In addition to the $5,000 grant, the federal government also makes an interest-free loan of up to $40,000 available for energy efficiency upgrades, including solar PV! With a term of 10 years and 0% interest this is too good to pass up. Greener Home Grant
In Canada, and around the world, solar generated electricity is becoming more and more popular. This is for good reasons: The cost of PV modules has dropped more than tenfold in the past decade making solar panels not just affordable but also cost-effective in offsetting the price of electricity. The value of reducing ones carbon footprint has also risen drastically in recent years with climate change and the popularity of the “being greener”.
Provincial governments have recognized this, and are providing Canadians with more and more incentives to make the switch to solar. Whether it is for financial or for environmental reasons, solar makes sense just about everywhere in Canada! Listed by province and territory below are all the incentives and rebates currently available. If your looking to make the next step and determine what size of system you may need then have a look at our If you know of any changes, please Grid-Tie Solar Kits
We try to keep this page up-to-date, but with so much happening in renewable energy in Canada some of the information will inevitably no longer be accurate. If you know of any changes, please let us know so we can keep this page relevant.
Get them while they last! In some provinces the federal incentives are the only thing going, and as we know
these are only a change in government from disappearing again.
A $5,000 grant is available to home owners to make their house more energy-efficient, and this includes solar PV. The process involves getting an energy audit done beforehand, which identifies areas of improvement (and that means you have to inform the auditor that you are planning on adding solar PV), then implementing one or more of those improvements, and finally a second audit that lists what has been done. Besides the $5,0000, another $600 is available to cover the costs of the energy audits.
In addition to the $5,000 grant, the federal government also makes an interest-free loan of up to $40,000 available for energy efficiency upgrades, including solar PV! With a term of 10 years and 0% interest this is too good to pass up.
The Climate Action Incentive Fund
For those in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick (where provinces have not committed to their own carbon pollution pricing systems) there is a rebate for small and medium sized business that invest in green technology, including solar PV. This goes by the name Climate Action Incentive Fund, and provides rebates of up to 25% of project cost, ranging from $20,000 to $250,000. Various energy efficiency upgrades are eligible, including solar PV, hydro, and wind power generation.
The funding for this program comes from carbon tax money, collected by the federal government because the provincial governments are refusing to do so. All the carbon tax money collected is put back into each province’s economy in the form of various subsidies and programs. From an economic perspective this is a pretty good mechanism to encourage change (in this case for businesses to produce less carbon-dioxide in their manufacturing processes), while at the same time being economically neutral, in that it does not cause a downturn to the local economy.
| Province/Territory | Net-Metering | Size Limit | Rebate or Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | Yes | 5 MW | Rebate: Depends |
| British Columbia | Yes | 100 kW | Rate: $0.0999/kWh |
| Manitoba | No | 200 kW | Rate: $0.02403/kWh |
| New Brunswick | Yes | 100 kW | Rebate: $0.20 – $0.30/Watt |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | Yes | 100 kW | Wholesale rate |
| Northwest Territories | Yes | 15 kW | Rebate: 50% up to $50,000 |
| Nova Scotia | Yes | 100 kW | Rebate: $0.60/Watt |
| Nunavut | Yes | 10 kW | Loan available, partially forgivable |
| Ontario | Yes | 500 kW | - |
| Prince Edward Island | Yes | 100 kW | Rebate: $1.00/Watt |
| Quebec | Yes | 50 kW | - |
| Saskatchewan | Yes | 100 kW | Rate: $0.075/kWh |
| Yukon | Yes | 50 kW | Rebate: $0.80/Watt |
BC Hydro has annual net-metering for residential and commercial customers. Eligible customers must have a clean or renewable electricity generator connected to the BC hydro distribution system with an aggregate nameplate capacity no more than 100kW. For systems of 27 kW or less the “simple net-metering” process can be used, while larger systems have to go through the full, and more complex, process. If more energy is generated vs. used in a month the excess is shown as a credit on the electricity bill. If after 12 months there is a net credit (in other words, over a one-year period more electricity is produced than used) the excess is sold to BC Hydro at 9.99 ct/kWh and the credits are set to zero again.
This program enables homeowners in RDN Electoral Areas and the District of Lantzville to save money while upgrading to energy efficient technology in their home. Homeowners that install a solar PV system are eligible to receive a $250 incentive. In addition, effective April 1, 2015, a $400 rebate is available for renewable energy systems that require and obtain a development variance permit.
The province of British Columbia has a provincial sales tax exemption for the following renewable energy system equipment: Solar photovoltaic collector panels, wiring, controllers, and devices that convert direct current into alternating current (inverters), when they are sold as part of a solar photovoltaic system. Solar thermal collector panels, wiring, pumps, tubing, and heat exchangers, when they are sold as part of, a system that includes solar thermal collector panels.
Alberta currently has a number of fantastic incentives going for solar PV! On top of that, Alberta has one of the best solar resources of the country; the southern prairie gets more sunshine than just about any other place in Canada. The Alberta Micro-Generation Regulation allows for annual net-metering of systems up to 5 MW.
Schools in Alberta are in luck! Depending on installed size there is a rebate of $1.50/Watt for systems 10kW and under, going down to $1.00/Watt for the very large systems between 2 and 5 MW in size. Kindergarden through grade 12 schools are eligible.
Municipalities can apply for rebates for installed solar PV under the Municipal Program. Up to 30% of installed cost is available as rebates, with $0.90/Watt for 10kW, going down to $0.55/Watt for systems 2 to 5 MW in size. First-time applicants are also eligible for an additional $0.25/Watt.
Those living in Edmonton are eligible for $0.40/Watt in rebates for installed solar PV on residential buildings.
Residents of the Town of Banff can apply for a rebate of $0.75/Watt for systems between 2 kW and 20 kW in solar PV. Both residential and commercial properties are eligible.
If you happen to live in Medicine Hat this is a great time to install solar PV on your roof! The city offers a rebate of $1.00/Watt, with a maximum of $6,000 in rebates for the installation of solar PV.
The town of Canmore offers loans to fund the initial investment of energy improvements, including solar PV. A new bylaw allows the Town to offer financing for eligible upgrades and recover costs by levying a Clean Energy Improvement Charge on the property where upgrades are installed. This ties repayment to the property, and not the home-owner, so even when the property is sold the repayments continue.
Members of EQUS can get $0.10/Watt in rebates, for up to 5 kW of solar PV. This program is capped at $10,000 total. EQUS members also have the option to request financing for solar installation costs. Subject to approved credit, members may receive $1,500 per kW installed, up to $15,000 total financing per EQUS service. This is capped at $300,000 total for EQUS
This program enables homeowners in RDN Electoral Areas and the District of Lantzville to save money while upgrading to energy efficient technology in their home. Homeowners that install a solar PV system are eligible to receive a $250 incentive. In addition, effective April 1, 2015, a $400 rebate is available for renewable energy systems that require and obtain a development variance permit.
The Residential Earth Power Loan is an option if you are looking to make energy efficiency upgrades to your home, including solar photovoltaic systems. The loan is applicable to residential, non-seasonal customers only. Your monthly payment will be added to your energy bill. The minimum allowable loan amount is $500, and the loan can go up to $30,000 for solar photovoltaic panels. Solar PV financing is calculated based on $3 per watt installed; the maximum term is 15 years; no down payment is required; the loan becomes due and payable when the house is sold; the loan is not transferable; and the annual interest rate is fixed at 4.8 per cent for the first 5 years.
The NB Power Net Metering program provides customers with the option to connect their own environmentally sustainable generation unit to NB Power’s distribution system. In order to qualify generators must produce electricity using a renewable energy resource that does not exceed 100 kW. There are also a number of NB Power technical requirements including using approved equipment, obtain an electrical wiring permit, as well as an inspection and approval by the New Brunswick Department of Public Safety. Any power exported to the grid is converted to credits, and credits reset to zero every March, essentially making this a form of annual net-metering.
For home owners there are incentives to improve energy efficiency, though the Total Home Energy Savings Program. This program pays between $0.20 and $0.30 per Watt of solar PV that is installed. It is important to note that this program pays for many other home energy efficiency improvements as well, not just for solar PV! In fact, having multiple improvements increases the rate that solar is paid out at.
The Energy Smart Commercial Buildings Retrofit Program provides financial incentives for energy efficiency upgrades in a commercial building. The program provides up to $3,300 for the energy audit evaluation. Additionally, the program offers a maximum of $100,000 towards the energy retrofitting project costs that result in measurable electricity savings, including solar photovoltaic systems. The Energy Smart Program outlines a number of requirements that your Energy Management Service Provider must meet in order to be eligible for the program. The implementation funding is on a ‘per gigajoule saved’ basis and is intended for projects that have not yet been started.
