Residential Installations

At Intricate Renewables, we make going solar simple, smart, and financially sound. Our residential systems are engineered for performance and tailored to your home’s energy needs — delivering maximum return on investment with minimal hassle. From design to installation, we combine technical precision with transparent service, so you get reliable solar that works for your lifestyle, your budget, and Alberta’s grid. Whether you're looking to cut energy costs, increase property value, or invest in a cleaner future, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

The Intricate Difference

  • Engineered for your home

    Every system is custom-designed for your roof, energy usage, and financial goals — no cookie-cutter installs.

  • Built for Alberta

    We optimize for local climate, grid conditions, and utility rules to ensure long-term performance and reliability.

  • Scalable & battery ready

    Future-proof your investment with systems that can easily integrate storage when you're ready.

  • No gimmicks, just value

    Transparent pricing, honest advice, and no upselling — we earn trust, not commissions.

  • Education-first approach

    We explain everything clearly so you can make confident, informed decisions.

  • Powered by Intricate Group

    Over a decade of energy sector experience means your system is built with professional-grade precision.

The Install Process

Step 1: Design and Optimize:

We start by listening to you, to understand your needs and desires. Our engineering team then uses our industry leading applications to determine the best system for you.

We consider elements such as the amount of sunlight different parts of your home or roof may see, which can be impacted by shading, neighbours, trees, and other obstructions. This helps us determine the solar production we can achieve, which we design for optimal performance and maximum generation based on the angle of the panels, the overall component interactions, and complete system circuity. Performance is maximized while balancing cost of installation, permitting requirements, visual appeal, and economics - finally arriving at what we believe is the perfect system for you.

A formal proposal is presented, often with a couple of options for you to choose from. We have another meeting to walk you through the differences and discuss our recommendations. Once you are comfortable and select an option, we move to the next steps.

Step 2: Permitting

Before any physical work can be started, various permits are required depending on your jurisdiction. Our team consists of regulatory experts who can navigate this process on your behalf, and ensure that everything is compliant with your municipality or county.

First our team’s finalized and stamped engineered drawings will be used for the Alberta microgeneration permit application (once approved you can almost think of yourself as your very own mini utility provider!). Once the microgen application is approved, then municipal permitting is completed, which may include building or development permits.

It is common for your homes electrical panel to require an upgrade, which we provide with a master electrician. Regardless of whether you need a panel upgrade, in all cases, an electrical permit is required and some municipalities also have a solar specific permit.

Step 3: Installation Prep

On the day of the install, we start by marking out and confirming the installation locations of the feet and rails that the solar modules are mounted to.

We also map out all electrical points that we need to tie into. For most homes, this would be the rooftop junction boxes that will connect the solar system to the home's electrical system.

Step 4: Install Feet and Rails

Utilizing top-quality installation materials is essential to ensure a durable and trouble-free solar system installation on your roof.

Our mounting feet feature a rafter-free anchor design combined with a secondary water entry prevention system, providing reliable protection and peace of mind against potential roof issues.

After securely installing the mounting feet, we proceed with the aluminum rail installation, which serves as the foundation for mounting both the inverters and the solar modules. This method guarantees a stable and efficient setup for your solar energy system.

Step 5: Install Inverters and Trunk Cables

Inverters are the technology that converts your solar energy into an electrical current that your house can actually use and consume. There are many different kinds of inverters - but not to worry, our expert engineers will make a recommendation and explain the differences to you. These are installed to ensure the routing of the electrical (AC and DC current) trunk cables properly connect to all solar modules and your home’s AC power system.

Inverters take the solar modules’ DC power and convert it to 240VAC power. The trunk cable is run to connect the inverters in series back to the Rooftop junction boxes.

You can read more about some of this terminology in our blog: Solar 101 Understanding the Basics.

Step 6: Grounding and Junction Boxes

To safely deliver the AC power generated by the inverters to your home's electrical system, specially designed junction boxes are used.

These junction boxes are installed in a manner similar to roof vents, ensuring a secure and weather-resistant fit. They serve as the connection point where the main trunk cables and grounding wires converge, allowing the electrical wiring to be routed efficiently into your roof's attic space.

This setup not only maintains the integrity of your roofing but also facilitates a clean and organized transition between the solar energy system and your household electrical infrastructure.


Step 7: Install Solar Modules

Now that everything is in place, it is the big moment you have been waiting for! This is the main component that converts suns energy into usable power for your home. It is installed to the racking and connected to the electrical components we previously prepared.

Installers bring up the modules to the roof and mount them on the rail using specially designed mounts that secure the module and electrically bound it to the rails and back to the homes electrical system. 


Step 8: Tie-In to Electrical Panel

Final connections to the electrical panel are made using all necessary breakers and disconnects, fully complying with the Canadian Electrical Code to ensure safety and reliability.

An interesting and important feature of your new solar system is its ability to send excess power back to the grid during periods of overproduction—like sunny summer days. This means any surplus energy generated can flow through your existing electrical distribution infrastructure and contribute to the wider energy network, potentially reducing your overall energy costs and supporting a more sustainable power system.

You can read more about this on our blog: Solar 101 Buying and Selling from the Grid.


Step 9: Inspections, Commissioning, and Startup

Lastly, the final permit inspections are conducted by your local municipality as well as your wire services provider. After these inspections are successfully completed and all requirements met, your power company will install a bi-directional meter. This meter plays a crucial role by accurately measuring both the electricity you purchase from the grid and the excess power your system feeds back into it.

Following the installation of the meter, the setup and commissioning of your solar energy system are finalized. At this point, the system is handed over to you, the homeowner, equipped with the tools and information needed to monitor its performance. This allows you to take full control and, who knows, maybe even become an energy nerd like all of us here at Intricate Renewables!

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • Costs vary based on system size, roof type, and energy needs — but we provide clear, upfront quotes with no hidden fees.

    In Alberta, the average cost runs between $2.50 to $3.50 per watt installed.

    This means a typical residential system would cost between $15,000 and $35,000 before incentives.

    This number can be refined once we discuss your goals, home size, energy consumption, system needs, and incentive options.

  • Think of your monthly electricity bill as a sunk cost — money you pay every month with no return. With solar, that same payment can go toward owning your energy system. Instead of paying the utility, you’re investing in your own power source.

    • No Net Change in Monthly Costs: In many cases, your solar install costs (if financing) is similar to your current utility bill — but now you're building equity in a system that adds value to your home.

    • Offset Rising Rates: Solar protects you from future rate hikes by locking in your energy costs.

    • Increase Property Value: Homes with solar systems can be more attractive to buyers and often sell for more.

    • Own Your Power: After the system is paid off, your energy is essentially free — no more monthly bills, just long-term savings. With the trend in energy prices, owning your own power just makes sense long term.

  • Not necessarily. Batteries are optional but can help with grid export limits, backup power, and future time-of-use rates. We design systems to be battery-ready, so you can always add batteries at a later date.

  • Solar still works in winter and low-light conditions, though output can be reduced. Parts of Alberta, especially Southern Alberta (like the Calgary region) are some of the sunniest geographies in all of Canada.

    Your system is designed to account for seasonal variation and is supported by battery and/or grid backup.

  • Most residential installs take 1–3 days once permits and approvals are in place. We handle everything from start to finish, including panel upgrades, grid tie-in, and your local permitting requirements.

  • No, solar panel racking is installed using mounting feet designed specific to your roof type. They typically include a flexible butyl rubber seal as well as a metal flashing over top. This belt and suspenders approach is not typical for most solar installers because it takes extra time to install, but something we do to ensure a leak free install on your home!