The Hayter Group’s main shop in Alvinston, Ontario is more than meets the eye. The shop has had a 48 panel microFIT solar array for a few years now. Like a lot of homeowners that we service, we are producing clean solar power and selling it back into the grid.
We have now added an additional 64 solar panels to our system. The extra panels make up an off-grid system. Off-grid means that the power being produced is used directly by our shop and lowering our power bill every day. Our off-grid system is one of the largest of its’ kind in the province.
The building now has a total of 112 solar panels that produce over 26 kW under peak sun. The system will generate over 30,000 kWh per year. This represents about 60% of the power used by the building over the course of a year.
We have protected ourselves against power failures by installing a 20 kW back-up generator. The generator is powered by propane and is integrated with the off-grid solar panel system. When the power goes out, the generator kicks in within 10 seconds, automatically. The building can operate at full capacity during a power failure using power from the generator and the off-grid solar panels.
The building’s heating and cooling are handled by two geothermal heat pumps with a ground loop system. The system is both cost effective and friendly to the environment.
The water at the Alvinston shop is supplied by a well with it’s own water treatment and septic system, so the entire building can operate at full capacity without any connection to the hydro, gas, water, or sewer grid.
Power failures are not uncommon in our area and we need to be here to service our customers. With our solar array and backup generator, we are never shut down by power outages.
