How long did it take to build it and get it connected to the grid?

It took the Sun Volts Unlimited crew about three days to build our system.

However, connecting to the grid is another story.

In our case, we had it installed in July 2009, before the microFIT program was officially launched, so we had to wait for that to happen, on October 1, 2009. Then we had to put in our application, and wait for that to get approved.

The approval came in December, 2009. At that point, the next step is to get the meters installed. In our case, we needed two “bi-directional” meters, one to monitor the production of the array, and the other to replace our existing meter. We needed bi-directional meters since in our hookup, electricity can now flow in either direction, to or from the grid. Newer microFIT systems are connected to the grid differently, and your regular meter will be unaffected.

In our case specifically, there were some crossed signals and lost paperwork between us and Hydro One and Toronto Hydro and the Electrical Safety Authority, so the meter installation took a long time to get the green light. But eventually, we got connected to the grid on March 24, 2010.

So it took eight months in total. Your mileage may vary!