Would I get what I'm paying for?

[Allan Lalljee]

In Ontario, Canada all solar installation must be done by an approved company, so there is no hope for DIY. The proposal the company suggested for my use will give me approximately 70% solar energy and the balance (30%) if necessary will be from the utility company. The materials the company will supply is as follows:
11 Longi Solar Panels - LR7-54HGBB445, 1 Megarevo hy-brid inverter 6-8kW AC output, 1 Pion Power battery 13.5kWh capacity, along with the necessary cables and metal frames (to secure the panels on the roof).

My question: Are the above materials suitable for the current 70% required solar energy and if this can also be expanded in the future (maybe a year after initial installation) to approximately 85%; If so, what has to be upgraded?

 

[SunDave]

Welcome to the forum.

https://pvwatts.nrel.gov
This website can help you estimate what the proposed array will produce over a whole year. Make sure to match location, angle, wattage, shading, etc. If snow is a thing, take that into account. If this site doesn't work for Canada, perhaps there is a Canada government site that provides the same info.

The other part would be to determine how much energy you use per year. That would be data your power company should have. They may have an online portal you can access the information from, or just add up kWh totals from a whole year of bills.

Keep in mind you won't be able to use 100% of the power you collect because there is some loss going to battery, then back to AC for your power panel to use. 85% of what PVwatts says is a good estimate.

Start there. Feel free to ask more questions.

 

[MikeInKingman]

Not sure who your specific Utility is....

Net metering | Ontario Energy Board

The Net Metering program is established by the Ministry of Energy and is governed by the Regulation O. Reg. 541/05: NET METERING. This regulation sets the rules for eligibility, technical requirements, financial calculations, and other administrative procedures for net metering.Before investing...

www.oeb.ca

But it would APPEAR that they all allow credit rolling of generated kWh's month to month, and only clear the books with you annually.
Check the Power Purchase Agreement for your specific Utility very carefully, and make sure all the numbers really work out to the ROI you are looking for, or being promised by whoever tries to sell you a PV System.
Get as many quotes as you possibly can, and commit to NOTHING until you are comfy.

 

[SparkyJJO]

My question: Are the above materials suitable for the current 70% required solar energy and if this can also be expanded in the future (maybe a year after initial installation) to approximately 85%; If so, what has to be upgraded?

We have no idea what your usage is to even begin to predict this.

 

[zkkxzd]

Not an answer to your question, but in Australia/NZ you can DIY if you keep everything at ELV (<120V DC). Worth checking the standards for a similar loophole in Canada.

 

[Allan Lalljee]

Usage for the year is 9,000 kWh (Jan 2024 - Feb 2025).

 

[Allan Lalljee]

Average daily sunlight period is 6 hours.

 

[Skythings]

In Ontario, Canada all solar installation must be done by an approved company, so there is no hope for DIY. The proposal the company suggested for my use will give me approximately 70% solar energy and the balance (30%) if necessary will be from the utility company. The materials the company will supply is as follows:
11 Longi Solar Panels - LR7-54HGBB445, 1 Megarevo hy-brid inverter 6-8kW AC output, 1 Pion Power battery 13.5kWh capacity, along with the necessary cables and metal frames (to secure the panels on the roof).

My question: Are the above materials suitable for the current 70% required solar energy and if this can also be expanded in the future (maybe a year after initial installation) to approximately 85%; If so, what has to be upgraded?

Your statement regarding DIY in Ontario may not be 100% accurate. I know there are tons of DIY installations in Ontario Canada. The utility companies and municipalities may require qualified and experienced Electricians to do the hookups to their grid. This may leave the possibility of a hybrid DIY situation by doing as much of the work yourself under the direction of a qualified or certified Electrician. There's no question it is much simpler to have a solar company come in, design your system, look after all the regulatory applications, inspections and installations, but you pay for it. That is if you find a good one. There are many sketchy, fly by night operators lurking around ready to take your money and leave you with a system which is below par. They sell you stuff they make the most money from when there may be better options. Be careful you're not being guided by an installation/sales company who is protecting their interests.

I would slow your roll a bit and research and learn as much about solar before committing to anyone. What is your goal with solar? Is it to get free power, subsidize your bills, energy security? What are your ROI expectations if any? Do you want to expand battery capacity in the future? Pull the last 24 months of your bills and disect each month for power usage and make a spreadsheet. Understand how solar works. Research the equipment and options. Talk to your utility to find out how they work in regards to selling back to the grid. Do they purchase or credit the power at a wholesale or retail or rate? Do they have limits on credits including year end clearing just before peak electricity periods? Every utility is different and will affect your goals. Check with your homeowner insurance company before installing on a roof of your house. If your roof only has 5 years shingle life left your insurance company may require you replace your roof at the same time you install solar panels. Some insurance companies will drop you with solar, others will limit roof coverages. Some will increase your premiums which cuts into a ROI with solar. Your municipality may require a building permit with engineered studies for your house roof prior to installation. Does your yard or your neighbours yard have tree's which will shade the panels on the roof? Sun angles are different in the winter and summer months. Snow in the winter will likely severely reduce solar production and clearing snow on a roof is simply not practical no matter what any salesperson tells you.

You're on the right site to learn and ask questions. Google & YouTube are also great resources.