ARK Renewable Terminology

Why Solar

Little upfront cost, short-term savings, represents ownership, an end date to a household expense, benefiting from inflation.

little upfront cost

Only $1500 deposit, Federal greener homes program will finance the upfront costs, an interest free solar system, is a monthly investment that is offset by the savings of their electricity bill.

short-term savings

Can experience apples to apples savings on their electricity bill, all incentives and costs considered.

represents ownership

It's equity, financed solar system means the homweowner gets to own an energy asset, the redirect most of their electricity bill towards and asset they own, solar systems add value to properties (3-5%), paying a mortgage versus renting.

end-date to a household expense

Can drastically reduce or eliminate power bills, the benefit is cleaer when the solar system is payed off.

benefiting from inflation

As power prices go up, the value of the asset that produces it will tend to go up as well.

wealth transfer

wealth transfers come wtih short-term and long-term savings, cashflow benefits, and a more sustainable future

modules

They're solar panels, longi is the manufacturer and 445W is the STC (science lab conditions).

kW & kWh

KW standardize how solar systems are sized and compared in terms of the number and type of solar panels. The energy produced by the number of KW's and a customer's energy bill are measured in terms of kWh. For example, an average solar panel is 445 watts (0.445KW). A home with a 10 solar panel is 4.45 KW. Often, larger panels are less proportionally efficient in KW per sq feet. The kWh produced by the solar panels for the homeowner is specifically estimated through solar design software.

Solar Offset

This ratio compares a home's annual consumption to a system's total annual production (energy production/energy consumption) x 100. 110% is the maximum allowable offset in most jurisdictions.

Inverters

Solar panels produce direct curent electricity. To be able to make this electricity usable in the home we install, all our solar systems with an inverter that converts the DC electricity produced into AC electricity to be used in the household. There are two types of inverters: string inverters and micro-inverters.

Micro-inverter

Installed on the roof underneath each panel. If one panel stops working, it prevents all the other panels from being impacted. This makes it easier in the future to replace them. Hoymiles, AP Systems, and Enphase are the most common micro-inverters.

Meter

Electrical meters are used to track how much electricity is used at a property so the ultity company can accurately charge the homeowner for their electrical consumption. They are the connection point to the grid for poewer. If tthere is a power outage, the solar system will not produce power unless the homeownwer has a backup battery (like a Tesla Power Wall).

Batteries

Batteries can support with electricity storage for the home in the case of power outages or selective usage during selective periods of the day. They're very expensive and the best ones degrade releatively quickly compared to the lifespan of panels.

Interconnection

Interconnection is seperate from electrical permits. Electrical permits are provided by the city, and interconnection applications (net metering application) are provided by the utility company

Cost per kWh

Usually in the form of cents per kWh. A higher cost per kWh means more of an opportunity to save homeowners money.

Net Metering

Meters can run forwards and backwards (depending on power use vs. power sold to the grid). Solar club is a buyback program that helps homeowners sell their clean energy at a premium to the grid (at higher than their purchase rate). The idea is that overproduction during the summer create the biling credits that can used in the winter to create a fuller offset. Technically speaking, net metering is for kWh credits, whereas net biling is for dollar credits. For example Alberta is based on net biling, Arizona is based on net biling and Florida is based on net metering.

Solar Club

It's a buyback program offered in Alberta, that helps homeowners sell their clean energy at a premium to the grid by intentionally increasing their electricity price during the months where they produce more than they consume. Most solar clubs programs allow homeowners to change their electricity price at $0.0877/kWh during their low productino months and $0.30/kWh during their high production months. The idea is that the credits generated during the monthjs of overproduction, can be used in the winter to offset mor of their bills. There is also an exclusive pre-solar rate of $0.0650/kWh

Main Panel

Where all the major electrical appliances are connected. They're the panel inside homes with breaker swtiches that turn off and on. For solar to be installed, there must be sufficient Main Panel space, or there may have to be an electrical updrade that is necessary. This will mean either a subpanel or a main panel (costs 10 000 for the grid's infrastructure)

PPW

Price per watt is how much homeoweners are charged per watt of panels. The net PPW considers the reline and adders.

Setter Commission

Setters get paid a flat per KW rate between 125-200/watt. The specific pay per watt will depend on the program.

Redline

Ark has a redline sales model. As a sales representative, you're equipped with a wholesaler cost of 2.6PPW. Anything you charge (PPW) in addition to the redline + adders, is your net commission.

Adders

To ensure alignment and project feasibility, we have a redline and adder model.

South Facing Roof Plane

Have south facing roofs for a full cost-effective energy offset.

Roof Condition

Projects can get disqualified at the site survey phase, roofs orlder han 10 years or ones that need to be replaced will have to be replaced before the solar installation.

Shading

Prospect roofs with little to no shading.

Alberta Market

Has a deregulated energy market so the energy is provided through a partnership of two types of organizations, energy retailer and energy wholesalers. In Calgary, Enmax is both.

Major Energy Retailers

Enmax, Direct Energy, and ATCO

Energy Retailers

They sell homeowners power and provide the customer service while utilizing distributor's wire infrastructure. Energy retailers provide fixed and floating rates. Fixed rates for energy contracts (usually 3-5 years) and floating rates take the market electricity prices.

Delivery Charges

Includes distribution charges, transmission costs, municipal franchise fees, rate riders, and balancing pool fees.

Total Energy Bill

Albertan utility companies have surcharge business models with delivery charges. This is why the true cost of an energy bill isn't just the energy rate, but all the delivery fees included. Electricity prices flunctuate and are relatively expensive beacuse most of the energy is produced byh carbon or fossil fuels. This is one of the main pain points in the Alberta electricity market.

Carbon Credit and Solar Club

Just the solar isn't enough, carbon credits brokers sell carbon offset of homeowner's solar systems to large companies and take a small cut. Solar club sells the excess energy produced with their high and low rates.

Greener Homes Program

The greener homes loan provides up to $40 000 in 10-year interest free funding for solar projects. So if homeowners qualify, instead of maybe paying $36 000 upfront for a solar system, they can finance the project at $300/month.

What are the upfront costs for solar?

Through the Federal Greener Homes program, an interest free loan. That means solar will be a monthly investment that is offset the savings of your current electricity bill. We only require a $1500 deposit to get this project started, fully refunded to you at the end. To apply for the loan, there are 3 government-required audits that cost an estimated total of $700.

Do I need a battery system fro night time or when there’s snow?

Batteries require upkeep and generally don’t last as long as solar panels. Instead, Alberta’s Net Metering program makes the grid your “energy bank”. Your utility cmpnay, after approval, will replace your current meter with a bidirectional meter, which sends excess energy to the gird - if they haven’t done so already. The premise is that overproduction in the summer creaes biling credis you can use in the winter and during snow builup for a more balanced energy offset. Your system is grid-connected and the project is designed based on your usage, so that you don’t have to change your energy habits.

How do credits for my extra power work?

We reconmmend enrolling in Solar Club which is an energyh buyb ack pgroam that improves the savngs for people with solar panels in Alberta. This program lets you sell excess energy at a higher rate (30¢/kWh) During high-production months (spring and summer) and switch to a lower rate (8.77¢/kWh) during low-production months. These credits help offset winter costs, and you can even recieve cash back on unused credits.

Will I still have an electricity bill after solar?

Your bill is split into two parts: electricity rates and admin fees. Solar will reduce your electricity rate charges and variable admin fees (based on energy use). Your credits can cover fixed charges (daily grid conenction fees) during high production months.

What is I don’t recieve the loan?

If, for nay reason, your project can’t move forward— whether after our site sruveyor assess your home or if yuo’re unable to secure the loan— your deposit will be refunded to you.

Why would I go solar if my current electricity is so low?

Energy rates uaully increase at renewal. Solar protects you from these rate hikes and offers an asset that increase in value as energy prices go up. Instead of hoping that energy prices don’t go up, homeowners will get to beenfit from the upside of energy cost inflation. Additionally, you can start saving almost immediately once you sign up to go solar when you swtch to a retailer that has a Solar Club to take advatnage of their pre-solar rate.

Is there any maintenance for solar panels?

We’ve completed over 200 projects and have never had issues with leaky roofs. This is because our installers are professionally trained to handle roof work. And to prevent leaks, we use new technology to create self fleashing seals, to reduce the chance of any eaky roofs.

Are there any warranties?

Absolutely. Our panels come wiht a 30-year production warranty and inverters a 10 year warranty, so if any equpiment issue arises, product manufacturers prfovide replacement products. Addtionally our Workmanship Warranty covers your project for a year, ensuring your system weathes each season with no issue. The panels themselves don’t die, they just slowly degarde at a rate of 0.4% each year.

How long will this whole process take?

We estimate 4-6 months from start to finish. Most of this time is spent waiting for loan and utlity application approvals. Our Project Managers will handle the process and keep you updated at each step, makikng it as smooth as possible for you.

What is I paln on adding new hardware to my home? (EV charging station, hot tubs, heat pumps)

Our systems are designed with flexibility in mind. Thanks to micro-inverters, expanding yor solar setup can be modular, if your energy needs to grow.

Will the system be protected against hail?

Absolutely, our systems are designed to handle Albert’a harsh winters and withstand conditions like heavy snow and hail. The Tier-1 sonal panels we use are rated for hail. And our installation team takes pride in securely mounting your system to your roof with durability in mind.

What happens when I move?

The great thing about solar is that since it lowers utility costs, it can increase the value of your home. A meta study done in 2019 by Zillow found that homes with solar panels sold for about 4.1% more than homes with no solar panels.

What if I need to get my roof replaced?

If your roof is over 15 years or has damage, it’s best to re-roof before installing solar to avoid extra uninstall/reinstall costs. That’s why we have a site survey to reduce your risk of having to replace your roofs during the Greener Homes Program. Our panels are rated for extreme weather and can often extend the lifespan of the shingles beneath them!

How do I know my system is performing?

Our Project Managers will help you get set-p with a bckend monitoring app to watch for system statuese and energy production levels over time. You’ll be able to see what each panel is producing at any time.