Steeltown Solar

About Us

Steeltown Solar

Steeltown Solar, a division of EcoDomus Consulting, designs custom on- and off-grid solar photovoltaic systems and provides solar system design training.

EcoDomus Consulting provides energy audit, electricity consumption monitoring, site assessment, and system design & installation services to facilitate utilization of renewable energy

Steeltown Solar, a division of EcoDomus Consulting, designs custom on- and off-grid solar photovoltaic systems and provides solar system design training.

EcoDomus Consulting provides energy audit, electricity consumption monitoring, site assessment, and system design & installation services to facilitate utilization of renewable energy (e.g., solar) as the fuel for electricity generation, heating, and cooling.

Go to EcoDomus Consulting's home page to learn more about us and our services.

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Our Mission

Steeltown Solar

Our mission is to make you ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENT culminating in the creation of entire Net-Zero Energy (NZE) communities with heat and electrical energy to spare one micro-grid at a time!

We will accomplish our mission by providing technical system design training and raising awareness of the need to incorporate high efficiency devices an

Our mission is to make you ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENT culminating in the creation of entire Net-Zero Energy (NZE) communities with heat and electrical energy to spare one micro-grid at a time!

We will accomplish our mission by providing technical system design training and raising awareness of the need to incorporate high efficiency devices and energy conservation measures (air barriers and insulation). This will also reduce the likelihood of designing oversized systems.

Join us to become a Solar Intern and founding member of the Steeltown's first Solar Worker's Co-op!

Power for the people!

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Join Us!

Our Projects

Steeltown Solar

Our Projects

Please visit and 'Like' our Facebook and Instagram sites to spread the word and stay tuned for more info about the Co-op. More hands make light work! Through the Co-op we will be able to maintain and repair our own solar systems and sponsor others to get their own.

For a LIVE view of the real-time power [kW] & energy [kWh] being generate

For a LIVE view of the real-time power [kW] & energy [kWh] being generated by our 4 kW residential, roof-mounted, solar PV electricity generator, check into our site through Enphase's Enlighten Portal!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact us to obtain answers to any additional generic questions you may have. For specific questions pertaining to your project, please do reach out to us through the Contact Us button on the bottom of this page.

How much electricity can I generate?

In Hamilton, given an ideal roof and commercially available higher efficiency (e.g., 19-23%) solar modules (i.e., not the thin film, which typically have a lower efficiency), we can generate approximately 1100 kWh per year per kW of installed solar system capacity.

You may ask, "But what is, and how much space is required, 'per kW of installed solar system capacity'?

On open sections of open-gable style residential roofs, 15 W of solar system capacity can be installed on each square foot (sqft) of roof surface. A hipped roof on the same sized house has less usable surface area. Usable surface area will also depend on position of dormers, presence of heavy shading (e.g., due to a neighbour's house), and the aspect ratio of the roof (more square vs. rectangular) compared to that of a solar module. For some installations (e.g., larger homes >2500 sqft) with more open space the 15 W may err excessively on the conservative side.

Check out this public portal to see solar systems on houses to get a feel for system capacity (kW) size vs. house size and geometry. https://www.sunnyportal.com/Templates/PublicPagesPlantList.aspx

But what does all this MEAN?

Let's use the demonstrator on the home office of EcoDomus Consulting as an example. This is a 600 sqft house. The solar modules were only mounted on the south-east facing side of the house, so now we have a 300 sqft of house. The area (sqft) of the house usually provides a close enough and conservative approximation of the surface area of the pitched roof. Please note that this is the area of the footprint of the house (as can be measured on Google Maps) as opposed to the livable floor space area of your house published in the real-estate markets.

Using the 15 W per sqft we get 15 X 300 = 4500 W (4.5 kW). Using 1100 kWh per year per kW we get 1100 X 4.5 = 4950 kWh per year or 412.5 kWh per month (average). To put things into perspective, the electrical consumption of a four-person household in Canada averages at 800 - 1000 kWh per month over the year.

Due to the solar modules available at the time and rafter spacing, 4.2 kW of solar modules were installed. A 4.2 kW system is estimated to generate 4620 kWh (=1100 X 4.2) on average per year. In the first year the system the meter recorded that 4301 kWh vs. 4620 kWh was generated. Keep in mind that these estimates are averages, which may not compare directly for any given month or even year. since system performance will vary month-over-month and year-over-year. For example, in some years we have more cloudy days and in some years we have more snow. Check out the LIVE performance of our demonstrator and review historical generation data to further understand seasonal and annual variability through Enphase's Enlighten Portal.

To add to the variability in system size, the framed solar modules typically used for stationary application are available in a couple of physical sizes starting at 3.5' X 5.5' and a range of power ratings (kW) are typically provided within each size class. Electricity generation is ultimately regulated by the inverter (charge controller for systems charging a battery bank).

When getting quotes be sure to compare apples-to-apples! Be sure to ask for system size based on the output of the inverter(s) [alternating current (AC)] not based on adding up the ratings of all the individual solar modules [direct current (DC)]. As long as cost doesn't become the limiting factor, seek to buy solar modules and inverter(s) that allow you to maximise kWac per sqft.

NOW look at your utility bill to see how much electricity you consume month-over-month, paying special attention to winter-month vs. summer-month consumption. Bare in mind that there is more solar energy available to harvest in the summer than in the winter.

Is my roof suitable (ideal) for a solar system?

While the roof of your house most likely presents the largest un-shaded surface on your property, garages, garden sheds, lane-way houses, and ground-mounted racks may also present suitable mounting options.

Ideally, in the northern hemisphere, you want to have a predominantly south-facing, shade-free, surface, tilted +/-15 degrees off of your location's latitude (e.g., Hamilton is at a latitude of 43° ). Off-south orientations will also generate electricity, as will due east and west, while mounting solar modules on north-facing surfaces is typically not recommended due to the limited solar insulation available for harvest in this orientation, especially in the winter.

How much does a solar system cost?

Prices vary quite dramatically across the province of Ontario and across Canada based on the various incentive programs in effect at the time and other market conditions.

In the spring of 2023, as the economy remains in a state of post-pandemic flux the cost for small to medium sized (2.5 - 7.5 kW) systems ranges from $2.5 - $3.5 per watt installed. What "per watt installed" typically means is that the cost includes materials and services, i.e., the purchase and installation of racking, solar modules, inverters, and ancillary components. Be sure to confirm which components, fees, and services are included. For example, does the quote/estimate include completing and submitting the forms to the local utility company or drafting and submitting the building permit application and the associated costs.

Contact Us

How can we help?

Please use the 'Contact Us' link below to provide us with preliminary information about your project, including your current electrical consumption if you choose to remain grid-connected.

Call us directly @ 289-237-1219 for any questions you may have about generating your own electricity from the power of the sun!

We look forward to em-powering you!

Steeltown Solar

Hours

Monday - Friday: 9 am - 5 pm

Saturday - Sunday: As time permits

Hamilton's custom on- & off-grid solar system design company

About Us

Steeltown Solar

Steeltown Solar

Steeltown Solar

Our Mission

Steeltown Solar

Steeltown Solar

Our Projects

Steeltown Solar

Our Projects

Reviews

Empower Yourself

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us

How can we help?

Steeltown Solar

Hours

Contact Us

Hamilton's custom on- & off-grid solar system design company

About Us

Steeltown Solar

Steeltown Solar

Steeltown Solar

Our Mission

Steeltown Solar

Steeltown Solar

Our Projects

Steeltown Solar

Our Projects

Reviews

Connect with us ...

Empower Yourself

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us

How can we help?

Steeltown Solar

Hours

Contact Us

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