but you will not be able to get the Greener Homes Grant. In order to qualify for that, you need to live in your home for 6 months.

Question 35

Can I stop paying fees on my energy with solar panels?

Accepted Answer

You cannot completely avoid Transmission and Distribution fees, but these fees are proportional to your electricity usage from the grid, less electricity from the grid means less fees.

Question 36

What is Peakshow Solar System Buy Back Program?

Accepted Answer

Things change quick, house owners might need to sell the house, or moving out of the town. Peakshow offers a 2-year and a 3-year buy back program for its valuable customer who moves from the current building with the Solar Energy System installed to further secure the investment.

2 Year Buy Back Price
(The Contract Price – The Greener Grant – The Customer’s Actual Saving based on Energy Production  2 year)  75%

3 Year Buy Back Price
(The Contract Price – The Greener Grant – The Customer’s Actual Saving based on Energy Production  3 year)  65%

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