Install solar panels
Why
Capture the sun’s energy to heat your water and power your home, reduce your dependence on electricity produced using fossil fuels, and save some money in the long run.
Saskatchewan, especially the southern part of the province, has an excellent solar resource, as shown in this map from energyhub.org.
How
Solar hot water panels heat your domestic or heating water. Solar PV panels produce electricity. Start by doing what you can to reduce your hot water or electricity consumption, as conservation is often cheaper than production.
Solar Electricity
energyhub.org has some information that can help you get started. They assess how much solar power is available, and what the provincial electricity prices and net metering policies are. You can use their website to help size your system, choose where on your house or yard to put panels, and calculate some preliminary economics. Note that their estimates are preliminary, and you will get more accurate information once you start working with an installer. Contact one of Saskatchewan’s many solar installers to design and quote on a system.
Learn more about SaskPower’s power generation options. Saskatoon Light & Power, or Swift Current Light & Power may have other incentives, and different self generation programs.
If you want to be sure to install panels that are manufactured in a safe and environmentally friendly way, Solar Scorecard can help you choose a manufacturer.
If you can only afford a small investment in solar, or if your property is not suitable for solar due to orientation or shading, you may want to consider joining the SES Solar Co-op.
Solar Hot Water
Many of Saskatchewan’s solar installers can also design and install solar hot water systems. Solar water heaters normally pre-heat the water entering a gas or electricity powered water heater.
According to Natural Resources Canada’s information about solar water heaters, “an ENERGY STAR certified solar water heater uses a remarkable 60% less energy, on average, than a standard model.”