Solar Installer in Airdrie, AB: LONGi Panels and Full Interconnection

Solar Planning for Airdrie Properties

The first thing we confirm on any property here is the wire service. FortisAlberta covers this area for electricity distribution, which matters because FortisAlberta's micro-generation program governs how a solar system connects to the grid and how export credits flow through your bill. That detail shapes the design and the interconnection application before anything goes on the roof. Properties here vary quite a bit. Newer subdivisions with clean south-facing roof sections are often straightforward for roof-mount design. Older infill lots or properties with mature trees need a shading analysis before we can confirm a layout that actually works. If a roof section won't produce well because of shading or orientation, we say so upfront. On the acreage and rural property side, a heated shop or outbuilding adds meaningful load to the total, and that total is what drives system size, not the house footprint alone. We size from your most recent power bill, not from provincial averages or rule-of-thumb estimates. We don't take a template approach here. A 10 kW system on a new construction home looks very different from a 15 kW ground mount serving a rural acreage with multiple outbuildings. The design review is where we sort out exactly what fits your property.

Yes. FortisAlberta provides electricity distribution to this area, which means your solar interconnection application goes to them, not a municipal utility. FortisAlberta runs the micro-generation program that allows your system to connect to the grid and export excess power. Your electricity retailer handles billing, but the wire service and the interconnection approval process belong to FortisAlberta. We manage the FortisAlberta application as part of every install we do.

System size is driven by your actual usage, not a rule of thumb. We start with the 12-month usage graph on your most recent power bill, which shows seasonal variation across the full year. A site visit then confirms roof or ground-mount conditions, shading, and available area. From that, we build a production model specific to your property. For most residential installs in the area, system size lands somewhere in the 8 to 15 kW range, with 10 kW being the most common starting point for a single-family home.

Yes, we install ground-mount systems where roof layout makes roof-mount impractical or inefficient. That's often the case on acreage properties where the house roof faces the wrong direction, is partially shaded by trees or outbuildings, or doesn't have enough clear south-facing area to fit the system size the property needs. Ground mounts let us orient the array for better production without compromise. We assess both options at the site review and recommend whichever one makes more sense for your specific property.

We install LONGi solar panels and APsystems microinverters on every residential system. LONGi is a tier-one panel manufacturer with a consistent supply chain and a strong track record. APsystems microinverters give you per-panel monitoring, so a shadow from a chimney or a single underperforming panel shows up in the data rather than silently reducing the whole array's output. We don't swap equipment based on what's cheapest that week. You get the same spec every time.

After we complete the installation, we submit an interconnection application to FortisAlberta on your behalf. That package includes the single-line diagram, equipment specifications, and the required forms. FortisAlberta reviews the application and issues interconnection approval before the system can export power to the grid. We don't quote a specific approval timeline because FortisAlberta's review queue varies. What we control is submitting a complete, correct package the first time so nothing comes back for corrections.

An older panel isn't a dealbreaker, but it needs to be assessed before we commit to a system design. We inspect your main panel during the site visit to check the breaker capacity, bus bar rating, and physical condition of the enclosure. If the panel can't support the solar circuits, we include the upgrade scope and cost in your project quote before you commit to anything. The assessment is part of our standard site review, and there are no mid-project surprises.

The one thing we ask for is your most recent power bill. Alberta utility bills include a 12-month usage graph that shows your seasonal consumption pattern across the full year, and that's what we size the system from. We pair that with a site assessment to confirm roof or ground-mount conditions and shading. We provide honest production estimates based on your actual power bills and site conditions, not inflated projections. From there, you'll have a system size, a layout, and a project cost before you commit to anything.

Get a Solar Assessment for Airdrie

Submit a recent power bill and we will review your consumption and provide an honest assessment for your Airdrie property. No obligation.