Natural Power Products

Frequently Asked Questions         

 

Based on residential application. "How do I do it?" at bottom of page

 

“What are the costs?”  ** Currently $7 - $9 per watt installed **

This varies greatly depending on what you want.

 - A backup system may costs $4,000 - $10,000.

-  A cottage system may cost $5,000 - $20,000

-  A 3 killowatt grid-tie system for MicroFIT may cost $21,000 - $27,000

-  To get an average home off the grid may cost $50,000 - $80,000

   See "System Questions" at bottom of this page for more info.

 

“Are there any incentives / rebates / Government Grants?”

-  The "Net metering program", to offset your hydro bill.

-  The MicroFIT, FIT Programs, Your hydro company pays you $0.802/kW for solar     

   power that you send back into the grid. See our Web Site at "Info/Links" for

   useful info on these incentives.

 “What is the pay back time for these systems?”

-  This is a difficult question – it has many variables, but if  you go by just the

   numbers: The cost of the system MINUS (-) your hydro bills and associated

   fees. The other variables that should be considered are:  Environmental, land

   taxes, no blackouts, you own everything, independence, not paying ridiculous fees

   and charges.

 “How much does it cost to install?”

-  Depends on system size and complexity. Approx. 10% - 20% of total cost.

   Also any travel time.

 “What kind of warrantees on this equipment?”

-  Excellent warranties: Solar panels: 10-25 years, turbines: 3 years, electronics:

   1-5 years, Batteries 2-7 years.

 “Can I have just part of my house on a RE system?”

-  Of course! Call it a hybrid system. You can have for example, a rec. room or

   living room off-grid. Everything in the room can be powered by RE. This

   gives you a “safe” room in the advent of blackouts or power failures. Have

   your lights, tv, stereo, furnace fan, sump pump, freezers etc. on this system,

   and don’t worry again! Even if you are away on vacation…this is all automatic.

   No spoiled food in freezers & refrigerators, no burst water pipes from freezing

   temperatures when the furnace fan doesn’t come on!

 “Can I power all my appliances?”

 -  NO. Appliances that create heat by means of electricity should not be included,

   such as stoves, water heaters, baseboard heating, dryer and air conditioning.

 “Do I have to re-wire my whole house?”

-  No. Keep existing wiring. Re-route wiring from your existing breaker panel

   to a sub panel to power only those circuits wanted. Simple.

 “Do I need an electrical inspection after installing this?”

-  Yes. Altering your home's electrical system requires a permit and inspection

   by law.  We look after this on our installations.

 “How many solar panels will I need?”

 -  An average house would need 20 – 40 high wattage panels to go off-grid.

   Can be less for hybrid and MicroFIT systems.

 “What direction should the solar panels face?”

-  Due South is best. South East and South West are acceptable. PV panels

   Should also be angled toward the sun at 45-70 deg.

 “Are there laws against small wind turbines?”

-  No bylaws currently exist for the KW Region, although there may be height

   restrictions on towers. Contact your local city or municipal office for details.

 “How high up should the wind turbines be installed?”

-  The recommended height for the small turbines are 20- 30 feet above the

   next nearest object. This is necessary to get the turbine in more stable

   directional wind instead of the turbulent wind near the ground and objects

   such as trees, buildings, poles etc.

 “How loud are wind turbines?”

-  Some turbines are loud at various wind speeds. The small turbines we sell,

   the Sprite and Gryphon are quite low on the decibel range. The Sprite is virtually

   silent making it a great choice for urban use.

 “Do the batteries give off any gas/odours?”

-  Batteries give off hydrogen gas when charging. The amount is usually very

   small. No odours. Normally they are stored in a well ventilated space, or we

   add Hydrocaps which eliminate gassing.

 

System Questions....

At Natural Power Products we endeavor to get to know the customer and their needs before pricing equipment that may not be suitable to them! We consult with customers first to find out specifics such as.....what kind of loads/appliances, location & quality of site, full-time or intermittent use,  installation issues, budget etc. Every customer has different needs and expectations, that is why NPP consults before, during, and after on all purchases and installations. We consider all customers as an extended "green" family and have a long term commitment policy we adhere to and believe in! We have given the following examples to get an approximate idea of associated costs.

 

Full Time House Systems....              

How much does it cost to get my home off the grid?

To start, we will assume the following:

1. Your house is the average power consumer of 30,000 watt hours per day (wh/d). Or roughly 2,000 KWH on a 2 month hydro bill. Or your hydro bill is close to $200.00 for 2 months (60 days).

2. Your house does not have baseboard electric heating, electric water heating, pool pump running continuously, and central air conditioning.

3. You want to be totally off-grid not grid tied (supplying power back to the grid for credit).

4. Your house is in Canada, And you pay your taxes in Can. $.

    

 = Approximately between $50,000 - $80,000

 

Cottages, RV's, Remote Systems....               

The above figure does not apply to cottages, RV's, camps, and other INTERMITTENT users. This is because, at an intermittent facility such as a cottage, the people using the power are there only a couple days a week. While the people are gone home, the batteries charge up and are full when they arrive again. This results in much lower and affordable costs.

 

Go to "Systems" on this Web Site.

 

Backup Systems....                             

Homes can also have a simple backup system or part of the house running on renewable energy (RE). This has much less initial cost and can be added to in the future. A simple backup system that has a refrigerator, freezer, tv, stereo, lots of lights and even the furnace fan on it may only cost approximately $5000.00 (inverter/charger and battery bank).

 

Hybrid System (Hydro and RE)....              

Homes can have separate "circuits" in the house always running on RE. For example a home office with computers, printers, faxes, lights, etc. This type of system uses solar and or wind to charge a battery bank which is then inverted to 120v to power the office. The amount of solar panels or wind turbine size, and battery bank size depends on what the office equipment uses for electricity. In case the battery bank power gets low...hydro kicks in automatically to charge the batteries seamlessly. Our showroom and offices are utilizing approximately $30,000 worth of RE equipment (solar panels, turbines, solar thermal, controller, batteries, inverter etc.) and we are basically off-grid.

 

Grid-Tie System....                              

You can now have your home produce energy with RE and send it back into the hydro grid. This grid-tie system takes advantage of a system that is not being fully utilized during certain times of the day but is still producing enough power to make it feasible to "sell" it back to hydro. This process currently offers a credit towards the power the home uses (Net-metering). The other incentive is the MicroFIT program. In net-metering for example, a house may have a large solar array with many panels producing power during the day. This power is fed into the grid via an "out" power meter. When the inhabitants of the house use grid power, an "in" meter accumulates this. The difference between what power was used (bought), and the power the house supplied to the grid (sold) is the credited amount. This type of system requires slightly different equipment and configuration. Under the MicroFIT Program, your hydro supplier pays you for supplying power to the grid. $0.80kw for solar PV. This is a program which contractual and has a period of 20 years. Call us for more info.

 

 

“Now that I am interested, what do I do?"

 

We suggest contacting us at NPP via e-mail: sales@npp.ca or Phone 519 752-6939 so

we can start the process of you getting to know us, and likewise. We will discuss in detail everything involved in purchasing a solar PV System from start to finish.  

 

The following is a list of steps in the design and implementation of a solar PV system: 

The design, installation, and commissioning of each solar PV system will be completed by qualified and experienced NPP personnel or their partners referenced herein.   See details of this list below.

• Renewable Energy Site Assessment

• System Estimate / Quote 

• Pre-installation Consultation 

• Financing Options 

• Signing of Contract, maintenance schedule 

• System Design 

• Permits, MicroFIT, Inspections and Approvals 

• PV installation 

• Electrical Installation 

• Grid-tie Connection 

• LDC Billing Coordination 

• System Trouble Shooting and Homeowner Training 

Renewable Energy Site Assessment

 As part of a suitability assessment, NPP will conduct site visits for each homeowner to assess the viability of renewable energy products at each location.  The site assessment will encompass the available solar window, roof shading or obstacles, logistics of roof mounting and balance of system (BOS) components for the solar photovoltaic (PV) system.  At this time, NPP will provide the homeowner with a MicoFIT introductory guide to provide details and information pertaining to the Standard Offer Contract.  A fee may will be charged to the homeowner to conduct the site assessment, which will be credited to the customer upon signing of the contract agreement. 

 

System Estimate / Quote 

Upon completion of the site assessment, NPP will then prepare a formal quote for the homeowner for the installation of their solar PV system.  The quote will provide the homeowner with component pricing for each item, total cost of installation, and any additional service charges (i.e. inspections, permits and approvals). 

 

Pre-Installation Consultation 

Consultation between NPP and the homeowner will be under taken prior to the installation of a solar PV system.  The details of the project, scope of work, time frame and previous projects will be discussed at this time to ensure the homeowners understanding of a solar PV system and renewable energy benefits. 

 

Financing Options 

In addition, homeowner financial options will be outlined prior to the signing of the contract.

 

Contract, Maintenance Schedule 

Upon approval of the system estimate and quotation, the homeowner will then enter into a contract with NPP by way of signature.  Please review the “Homeowner Renewable Energy Contract”,  Link:

 

NPP Homeowner Renewable Energy Sample Contract (.pdf)          Page1        Page2

 

System Design

Design of a solar PV system will rely on the preliminary renewable energy site assessment and engineering methods.  These methods will help determine viability of renewable energy, panel location and spacing and overall logistics at each individual site.  A solar PV system design single line drawing (SLD) and PV array mounting design will be produced utilizing AutoCad for each installation.   

 

Permits, Inspections and Approvals

All Electrical Safety Authority (ESA), Hydro (LDC) inspections, feasibility study, documentation and correspondence will be strictly adhered to.  NPP’s design and installation of the proposed solar PV system will adhere to all legislation, labour regulations, code, best practices, and safety standards at all times.  In addition, in all jurisdictions where work is to be performed, the above mentioned health and safety standards will be applied.  Each installed PV system will include an application to enter into the MicroFIT program, initiated through the OPA and the local LDC.  MicroFIT contract terms are for 20 years and a nominal $0.80 per kilowatt hour energy production revenue will be generated. 

 

MicroFIT Program Link: www.powerauthority.ca 

 

PV Installation 

Once all permits and the MicroFIT application are approved by the ESA, LDC and the OPA, NPP will conduct the installation.  The installation of the designed PV system will include the installation of PV mounting racking, PV panels, grid-tie inverter inside or outside the home and the revenue meter.  All installations will be supervised by qualified and licensed NPP staff and contractors as needed.  Each homeowner will have the option of installing the grid-tie inverter and BOS either inside or outside their home based on site specific characteristics issues regarding vandalism and security.  All system components are Nema 3R compliant and engineered for outdoor use in extreme weather conditions.  

 

Electrical Installation 

NPP will include the installation of all other components related to the balance of system (BOS), which include wiring, conduit, and connections.  All installations will be supervised by qualified and licensed NPP staff and contractors as needed. 

 

Grid-tie Connection  

Upon receipt and approval from the OPA, grid connection will be completed.  This process requires a disconnect reconnect request to the LDC in which power to the home is temporarily suspended while the connection to the grid from the PV system is made through the inverter and interconnecting revenue meter and dual meter base.  At this time an ESA inspector will assess the system to ensure it passes all electrical codes, standards and safety requirements.

 

LDC Billing Coordination 

Meter reading, monthly account fees and billing requirements will be set-up by the LDC for each individual customer.  The MicroFIT account and billing will consist of the following details as per LDC: 

 

• Details of energy generated and used
• Credit for the related generated energy using the MicroFIT rate.
• Charges for the related energy consumed, specific to theMicroFIT contract using the current approved residential electricity, delivery & regulatory rates
• Monthly service charge.

 

“The account will be billed on a bi-monthly basis and assuming that the RESOP facility has generated sufficient energy to offset any charges, this bill will be issued as a statement identifying the credit balance.  The LDC will then transfer these credits to the account associated with the corresponding residential service or account of the customer’s choice on a quarterly basis. The frequency of the transfer will be reviewed periodically depending on the amount of the credits being carried forward. This may be different between LDC's.

 

System Trouble Shooting and Homeowner Training

System testing and trouble shooting will be conducted on-site by qualified NPP staff at completion of the installation to ensure PV systems are functioning accordingly.  A one hour, on-site homeowner training session will be offered by way of verbal consultation.   The training session will describe all aspects of routing operation, maintenance and safety of the PV system and is included in the overall price of the system.  NPP will also provide assistance in preparing the PST rebate application at this time.  In addition, a follow-up call will be conducted after the installation to ensure proper functioning of the PV system and customer satisfaction.

 

Workmanship Warranty

All warranties for specified components of the solar PV systems are available from the manufacturers.  NPP offers a warranty of 1 year from the date of finalized installation for each homeowner, which will include NPP workmanship and labour on solar PV system installations.  

 

Example System:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 To figure out your next steps towards a system see the following: 

How Do I?............Figure it out first!                   

Once you read this page, "Systems" page and "Info/Links" page and realize the

costs, equipment, time and lifestyle issues involved in having a RE system...then

you have to ask yourself some questions before proceeding with system designing.

The following will help narrow down your requirements:

 

1. Ask yourself: What do I want to power with a renewable energy (RE) system?

- Whole house (off grid) - Part of house (hybrid)  - Backup system only  - Cottage  - Other

See above and also "Systems".

 

2. Ask yourself: Is my home/cottage/etc in a favourable location for:

- Wind (wind turbine)   - Solar (South exposure)   - Urban/rural bylaws

See "Info/Links"

 

3. Ask yourself: Did I figure out ALL my loads that this system would have to power?

Such as: - Lighting   -Appliances (none that produce heat)    - Electronics   - Etc. etc.

See "Info/Links

 

4. Ask yourself: Did I complete the above "Electric Load Analysis Spreadheet.xls"?

 

5. Ask yourself: Am I aware of the TOTAL COSTS involved?

See "Systems"

 

6. Now you are ready for us to ask you even harder questions! E-mail in your

information to sales@npp.ca