Canadian solar broker Jordan (@jordankglean) recently broke down his utility bill before and after installing panels on his roof.
The scoop
“I started earning a credit because I was exporting more than I was importing from the grid,” Jordan explains in the video.
Jordan has been able to sell solar power to the grid at $0.30 per kilowatt-hour, earning him over $200 in credit between mid-June and mid-July. The one catch is that Jordan also has to pay that rate for any energy he uses from the grid, but he isn’t worried.
“It ends up being worth paying that 30 cents and end up with a credit,” Jordan says. Combined with the credit he had accrued through the spring, Jordan was sitting at over $500 in credit, which should serve him well through the brutal Alberta winter.
By comparison, on his old plan, Jordan was paying $150 a month, half of which was delivery and transmission charges. Those are also down now that he’s on solar.
Alberta, being the home of Canadian oil and gas, has had a rather adversarial relationship with renewable energy on its domestic grid. The provincial government recently imposed an unprecedented moratorium on large-scale solar energy projects.
How it’s helping
Besides the obvious monetary savings of going solar, switching off gas power is great news for the environment. Home energy pollution plays a big role in atmospheric pollution, which in turn exacerbates destructive weather patterns like floods and droughts. This kind of weather harms farmers in Alberta and abroad.
If you’re interested in making the switch, EnergySage has a free online tool that can connect homeowners with vetted local solar installers. It can provide a quote for a system that’s suited for your needs while also tapping into available rebates and credits. This can save up to $10,000 on installation costs, but you’ll need to be quick to take advantage. Federal incentives are set to expire this year.
Luckily, EnergySage has an interactive map that can help homeowners find ongoing state-level incentives.
What everyone’s saying
Jordan’s TikTok followers were quick to confirm his findings with their own anecdotal experience.
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What would it take for you to get rid of your gas stove? Give me the new stove for free I already have an electric stove Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
“They are very worth while. dont listen to the h8ers,” said one community member.
“I build up all summer, use the credit in the winter and then anything left over next spring I pay out,” said another.
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