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I’m not at all defending this, but before you freak out, it’s a $14 fee per solar panel. Not like 25% tax on utilities that produce solar or somesuch. In case

I’m not at all defending this, but before you freak out, it’s a $14 fee per solar panel. Not like 25% tax on utilities that produce solar or somesuch. In case you want to appropriately calibrate your anger.

cmrdporcupine 11d ago
The $14 is what ARMA claims in their press relesaes but they haven't broken down where they came at that number. Many analysts seem to think it could be much higher. The net effect along with other regulatory moves the AB gov't has taken (they banned all renewables projects outright for some months a couple years ag) is to discourage investment in what was formerly a growing sector.
SkiFire13 11d ago
> it’s a $14 fee per solar panel Note that usually you mount many solar panels, not just one, so this will stack relatively quickly.
- davidee 11d ago
  If you're building out, say 12kw of PV, that's about 24 panels for a modern install (500w bifacial n panels). So a $336 premium, or roughly 1.3 additional panels in terms of cost. While sure, that's not nothing, it's ~$6700 vs ~$7050, or a ~5% premium to the pre-tax cost of the panels.
  - testing22321 11d ago
    Panels are much cheaper than that. Here’s 31 445W panels for $4,650, full retail. This is literally the first google result I clicked. Two and a half years ago I bought 18 405W panels for $3,312, full retail. They were cheaper wholesale. https://cdnsolar.ca/products/canadian-solar-445w-all-black-pallet-31-panels https://cdnsolar.ca/products/canadian-solar-445w-all-black-p...
tamimio 11d ago
It will only make sense if the per cost panel is less than certain number (if my math is correct it should be $175), but if the panel cost is over $175 then even with more sales taxes in other provinces the total will be cheaper. That is of course on capital cost not operational, also, not counting the “forced recycling” mentioned.
GoToRO 11d ago
First you introduce the tax, then you increase it. Minimum public anger. They messed up because it's a recycling tax that I presume does not apply to... everything? So it feels punitive. Also it's big. I pay way less recycling tax on bigger and harder to recycle items.

cmrdporcupine 11d ago

The $14 is what ARMA claims in their press relesaes but they haven't broken down where they came at that number. Many analysts seem to think it could be much higher. The net effect along with other regulatory moves the AB gov't has taken (they banned all renewables projects outright for some months a couple years ag) is to discourage investment in what was formerly a growing sector.

SkiFire13 11d ago

> it’s a $14 fee per solar panel Note that usually you mount many solar panels, not just one, so this will stack relatively quickly.

davidee 11d ago
If you're building out, say 12kw of PV, that's about 24 panels for a modern install (500w bifacial n panels). So a $336 premium, or roughly 1.3 additional panels in terms of cost. While sure, that's not nothing, it's ~$6700 vs ~$7050, or a ~5% premium to the pre-tax cost of the panels.
- testing22321 11d ago
  Panels are much cheaper than that. Here’s 31 445W panels for $4,650, full retail. This is literally the first google result I clicked. Two and a half years ago I bought 18 405W panels for $3,312, full retail. They were cheaper wholesale. https://cdnsolar.ca/products/canadian-solar-445w-all-black-pallet-31-panels https://cdnsolar.ca/products/canadian-solar-445w-all-black-p...

tamimio 11d ago

It will only make sense if the per cost panel is less than certain number (if my math is correct it should be $175), but if the panel cost is over $175 then even with more sales taxes in other provinces the total will be cheaper. That is of course on capital cost not operational, also, not counting the “forced recycling” mentioned.

GoToRO 11d ago

First you introduce the tax, then you increase it. Minimum public anger. They messed up because it's a recycling tax that I presume does not apply to... everything? So it feels punitive. Also it's big. I pay way less recycling tax on bigger and harder to recycle items.