Frequently Asked Solar questions
Net Metering
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Net Metering is Ontario’s renewable energy program that was introduced by the IESO (Independent Electric System Operator) in 2018. This program allows you to offset up to 100% of your electricity consumption on an annual basis. Your electricity bill is reduced in proportion to the amount of electricity you generate.
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Solar energy is collected from photovoltaic panels. Panels can be installed on your roof or ground mounted.
Inverter converts DC (Direct Current) electricity produced by panels to AC (Alternating Current) that’s compatible with your utility’s grid.
Solar AC energy supplies your current electrical needs.
Surplus energy is fed to the grid providing you with energy credits to be used when your usage is greater than solar production
How it works.
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YES! Excess energy generated is applied to your utility bill and you receive energy credits. These credits are applied to your account when solar production is lower than consumption. Credits produced in summer months help offset your electrical bill during winter months.
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Solar Energy is now an economic decision, rather than a green decision. For the first time in history solar energy is rivalling with natural gas and coal as the cheaper solution.
Solar
24/7 Remote Monitoring
Internet monitoring polls your solar plant on a 24/7 basis and informs you of any production problems or maintenance issues requiring your attention. The monitoring website records all production data and can compare results year-to-year to let you know when production significantly differs from normal.
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1. Let the sun earn you money.
Turn your roof into a money maker! Most companies underutilize their roof space and turn your roof into an annuity investment.
2. Shield yourself against rising energy prices.
Hydro rates in Ontario have increased by over 160% since 2008. and are expected to keep rising for the next 20 years.
3. Generate savings from the sun.
Ontario’s solar Net Metering program allows you to produce the electrical power you consume and reduce your electricity usage by up to 100%.
4. No Maintenance.
With no moving parts, solar panels require little-to-no maintenance and have a lifespan of 30+ years.
5. Extend the lifetime of your regular roof.
Solar panels block UV and extend the life of the roofing materials beneath them, plus their shade lowers the cost of cooling buildings in the summer: two hidden benefits of investing in solar energy.
6. Increase your marketing appeal.
Commercial enterprises using solar enjoy the marketing benefit of clearly contributing to an environmentally sustainable future, including applying their solar panel system toward green building certifications.
7. Reduce your carbon footprint.
Your solar panel system is a big step you can make toward a cleaner future. Electricity produced by burning coal, oil, and natural gas contributes significantly to the greenhouse gases fueling extreme global climate changes that are projected to get much worse over the next century. Solar energy supply is unlimited, and the best protection we can pass along to future generations.
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As solar system owners, we understand the importance that effective financing can play in the success of a project. Through our efforts in developing 6 of our own solar projects, we have a good knowledge of the financing community and the capabilities of various financing institutions.
With options up to 100% financing, you can eliminate upfront capital costs, limit your risk, and allow your company to be cashflow positive from day 1.
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We make it easy! Engineer-Procure-Construct. Global Point Energy provides the full Turn-Key solution!
1. Feasibility
Global Point Energy will prepare a pre-feasibility study that will determine your maximum solar roof capacity, estimated system cost, annual solar output, and energy savings.
2. Load Profiling
If the pre-feasibility study shows merit, Global Point technical staff will visit your facility to gather historical power information, discuss future energy needs, confirm roof sizing and integrity, and review your service distribution in general.
3. Energy Audit
With the information gathered during the site visit, we will perform an energy audit of your electrical demand to establish an appropriate solar system sizing. This is compared to the potential roof capacity for a determination of final sizing.
4. Financial Analysis
Using the final sizing, GPE will work with you to develop a detailed 25-year financial model that considers all factors such as capital cost, CCA and income tax regimes, OM+A costs, solar production, offset energy price, inflation, and possible financing scenarios. The model will display all annual cash flows and provide a project IRR using the NPV methodology.
5. Proposal
GPE will provide a proposal to engineer, procure and construct (EPC) one of our state-of-the-art solar systems. We will also include an estimate of local utility hookup costs and any ancillary costs that are required to support the project.
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1. Construction
GPE will undertake to secure all required permits and approvals from the relevant authorities. This will include a confirmation of grid capacity and connection cost. Professional engineering analysis of roof structural integrity and electrical design is performed.
2. Connection
Once all permits and approvals have been obtained, we will initiate construction at your site. We dedicate a project manager, who works with you closely to ensure that our activities don’t affect your operations.
3. Generation
Final commissioning occurs with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) inspection, local utility inspection, and any required third-party reviews.
At Global Point Energy, we do not consider the job to be complete until your project is fully operational and commercial operation is declared!
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Our turnkey solar panel system includes navigation of all Government regulations, permitting, approvals, and fees. This includes ensuring that all components meet the Ontario Content Requirements (giving you full manufacturer warranties), arranging all Grid Connection costs, Hydro, LDC, ESA approvals, and application fees.
Operations & Maintenance
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In our experience, there has been little-to-no maintenance required on our solar systems. Since there are no moving parts, the systems run with little-no maintenance.
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Yes! Based upon our own personal experience, this technology is very mature and reliable. The target lifetime for the major system components is 40 years. Manufacturers warranty secures your system for up to 25 years.
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In Canada’s winter months, on average there is a 15% production loss compared to states like California. The solar panels deflect the snow and it slides right down. We have tested scrub washing the panels, rainwater does just the trick! We have tested both situations on our own systems and have seen little to no difference in production numbers.
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No! We design and construct our systems so there are no damages to your roof. Solar systems have been found to increase the lifespan of your roof as they block the UV to the material beneath them, and the shading helps keep your facility cooler in the summer months. GPE prides itself on not having 1 roofing claim since starting in 2006.
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We perform structural engineering analysis to ensure your roof is suitable for solar. In Canada, new facilities must be constructed up to proper code to support solar systems.
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1. Panels
Panel selection represents the most important aspect of the design, the long-term integrity governs the success of your project. It is important that quality panels be purchased from reputable manufacturers with a proven track record.
Global Point Energy provides a 1-year workmanship warranty and a 25-year production output manufacturer’s warranty.
2. Inverters
Inverter selection is key to maximizing the efficiency of the solar system. Inverters convert AC power to DC power, and then pump power to the electrical grid through a bi-directional meter.
10-year replacement manufacturer’s warranty.
3. Racking
Racking selection is key to the durability of the system for the next 30+ years. We have completed many jobs with various types of racking such as ground mount, ballasted, slope mount, and mechanically fastened.
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Depending on the manufacturer, inverters are covered between 10-15 years, and solar panels are covered between 15-25 years of output warranty.
Take your first step towards energy independence.
Call today for a free solar consultation. Have one of our experts guide you through the application process, and see how solar makes sense for you.
Call Toll-Free: 877-741-4436
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