Aerial view of a residential solar panel installation in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Client Case Study

18 kW Solar Install in Sydney, NS

Real system specs and real numbers for Nolan's property at 14 Bardmoor Crescent, Sydney, NS, offsetting 91% of annual electricity use.

Solar design, roof layout, and monthly production versus consumption forecast for the Bardmoor Crescent, Sydney installation
Sydney, NSSolar design, production and consumption forecast
Project at a Glance

A Sydney Property Locking In Against Rising NS Power Rates

Nolan's home at 14 Bardmoor Crescent in Sydney is a high-usage property, 19,957 kWh annually, that called for one of the larger residential systems in our recent project set: 36 panels across two roof planes for 18 kW total capacity.

System Size
18
kW DC
Panels
36
500W LONGi mono
Annual Production
18,256
kWh/year
Usage Offset
91%
of annual electricity use

System Specifications

  • Solar panels: LONGi LR8-54HGBB 500W Tier-1 monocrystalline modules, CSA approved for the Canadian market.
  • Microinverters: Hoymiles HMS series (HMS-1800/900/500 mix sized to the array), panel-level monitoring included.
  • Racking: Pion Solar racking and roofing accessories, engineered for Nova Scotia snow and wind loads.
  • Design package: full production and consumption forecast with professional engineering stamping.
  • Installed by: the OYO Energy crew, start to finish. No subcontractors touched this roof.

LONGi Panels

500W Tier-1 monocrystalline modules, CSA approved for the Canadian market.

Hoymiles Inverters

HMS-1800/900/500 series with panel-level monitoring included.

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Pion Racking

Engineered for Nova Scotia snow and wind loads.

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Engineered Design

Full production forecast with professional engineering stamping.

Equipment We Trust
LONGi solar panel manufacturer logo Hoymiles microinverter manufacturer logo Pion Power solar racking manufacturer logo Better Business Bureau accredited business logo
Cost Breakdown

What This System Cost

Sydney Install, 18 kW
Cash purchase price, all-in
Equipment, labour, permits (subtotal)$38,700
HST (15% NS)$5,418
Total all-in cash price$44,118
Bill PeriodNS Power Only25-Year Solar Loan @ 4.95%Savings
Bi-Monthly$676.89$590.78$86.11

Financing: 25-Year Solar Loan @ 4.95%. Figures are the customer's actual proposal numbers. Individual results vary based on roof, usage, and financing terms selected.

25-Year Outlook

Cumulative Cost: Staying on NS Power vs. Going Solar

Modelled from this property's actual system cost and a 27.98¢/kWh 25-Year Average average NS Power rate versus a 16.79¢/kWh effective solar rate, based on continued NS Power rate increases.

$0 $80k $160k $240k $320k Year 0 Year 5 Year 12 Year 18 Year 25 BREAK-EVEN ~$296k lifetime (no solar) ~$80k lifetime (with solar)
Cost of staying on NS Power
Cost of going solar with OYO
Break-even point

Illustrative cumulative cost comparison built from this property's real system price and bill data, assuming continued NS Power rate increases consistent with the province's historical average since 2002. Actual results depend on weather, equipment performance, and future rate changes.

~$216,491
Estimated 25-year net savings vs. staying on NS Power
Year 10
Cash Payback
If purchased outright
27.98¢
25-Year Average NS Power Rate
per kWh, provincial average
16.79¢
25-Year Average Solar Rate
per kWh, effective cost
How It Was Financed

Our Approach for This Property

We modelled two financing terms for this property: a 20-year loan bringing the bi-monthly cost to $657.54, a modest $19.35 savings, and a 25-year loan bringing it down further to $590.78, an $86.11 bi-monthly savings. Nolan chose the 25-year term for the stronger monthly cash flow improvement.

At 91% offset against nearly 20,000 kWh of annual usage, this is one of the largest and highest-producing systems in our portfolio, and it illustrates a broader Cape Breton pattern: outage-conscious homeowners here often size toward their full usage rather than a partial offset.

Serving Sydney

Part of Our Cape Breton Service Area

This installation falls within our Cape Breton service area, where we handle permitting, NS Power interconnection, and applicable municipal financing programs directly. See our full Cape Breton solar page for local sizing benchmarks, financing options, and FAQs specific to the area.

FAQs

Questions About This Project

Why compare a 20-year and a 25-year loan term here?
Longer terms lower the monthly payment but extend total interest paid. For a system this size, the difference between a 20 and 25-year term meaningfully changed monthly cash flow, so we modelled both so Nolan could choose based on his own priorities rather than a single default term.
Is an 18 kW system typical for Sydney?
It is on the larger end, generally reserved for higher-usage households or properties adding battery backup given the island's outage patterns. Most Cape Breton residential quotes fall in the 8 to 12 kW range; this property's usage simply called for more capacity.

Get the Same Analysis for Your Home

Send us a recent NS Power bill. We'll model your specific roof, system size, and financing options with real numbers like the ones above.

Get Your Free Estimate

Or call directly: (888) 868-8529