Site 58 – Retirement Home

Our need was for a solar system that could provide electricity during the daytime to meet the resort’s total electricity demand while maintaining a lower cost than Centlec. Our primary goal was to achieve financial savings for the resort/legal entity.

When the system became operational in April 2023, we were saving 39% per unit of power during the daytime compared to Centlec’s average daytime tariff, which consists of a mix of time-of-consumption tariffs. With Centlec’s 2023 price increase, our savings rose to 43%. Following the 2024 Centlec increase, savings further improved to 47%, and with the anticipated 2025 Centlec increase, we expect savings to exceed 50%. These savings are passed on to the owners in the form of reduced levies, with the majority of owners voting on how the savings should be allocated.

The system operates in the background, and most residents in the resort are largely unaware of its presence. In December 2024, an information session was held to provide updates. We are satisfied with the service provided, and the negotiation, installation, and implementation of the system, as well as its ongoing maintenance, have been running smoothly.

A significant majority of owners (90%) voted in favor of installing the solar system. We have a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Enfin, which allowed us to proceed without any capital expenditure. Under this agreement, we have no responsibility for maintenance or insurance, making it a win-win solution. The more solar power we use, the more we save, and Enfin is only paid for the energy units we consume, ensuring that the system remains in optimal working condition at all times.

The agreement extends for 25 years, meaning we have no operational expenses during this period. Approximately 30% of the resort’s electricity is supplied by solar energy, and annual cost increases are capped at a maximum of 7%. The long-term nature of this agreement is particularly valuable to us, as we do not have the expertise to manage the system ourselves or take on the associated responsibilities.

The monitoring application (app) provides valuable insights into the resort’s electricity consumption, further enhancing our understanding and management of energy usage.