Homeowner reveals if solar actually works after installing panels in Canada’s ‘foggiest, cloudiest’ city

Although investing in solar power is one of the best ways to curb rising energy costs, some homeowners remain skeptical about whether the technology works in cloudy or frigid climates.

That’s why a homeowner living in “Canada’s foggiest and cloudiest city” took to Reddit to share how his solar panels fare in a less-than-ideal climate.

So far the owner has been impressed with his system.

“Today, our panels produced 27 kW of electricity. By midday, they were producing way more than the house needed and the excess was sold back to the grid. 24 hours after a major snowstorm!” the poster explained in the r/solar subreddit.

The owner acknowledged that the panels didn’t produce enough electricity to fully cover their consumption, but he still managed to reduce his bill by about 23 percent, even in what he described as “worst-case” weather conditions.

In most cases, solar panels provide much better savings, with a surprising number of homeowners producing enough energy to cover their annual energy bills. If you’re curious about how much solar panels can reduce your electricity costs, log into EnergySage to get fast quotes from licensed local installers.

“When the price of electricity increases (and it will), it will only increase for 77% of our energy needs. They will pay us more for the share of electricity we sell back to the grid!” » added the poster.

This homeowner’s story shows how solar power can still be a profitable investment, no matter your climate.

Other owners weighed in, confirming the original poster’s conclusions.

“[My] the panels pay almost 90% of our electricity bill, well worth the upfront cost,” said another Canadian homeowner.

“My system generates 160% of my consumption and pays 80% of ALL utilities – water, gas, waste included. There’s lots of sun in Canada and solar makes perfect sense,” added another.

Log in to EnergySage to start your clean energy upgrade. Those who use EnergySage’s free tools can save up to $10,000 on the installation cost.

EnergySage also offers a helpful mapping tool that breaks down, state by state, the average cost of installing home solar panels, as well as the incentives available in each area. Together, this information can help homeowners find the best possible price for rooftop solar and take full advantage of any rebates or tax credits they may be eligible for.

Adding battery storage to a solar installation is one of the best ways to keep your home powered during an outage, reduce energy costs and increase energy independence, including the ability to go off-grid. It also helps homeowners store excess solar energy for use when electricity rates are highest.

You can explore home battery options and get competitive installation estimates using EnergySage battery resources.

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