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Ontario Residential PV Solar Systems
Is My Home
Right for Solar
Power?
Because photovoltaic (PV) technology is designed to capture both direct and scattered sunlight, solar panels are a viable option for generating electricity in Ontario climates. But there are several other site-specific and regional factors that determine if your roof can adequately power all your home's electricity needs.
A solar installer will come to your house for free and asses the specific amount of sunlight your roof can capture. But to get a general idea of your home's solar potential there are five factors to consider.
Regional Sunlight
Interactive maps of the photovoltaic (PV) potential and solar resource of Canada have been developed by the Canadian Forest Service (Great Lakes Forestry Centre) in collaboration with the CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC-Varennes) Photovoltaic systems group. Insulation data was provided by the Data Analysis and Archive Division, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada. The maps give estimates of the electricity that can be generated by grid-connected photovoltaic arrays without batteries (in kWh/kW) and of the mean daily global insulation (in MJ/m2 and in kWh/m2) for any location in Canada on a 300 arc seconds ~10 km grid. They are presented for each month and for the entire year, for six different PV array orientations: a sun-tracking orientation and five fixed South-facing orientations with latitude, vertical (90°), horizontal (0°) and latitude ± 15° tilts (see figure). Data can be obtained at any grid location by "querying" the maps. Interactive maps of the photovoltaic (PV) potential and solar resource of Canada have been developed by the Canadian Forest Service (Great Lakes Forestry Centre) in collaboration with the CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC-Varennes) Photovoltaic systems group. Insulation data was provided by the Data Analysis and Archive Division, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada.
The maps give estimates of the electricity that can be generated by grid-connected photovoltaic arrays without batteries (in kWh/kW) and of the mean daily global insulation (in MJ/m2 and in kWh/m2) for any location in Canada on a 300 arc seconds ~10 km grid. They are presented for each month and for the entire year, for six different PV array orientations: a sun-tracking orientation and five fixed South-facing orientations with latitude, vertical (90°), horizontal (0°) and latitude ± 15° tilts (see figure). Data can be obtained at any grid location by "querying" the maps.
South-Facing Area
For a 6 kW solar system you will need approximately 500 SF of roof space that receives at least 5 hours of direct sun per day. The ideal scenario is a roof that slopes towards the South, since southern exposure will maximize the efficiency of your panels.
Shading and Obstructions
The single biggest obstacle to solar access is shading from neighboring trees or buildings, especially if shadows fall on your panels during peak sunlight hours. To get an overview of the shading on your home, you can type your address in Google Maps and click on "satellite" to see a satellite image of how shadows fall on your site.
Roof Structure
Most roofs can handle the extra load of solar panels and will have adequate structural elements for the panels to attach to. Extra bracing or other repairs maybe be required, and in some cases vents or skylights may need to be framed over. Your solar expert will inspect your roof and determine if any modifications are needed before the panels go in.
