The switch is about to flip on as a local homeowner is ready to put his new solar panel system to the test, the first solar installation in Lacombe under Alberta's energy efficiency program.

Under the province's Residential and Commercial Solar Program, it offers rebates to homeowners, businesses and non-profits that install solar photovoltaic systems, and according to Remi Watts with CarbonBite Innovations in Red Deer, who installed the system for Lacombe's Harvey Glasier, he'll receive 30% back on the final cost of his system.

Glasier, with the help of CBI Solar, installed 22 solar panels on a south facing slope of his rooftop in Elizabeth Park.

He explains the output of his new system.

“It’ll produce upwards of 8,000 kilowatt hours per year, depending on the weather, I mean it’s all weather related, which is a bit more than we’ve historically been using.  So in effect it should produce all of our power, except it over produces in the summer and under produces in the winter.  When we over produce it’s sold to the grid and then when we are under producing or at night when there is no sun, we’re buying from the grid.  We end up at the end of the month, they figure the net for the month and we pay for power or we get paid for power depending upon the amounts”.

Watts with CBI Solar says there's been a lot more interest from homeowners, businesses and municipalities to make the switch to solar since the province announced added incentives.

“You know we’ve been operation for quite a few years, well before the government stuff as well, and you know we always had lots of interest then and little pet projects here and there, but with the government investment and government rebate being available we started to reach a peak moment here where lots of people are interested”.

Watts says their largest solar install to date was at Sylvan Star Cheese near Sylvan Lake, a 460 panel, 122 kilowatts system.

When it comes to Glasier’s motivation for the project, it wasn’t so much the government incentive.

He made the move to Lacombe from Dawson Creek, BC, where he's a member of the Peace Energy Co-op, where he says there is more interest in solar.   There’s more sunshine here so he called it a no-brainer, saying it’s his feel good project, where he knows he'll enjoy good return on his investment.

“We feel good because we put this on the roof.  Some people will spend an extra $15,000 and buy an upscale model of car or an upscale brand of car and they will pay an extra $15,000 because they feel good.  But I know I’m going to get my money back a lot quicker than somebody that spent an extra $15,000 on an upscale car”.

(photo's of the install courtesy of CBI Solar in Red Deer)