Maybe, but lets think about what the issue is we’re resolving. Are we protecting from current & experienced grid failure issues? Preparing for a future with an unstable grid? To what extent is backup power needed and for how long? If needed, we prepare the infrastructure to be “ready for” these items and the solar products we use are generally forward compatible with universal battery options. It’s important to consider these needs as they can change how the electrical service is configured and we can review these options with you. Cost is another factor. Batteries are still a very expensive option but they can be set up in a “start small, add more cells in the future” manner, plug and play. Generators are reliable, but must be isolated from grid-tied solar unless special inverters are used requiring more cost and electrical service organization. Critical loads backup vs whole home power is a consideration. We consult on and design/build custom solutions so don’t worry. We can explain and arrive at just what you want/need. We’re not interested in taking money for something that isn’t needed and want you to be happy not only when you buy from us but also many years later.
Each situation is different and we want to present the right option for what you need to do. Many consults for education and advice are free in broad terms. Deeper analysis with reporting and documented plans, engineering reviews etc can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Inspection services may be as simple as a service call and a follow up with the information you required, or we may end up doing more significant documented reporting, legal paperwork, emergency repairs while on site, or coordinate with other companies as needed on your behalf. A simple visual inspection or a more deep disassembly & close inspection may be required. It’s understandable how this could be a few hundred to several thousands of dollars.
We will consult with you for free in advance and make it as clear as possible before proceeding, including providing you with a budgetary estimate with terms, or an all-in invoice in advance where appropriate.
Whether its a home, workshop, multi-unit residential complex or commercial building we can discuss your goals and priorities, go through the plans, advise on equipment, pre-wiring options, and certain material choices… We can have a great free consult talking about the basics you can pass on to your builder to make your life easier with solar and other needs or we can pre-design and ready everything for permits in advance and spec all the equipment for your electrical so that you can ensure the service and other main wiring will be ready to do what you want the first time.
By planning well, we empower you to get a cleaner (and therefore cheaper/faster) result from your builder the first time without worrying about upcharges, questions etc.
Going deeper into green building practices that you could incorporate into your project may add significant value beyond solar and electrical, even resulting in new structural design, heating/cooling elements, insulation and airflow technologies etc.
Education and training for staff on solar value and benefits, construction planning you can put forward to all builds using proper equipment specifications and wiring methods making solar cheaper down the road, pre-designed solar packages for your specific plan sets with pricing you can rely on as a good guide when passing to customers, and other general best practices that are easy to follow and understand regarding construction methods, roofing/exterior materials, and the consequences of certain common builder decisions.
Depending on the situation an inspection will be tailored to your needs according to the type and depth of inspection requested after a good chat with us to understand your situation and expectations. A few elements that are commonly included:
Here’s a draft:
What makes SolarNinjas qualified to provide expert third-party advice?
The short answer is that there is no one in this province with a deeper, more hands-on history in this industry than Michael and the SolarNinjas team.
Michael is a founding figure in Alberta’s solar industry with over 15 years of direct, ground-level experience — not as an observer, but as an active participant in shaping the industry itself. He has served on advisory panels that guided provincial legislation and government rebate programs, contributed to the challenging and evolution of electrical codes and jurisdictional legal practices, and helped formulate the inspection standards now used by the largest municipalities in the province. He has worked directly with utilities to shape microgrid approval processes and standards, and continues to push for improvement in those practices today.
SolarNinjas has never had a failed project. That’s not a marketing claim — it’s a track record built over a decade and a half of work in a technically demanding, heavily regulated field.
Beyond the technical, Michael brings a lifetime of parallel experience in engineering, business, and public advocacy. He has spent decades involved in politics, local and international charity work, and initiatives covered by media at every level. When customers, contractors, or industry partners have found themselves in distress — including legal conflicts with contractors — SolarNinjas has a history of stepping in, understanding the situation, and digging in where warranted.
Michael is widely recognized as an industry-leading expert across multiple disciplines, and SolarNinjas operates from a core belief that supporting and improving the industry as a whole is not optional — even when it’s uncomfortable. Our reputation is built on strict ethics, radical transparency, and a long record of advocacy that puts people before politics.
When you need truly independent expert advice, that kind of background isn’t just valuable. It’s irreplaceable.
If you’re not going to buy an EV “right away” but may in the coming future or want to sell your home as “ev ready” as well as “solar powered” it can be beneficial to run the power circuit to the logical area (such as garage) even if it is just waiting in a box for the future and not installed into the electrical panel on a breaker yet. You don’t need to buy a charger.
We can tell you how hard it is, what it would cost, and if we can work it into your system price if you’re buying solar from us :) It might be a luxury extra, but sometimes those are great too.
These can be a bit touchy if there isnt an easy way to move power from one place to another but any facility level client has a wide range of options to choose from including free, pay per use, subscription model chargers that can be installed. These can be managed by on site personnel like laundry services would be, or ran by a third party seamlessly. Anything from adding a charger or heavy plugin capability as an amenity for staff and customers at a small business to running a line of dedicated high powered charging stations for public (or private fleet) use is possible.
It always starts with a consultation and investigation of available incentives/programs which might be available… and identifying clients needs.
Engineering first.. Sales second.
Many small cars and hybrids are well served by a single 20 Amp 240 volt receptacle and using a factory provided or aftermarket L1 plug such as TURBOCORD which does not require a mounted and wired charger at all. A standard available heavy duty extension cord can run these an additional 25 to 50 feet no problem as well for those without attached driveway parking and limited power (like a condo or townhouse).
This option can give you more than DOUBLE the power available from a normal 15 amp plug in receptacle.
Oh how we love these “it depends” questions ;) This is why we talk to customers about what they bought, how their life works, and what might be the best for them that fits into their electrical infrastructure and budgets. Our standard is a level higher than industry norms. We run 50 amp wiring for 30-40 amp chargers to allow for cooler operation and future growth where needed. 65 amp wiring for 42-50amp chargers and on up from there in standard sizing. If you bought a small hybrid car vs a full battery SUV or pickup it makes a big difference and whether you have an expensive electrical upgrade waiting for you to install that beefy charger.
Some folks need a charging solution that can handle power sharing between 2 or more cars.
Honestly,most people default to wanting “the biggest/fastest” but in many years of experience most are more than satisfied with a 30 or 40 amp L2 home charger as they mostly will be topping up from 50 or 70%+ and unless you really want to fill that tesla from near dead in only a few hours, more isnt really a benefit given the costs associated.
Energy monitors can track individual load circuits, helping you track down phantom waste energy, monitor how much you’re spending for cooking, laundry drying, block heater or car charger usage, lighting and other loads like the microwave and fridge. By doing this, you can even see over time when equipment may be wearing out or having problems. You can have alarms when something has run for too long (a stove for example left on) or has NOT run (for example, your fridge has consumed no electricity for 12 hours) allowing you to step in before a catastrophic event.
Our energy monitoring system even allows you to tie in smart products like controls, so you can schedule or turn on/off plugged in appliances (like garden lights, block heaters, lamps, heaters etc) and tie smart EV chargers to adjust charging rates and times.
You can use some or all of these features and more easily from the palm of your hand by phone, tablet or web access and increase peace of mind, comfort and security while optimizing the savings or energy sales you enjoy from solar.
It brings everything to one place, which simplifies things at a glance.
You probably hate hearing “it depends” but it does. Energy monitors installed in one panel or 3 panels with 1 circuit to up to 16 circuits each will range in price and time to install and configure. A good bet is to mentally budget $1,000 and in many cases it will be less, and where it will be more you will understand because it can be clearly explained and you can choose how deep you want to go.
Energy Management can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 presently, depending on what equipment is needed, how many circuits (channels) you need and if its to be installed indoors or outdoors.
Energy management absolutely can NOT. A licensed electrician must install it along with your solar or charging circuits as part of the project. They require specific calibration by a professional so are not advised for DIY.
Energy Monitoring *CAN* be installed by a DIYer but, we most often see horror shows and damages caused by untrained people jamming these sensors into their electrical panel and then wiring the brain up however they can. There is a real value to professionals having access to special tools, equipment from the manufacturer which you won’t have off the shelf, and the ability to legally install these according to local codes whether inside the electrical panel or adjacent to it using safe wiring methods. We routinely spot emerging problems (like a mechanic checking out your car during normal service) and while installing we tidy up existing wiring to be safer, correct minor problems, tighten and service everything along the way and generally have it done the way you would want it done if you knew all about how to do it… without you needing to do a thing.
An energy monitor like the Vue Gen3 can tell you exactly where your solar energy was used, how much was sold to the grid, and provide you with a revenue grade metering record independent of the utility and their delayed or estimated records. It “completes the loop” from your built in solar monitoring system that shows you how much power you GENERATED and lets you see how and where it was used so you can understand,optimize and adjust for even better savings.
Well, regarding load management we work closely with the manufacturers constantly advising engineering and development teams on improvements related to how the products work, and therefore have a high level of mastery in how to apply them so you get the benefit of hiring people who actually helped develop and build the actual technology not just folks trained to put wires in the right place in a box… We’re proud to have helped develop a universal product tailored to the needs of the industry from the highest standards right here in Alberta. The VEC product is the brainchild of an absolutely brilliant local engineer and from its design to functionality, features and documentation, even to getting it approved by local authorities, we’ve been right there helping make it happen and make it better. We love the team at V-Electric Power (VEP) who invented this lovely product, and happy to help this product evolve to be used by everyone in the industry. We lead the way and set the bar as a standard operating procedure.
With energy management, we’re just happy to do it nicely, help clients understand the value, solve problems and dodge issues along the way and be confident that they’re getting what they need and not some junk product from online.
