Residential solar is steady trade work in Canada, but the rules that matter are not the rebates, they are who is allowed to connect the system and how it ties to the grid. In every province, the electrical connection of a grid-tied solar system must be done by a licensed electrical contractor in that jurisdiction, an electrical permit and inspection are required, and the local utility runs a net-metering or self-generation process that credits the homeowner for surplus power. There is no federal residential solar grant anymore, so the economics now rest on net metering plus whatever provincial rebate is open at the time.
The federal position
The Canada Greener Homes Grant, which paid toward residential solar, closed to new applicants in February 2024 and is fully wound up. The Greener Homes Loan closed in 2026. There is no replacement federal residential solar grant. The one federal incentive still in play is the 30 percent Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit, and that is for eligible business and commercial installations, not for a typical homeowner. If you do commercial solar for a taxable Canadian business, that credit may apply, with labour conditions attached; for a house roof it does not.
Net metering, province by province
Net metering is the mechanism that makes residential solar work financially. The homeowner stays connected to the grid, exports surplus power, and receives a bill credit. The detail varies, and the credit rates change, so confirm the current rate with the utility:
- Ontario: net metering under Ontario Regulation 541/05, overseen by the Ontario Energy Board, gives 1-to-1 retail-rate credits that roll over up to 12 months and then expire with no cash-out. The micro-generation classification caps residential at 10 kW. Apply through the local distribution company (Toronto Hydro, Hydro One and so on). The old microFIT feed-in-tariff is dead and closed in 2017, with no replacement.
- British Columbia: BC Hydro and FortisBC each run their own net metering, with credits applied to the bill. Confirm the current credit rate with the utility.
- Quebec: Hydro-Quebec net metering for systems up to 40 kW residential. Credits offset the bill through the year, and at the annual reconciliation unused credits are cancelled, Hydro-Quebec does not pay cash for surplus. Prior connection authorization from Hydro-Quebec is mandatory before any grid connection, and the Master Electrician submits that application.
- Alberta: the Micro-generation Regulation under the Alberta Utilities Commission (Rule 024) gives retail-rate bill credits; the customer notifies the distribution operator and submits a single-line diagram and specs.
- Saskatchewan: SaskPower net metering with a per-kilowatt-hour credit rate, credits carried forward for the life of the account at that address, no cash-out. A TSASK electrical permit is required.
- Nova Scotia: NS Power net metering credits at the retail rate with a 12-month rollover and a residential cap, widely regarded as one of the better net-metering deals in Canada.
No feed-in-tariff or guaranteed premium-rate program remains anywhere in Canada. Ontario ended microFIT in 2017 and no province has replaced it, so net metering is the model everywhere.
Who may install and certify
A grid-tied solar system has two parts: the mechanical mounting, which a roofer or general contractor can do, and the electrical connection to the panel and the grid, which by law must be done by a licensed electrical contractor in that province. The connecting body differs:
- Ontario: a Licensed Electrical Contractor registered with the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). An ESA permit is required and the ESA inspects.
- British Columbia: a licensed electrical contractor; and for BC Hydro and CleanBC rebates, the contractor must also be HPCN-registered from 1 June 2026.
- Quebec: a Master Electrician (maitre electricien), who is also the one who files the Hydro-Quebec grid-connection application and runs the compliance test.
- Alberta: an electrical contractor licensed for the local distribution area, submitting the micro-generation form to the operator.
- Saskatchewan: a contractor pulling a TSASK electrical permit, with TSASK inspection.
NABCEP certification (the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners PV Installation Professional credential) is not mandatory anywhere in Canada, but it is recognised and increasingly asked for by clients and program administrators. It does not replace the electrical licence. See Getting Certified for Green Work.
The electrical-authority sign-off, step by step
The pattern is the same across the country, with different authorities filling each role:
- The electrical contractor submits an interconnection or net-metering application to the local utility with a single-line diagram, site plan, equipment specifications and the inverter datasheet.
- The utility reviews for grid hosting capacity and issues approval.
- The licensed electrical contractor installs the system and completes the compliance test.
- The electrical authority (ESA in Ontario, Technical Safety BC, TSASK in Saskatchewan, or the provincial equivalent) inspects and certifies.
- The utility installs a bidirectional meter.
- If a rebate is in play, the contractor submits the rebate application with the interconnection approval and invoice.
Do not let a client switch the system on before the inspection and the utility sign-off. An uninspected grid-tied system is both a safety and a legal problem.
Common mistakes
- Connecting to the grid without the licensed electrical contractor. The mounting can be subbed, the connection cannot. This is a hard legal line in every province.
- Energising before inspection and utility approval. The system is not legal to run until the authority has certified it and the utility has set the bidirectional meter.
- Quoting a rebate figure from memory. Provincial solar rebates change and pause often. Amounts and deadlines change often: check the program's own page before you quote a client.
- Assuming Quebec lets you connect first. Quebec requires Hydro-Quebec authorization before any connection. Installing and then seeking approval is not allowed.
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