Solar energy is flexible, ubiquitous and is becoming the most cost-effective and climate-friendly way to produce electricity.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels can be installed on rooftop or on the ground ranging in size from a few kilowatts on a roof to hundreds of megawatts on large solar farms. Rooftop solar is the easier but less efficient and more expensive per Watt installed than ground-mounted solar.
The electricity produced by the solar facility can either be sold to the utility via an ‘Energy Purchase Agreement’ (EPA) or self-consumed or intended to displace/replace a diesel generator. Solar intermittency may be offset by storage but that will increase the cost significantly.
The financial benchmark is the cost of energy produced by the solar system, often referred as Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). For the system to have a positive return, the LCOE must be less than either the price paid by the utility in case of an EPA, the tariff paid to the utility for electricity in case of self-consumption or the cost of electricity generated by diesel in case of an isolated grid.
Although solar appears simple, many options and parameters need to be taken into account for implementing an efficient and financially sound system.
EcoSmart can help you navigate through these options and reach your goal to develop a solar energy project in your communities. We provide the full range of services such as funding application, feasibility studies, preliminary engineering, solar resources assessment, financial analysis, project management and more.
On a case-by-case basis, our organization offers pro-bono studies on solar development ( from preliminary studies to more detailed technical studies). If you represents an Indigenous community, are contemplating a future solar project and are interested by this opportunity, please contact us.