Save Money on Electricity with Solar Energy

Solar panels generate energy, and energy is worth money. How much money depends on the photovoltaic potential in your area and the rate your utility charges for electricity. Here in Alberta, that can add up to a tidy sum.

The Alberta Government Utilities Consumer Advocate previously published historical data on electricity rates in Alberta. A 10-year summary of regulated rates (2006-2015) for Calgary and Edmonton showed the value of the electricity a 6 kW rooftop installation — the most common system on a single-family home — would have generated during this period.

In Edmonton, which has a photovoltaic potential of 1,244 kWh/kW, a 6 kW system would have generated a yearly average of $617.12 during this period, for a total of $6,171.24.

In Calgary, which has a photovoltaic potential of 1,291 kWh/kW, the same system would have generated a yearly average of $646.45 during this period, for a total of $6,464.51.

The following chart provides a visual representation of this data.

If you had owned a standard rooftop system in Edmonton, you would have saved $6,171.24 on your electric bill during this period. If you had owned a system in Calgary, you would have saved $6,464.51.