Solar Power

Technical Information

Photovoltaic Modules

Solsmart offers a wide variety of reliable, brand name modules. Our objective is to maximize the solar potential of your roof while meeting your budget. All solar modules come backed with 20-25 year manufacturer’s power output warranty. See our product download area for more information about the solar modules we currently offer.

Inverters

The majority of our residential solar systems use Enphase micro-inverters. The micro-inverter technology allows for Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) at each solar module and makes the entire solar array more productive, reliable, and smarter than traditional inverter systems. Enphase products are now made in Ontario, are build tough and include industry leading web based monitoring and a 15 year manufacturer’s warranty. Web based monitoring allows you to check the output and function of your system in realtime from anywhere in the world!

Visit the Enphase site

Our large scale solar systems (10kW +) use SMA Sunny Boy or Satcon string inverters. These industry leading products have been installed around the world and are ready to handle your large scale solar systems.

Roofs

Solsmart has experience designing and installing solar systems for virtually every type of roof including:

Asphalt Shingle,
Various metal systems,
Flat roof residential,
Commercial inverted

The age of the roof is an important factor. If your roof is over 10 years old we strongly recommend updating before installing a solar system. While it is not uncommon to remove and replace a solar system to allow for re-roofing, it is obviously more cost effective to minimize the need for this labour.

Pitched Roofs

The most cost effective location for solar panels is a pitched roof. The ideal angle for solar panels in Ontario is 30-35 degrees (8/12 pitch). Solsmart has installed solar systems on virtually every type of roof.

The impact of slope on system performance is summarized in the table below:

Roof	Pitch	Angle	kWh Loss
1/12	4.76°	1020	-10.45%
2/12	9.46°	1055	-7.37%
3/12	14.04°	1083	-4.92%
4/12	18.43°	1106	-2.90%
5/12	22.62°	1122	-1.49%
6/12	26.57°	1132	-0.61%
7/12	30.26°	1137	-0.18%
8/12	33.69°	1139	0.00%
9/12	36.87°	1138	-0.09%
10/12	39.81°	1134	-0.44%
11/12	42.51°	1129	-0.88%
12/12	45°	1123	-1.40%

Source: http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/calculators/PVWATTS/version1/

Assumptions: Location - Toronto, ON, Azimuth - 180 degrees, Derate - 0.8

The cost of a pitched roof solar system varies from $5.80/watt to $9.00/watt depending on the number of panels, the pitch of the roof and the products installed.

Get real pricing on a pitched roof system today!

Racks

Racks with Panels

More Racks

Flat Roof Solutions

Commercial and Industrial flat roofs typically require racking to tilt solar panels towards the sun. The major considerations are:

Structural load capacity
Height of the building and wind profile
Age of the roof
Rooftop obstructions (HVAC, Vents)

Ballast

Ballast systems do not require rooftop penetrations and are appropriate for flat roof low rise (1-3 story) commercial and residential buildings. As long as the building can handle the extra weight, this eliminates the risk of water leakage. Large scale rooftop FIT projects typically use ballast systems due to the relatively low cost and ease of installation. Small scale microFIT projects (<10kW) can also take advantage of the various low-weight ballast racking offered by Solsmart. For safety reasons, Ballast mounted solar systems are typically mounted at lower slope angles (15-25 degrees) .

Flat Roof, Residential PV Installation

Get real pricing on a flat roof ballast system today!

Anchored

Flat roof solar systems are often tied into the structure of the building to handle higher wind loads associated with high rise buildings. Solsmart has extensive experience designing and installing anchored solar systems. The advantage of this approach over ballast is that the solar panels can be tilted at optimal angles. The disadvantage is the higher cost of installation due to interconnection with roofing membranes and additional hardware.

Flat Roof, Commercial

Ground Mount Fixed

Ground mounted systems are ideal for farmers and rural landowners. Solar arrays can be configured on large fixed installations or on top-of-pole applications. The advantage of ground mount systems are they are always facing true south to maximize output and are easy to maintain. Ground mount systems are typically arranged in banks of 5kW or approximately 24-30 solar panels.