Albertans have many reasons to consider making the switch to solar. While our province has some of the highest electricity costs in the country, it also receives the most sunlight hours out of any province in Canada, meaning Alberta boasts the quickest average time to pay off solar in the country.
Another great benefit available to Albertans are the available programs that are designed to maximize the impact of solar microgeneration on your family’s bank account.
There are two main plans/programs that can benefit Microgenerators – UtilityNET’s Solar Club and Enmax Energy’s Easymax Seasonal Solar – that function similarly in how they improve the long term savings solar offers. In this article, we are going to analyze both programs and determine the differences, as well as hopefully point you in the direction that would work best for you.
The Core Concept
Both Easymax Seasonal Solar and The Solar Club are designed to maximize the value of electricity sold to the grid by microgenerators.
When any grid-tied micro generator produces more electricity than they use, the excess is sold back into the grid, typically in exchange for credits that can be used towards a future energy bill.
According to the Alberta government’s Microgeneration regulation, the cost of the electricity you sell to the grid in a period must be equal to the cost of electricity you buy from the grid.
The way that both programs function is by offering a higher summer rate exclusive for microgenerators. If your solar installation regularly generates more energy than what you use and you sell the excess to the grid, the credits you will earn will be valued much higher on the summer rate than otherwise. When the season changes, and you are realistically not able to meet your energy demand with the energy you produce, let alone generate excess electricity you can switch back to a cheaper rate, and put your accumulated credits into paying off your wintertime electricity bill.
The Comparison
Enmax Easymax Seasonal Solar
Seasonal Solar is available to Easymax by Enmax customers. With a competitive high rate for the summer months, and your option of Easymax rate (fixed or floating term) for the rest of the year, Seasonal Solar is an easy way to make the most out of your solar electricity.
Pre-existing Easymax customers can use their current Rate fall through early Spring, while qualifying for the high rate in the summer months. Depending the rate you are signed on for, this could be a benefit over the solar club, which both the low and high rate are consistent and the same across the board. However, we should note that at the time of writing, the low-rate available to The Solar Club is cheaper than cheapest rate offered by EasyMax.
UtilityNET Solar Club
The Solar Club is offered by dozens of different community marketers throughout the province, but is ultimately operated by UtilityNET. These marketers will invariably be very similar to one another, with the same high and low rates (fees will vary between marketers).
There are a few unique incentives that the Solar Club offers to its members. For starters, each year you earn 3% cash back on your imported Electricity, as well as Natural Gas usage with the Solar Club marketer. The Solar Club is environmentally minded, offering to offset half of your grid imports with green RECs, automatically.
The flexibility offered by the Solar Club is ultimately its strongest selling point: You can choose to have your credits paid out directly, and you can even retroactively change between the rates, as far back as your last billing cycle.
| Category | UtilityNET Solar Club | Enmax Easymax Seasonal Solar |
| Requirements | Small microgenerator site (<150 kW) with a bidirectional cumulative meter, donation to your local food bank. | Small microgenerator site (<150 kW) with a bidirectional cumulative meter. |
| High Rate | 30 cents per kWh | 30 cents per kWh |
| Low Rate | Approx. 8.49 cents/ kWh | Easymax rate |
| How often can you change | Once per billing cycle without penalty | Once per billing cycle without penalty |
| When change comes into effect | Can choose an effective date as far back as your last meter read date, | 1 business day of the rest requested change |
| Payment | Bill credit or Direct payment | Bill credit |
| Cashback | 3% cashback on all energy imported from the grid | Non-Applicable |
Our conclusions
While both options are strong ways to maximize your solar microgeneration, we favor the Solar Club slightly over Easymax Seasonal Solar, primarily for their flexibility and their commitments to the environment.
If you are already an Easymax customer, it makes too much sense staying with Enmax – it will be easy to get started on the Seasonal rate, and you can switch between the Seasonal rate and your pre-existing Easymax rate – which might be cheaper than what the Solar Clubs offer you.
In terms of flexibility, we must give points out to the Solar Club. From flexibility with the date of change, where you can choose a day within the last month, to having the option to use your payment for future bills or have it paid to you directly, the Solar Club is a member friendly program that is strongly invested in the environment and Microgeneration in Alberta.
With that being said, both programs are strong choices for Albertan solar microgenerators that can improve the return on your solar investment.
