LUMSDEN, Sask. – Free power would make a lot of farmers smile.
But unless they are off the power grid, generating their own electricity via the sun probably doesn’t make a lot of economic sense for most farmers, says a solar consultant.
However, Will Oddie of Lumsden, Sask., would add a “not yet” qualifier, saying eventually it might be feasible.
Right now Alberta and Ontario allow people who generate small amounts of power through wind turbines and solar panels to sell to the provincial energy systems. Saskatchewan and Manitoba don’t allow that.
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Oddie, who works for Kelln Solar in Lumsden, the largest such company in the province, said solar power is the most expensive of the alternative powers because of the capital cost.
A 1.2 metre high solar generating panel that takes an hour to create enough power to illuminate a 100 watt light bulb costs $1,200, which is about $10 per watt produced, said Oddie. Meanwhile, a bank of batteries to store the power can add one-third more to the cost. The batteries and panels can last 10 to 20 years.
Some farmers use solar power to electrify their fences and pump water for cattle, but most don’t. Even fewer have looked at adding solar panels to their roofs to generate power for their houses.
“We’re well behind in Canada compared to other parts of the world for solar generated power,” Oddie said.
“Anyone who has had blackouts or brownouts is sensitive to power …. Germany has had it for several years. We (Kelln) were getting calls from Europe to buy panels from us since they’d bought up all the available supply.”
Oddie said California has a million-roof program to put solar generating panels on houses. There was a time following the world’s energy crisis in the 1970s when Canada had more solar heating installations than Austria. Then, as more oil was pumped and fears eased, the provincial and federal governments axed energy conservation programs that offered subsidies.
“The whole industry went flat, so the only ones who did it (went solar) were so inclined or off the grid.”
On the other hand, solar water heating works today. Heating water for swimming pools and for washing dishes, clothes and bodies is affordable. The payback time is five to 10 years, which is easy for people to grasp, versus the 30 year payback on solar generated electricity for a house.
Oddie said electrical generating panels are only 20 percent efficient at turning sunlight to power, while the thermal panels that turn sunlight into heat are 60 to 80 percent efficient, as well as being half the cost.
Solar heat makes sense on the Prairies, where clear sunny days are common in summer and winter. Oddie believes as more farmers do their environmental farm plans, they will at least consider solar heating for their livestock needs, if not for their own households.
“There hasn’t been much incentive to do it, certainly not for saving money. It costs money. People are there now because of philosophy or some people just want to be off the grid. They don’t want to pay money to ‘the man.’ “
Oddie said it could cost $60,000 to solar heat and power a residence. Instead of houses, Kelln Solar has been working on solar heated community swimming pools. It did three last summer and expects a similar number this year.
He expects that several factors will make solar power more popular in the future:
- It will trickle into public consciousness as more people adopt the technology.
- The real estate market could help if it started to reflect the advantage of solar panels.
- People will be more inclined to look at solar power generation if the cost recovery rate can drop to 10 years.
Until then, Oddie said the best way to save a dollar on power is conservation.
“Turn off the lights, caulk the holes, add more insulation.”
People can also turn off the power bar to the computer and TV and unplug the cellphone charger. These devices all drain electricity even when they are “turned off,” he said.
