There was a time when we used much less hydro in the summer than we do in the winter. Our part of Ontario would see a few days over 30 degrees each summer, but most of us rarely used the air conditioning, if we even had it.
These days we – like the rest of the planet – are seeing an endless shattering of heat records. There are more days when the air con is a necessity, and the hydro bills keep coming. Rolling brownouts have even occurred, as the grid struggles to keep up with heat-induced demand.
If ever there was a time to install solar panels, this is it. “Solar is so well positioned to deal with this situation,” says Francois Byrne, owner of Hybrid Power Solutions, an Ontario-based manufacturer of solar and battery backup systems. “Those hot sunny days when demand is high are exactly the days when solar output is at its peak.”
With the right setup, your home can generate more power on a sunny day than it uses – possibly much more. If you are connected to the hydro grid, you can sell that power back to your local utility, earning credits that will offset the evenings or the darker days of winter when your panels generate little to no power. The end result is dramatically lower hydro bills.
“Payback time for most solar systems is around eight years,” says Francois. “After that, you’re profiting from the panels.”
Increasingly, though, homeowners are choosing to couple a solar system with a battery backup. Excess power generated by day is stored in a high-capacity battery for use at night.
This also means you have on-site power any time you need it, even if a summer or winter storm knocks the hydro grid out. “It’s so smooth, so silent that you may not even realize the power has gone out,” says Francois.
Best of all, the cost of these systems has plunged dramatically. “Batteries cost half what they did five years ago,” says Francois. “It’s incredible how affordable this has become.”
Hybrid Power offers large systems for even industrial users, as well as compact all-in-one battery units that are perfect for glamping sites or bunkies where hydro is unavailable. “These are plug-and-play portable units that anyone can hook up to a solar panel, giving you power anywhere you need it,” says Francois.
“There’s really no reason not to enjoy power any time you wish.”
TEXT A. WAGNER-CHAZALON
PHOTOS ANDREW FEARMAN