Solar Brilliance
935 Douglas Street Brandon, MB, Canada

Busy week of deliveries and screwpile installations. Solar season is finally a go! Stay tuned...

Here it is, in Black & White... well actually it is in Black, White, and Blue because those are Manitoba Hydro colors - their official document showing how the program works -- simple -- we get the residential runoff rate for power sent back. This is the ONLY way the program can work!!! It is what ALL Manitobans bought into. And now Manitoba Hydro says this isn't really what they meant, even though they published it. Okay, look at the next question on their Q&A sheet... ... where to go for more info?! So, Manitobans followed their advice and contacted Manitoba Hydro's solar experts and were COMPLETELY REASSURED. So, the investments were made and 21 months later Manitoba Hydro decides they really didn't mean it?!? Changing the program going forward was always expected... but to change it retroactively back to the beginning, AFTER the investment has been made??? In ONE word, how would you describe this situation?

Old article from April 2016 quoting Kelvin Shepherd and also specifying how excess energy will be treated... it will be sold back to Manitoba Hydro at the Residential Run-Off Rate. Why do we care? Because 21 months into the program after tens of millions has been invested in solar, by Manitobans, Manitoba Hydro has decided to change their mind because this really was never their intent... whoops! Sorry!! And that would be just fine if the change was going forward but, t...hey are trying to apply it retroactively, to the inception of the program! They are now saying this excess energy isn’t of much value to them so they cannot pay the residential rate. So, the annual bill you thought you were wiping out by installing the Manitoba Hydro-recommended size of system just evaporated... The design was simple: 1. Ask Manitoba Hydro what size of system you would be approved for (to offset your annual electricity bill). 2. Install it. 3. Use MB Hydro’s power when you need it... pay for it at the Residential Rate. 4. Sell your excess back, at the same Residential Rate. 5. The idea being ANNUAL DISPLACEMENT. So you use 50,000 kWh in a year... as long as you produce that same amount in a year you effectively eliminate your bill! 6. If you have any questions, call the experts at the Solar Energy Program (of Manitoba Hydro) who would reassure you of all of the above. So why is this a BIG deal? Because they say the excess power is only worth 3.25 cents per kWh to them... in other words they are introducing a spread... convinced you to invest in solar based on price per kWh the same both ways (buying and selling) but then change it on you to their advantage... see, the catch is, most rural Manitobans use electricity to HEAT (gas isn’t an option) so their need for electricity is massive in December, January, and February and their solar production is the least. And when your solar production is highest in the summer your need for electricity is the lowest. So guess what?! You are now exposed to the going market rates which are projected to be upwards of 25 cents per kWh in the next 21 years, exactly when your investment in your solar system was going to start paying for itself... have you done the math?! We have a customer who was approved to install a 37 kW system to offset their annual electricity bill. Under the program they thought they were getting in on their bill in year 21 was going to be close to ZERO. Under the changes just announced, their bill is projected to be $9,000 - $10,000!!! 30 years is the industry norm for calcs in solar systems, so, for years 21-30 this customer alone will be paying at least $100,000 EXTRA!!!

With the recent nice weather we were able to setup up another beautiful 3 high Array northwest of Brandon last week. Don’t forget that the MB Hydro rebate program ends in April.

Not quite Ag Days... but close! We are part of the group of 100 businesses on the waiting list to get into Ag Days - a 2-5 year wait is the guess so for now, this is our Ag Days display. A big thank you to Jeff and Glen along with Smitty’s and Shell for allowing us this opportunity. Check it out at the corner of #1 and 18th St. If you want to have a closer look, feel free. We even built mini screw piles to mount our racking on so you would be able to exactly see how we do... things. Heavy-Duty and built for the long haul. That’s how we do it. There are some excellent presentations on Solar this year at Ag Days so if you want to learn more you should consider going... these companies are out of downtown Winnipeg. The good news is we can do everything they can and better yet, we’re local.