Greener Homes Grants?

The Canada Greener Homes Grant provides funding to homeowners of up to $5,600 for energy efficent home retrofits, including renewable energy systems such as solar. Owners of Small Multi-Unit Residential Buildings may be eligble for the grant. Additional funds can be obtained for resiliency measures, such as installation of a battery back-up system for a solar PV array. More information click here.

What are My Choices to Get Solar?

There are a number of straightforward and creative options available. Equipment costs for solar PV systems have decreased by over 75% since 2008, making solar more accessible for homeowners and businesses to implement today. There are benefits to both buying and financing a PV system. Financing can be an easier option for many, as it doesn’t require buying the system upfront, but carries the additional cost of financing reducing rate of return.

If you are not a home or building owner, but wish to purchase solar energy then the energy co-op model could be a great fit. More information on energy coops can be found here.

Lastly, for those seeking to build community around solar and save more money, starting or joining a solar panel bulk buy initiative can be a great option, e.g. the Fernwood NRG initiative.

PST Exemption:

In British Columbia, all solar equipment costs are exempt from PST (panel, wiring, controllers, devices, when they are all sold as part of a solar PV system). This reduces the upfront cost of your PV system by 7% (excluding batteries).

Net Metering:

Net Metering is a program whereby eligible homeowners can reduce their net energy demand by supplying their home with solar electricity and exporting surplus generated energy back onto the grid for credit towards their electricity bill.

Here’s how it works. When the sun is available on your solar modules, their power will be converted by the system and fed into your home. The loads in your home will consume this power and any power left over will flow back into the grid.

Your utility will subtract the value of electricity you supply to the grid (outflow) from the value taken from the grid (inflow). What you’ll see on your bill is the net difference between those two amounts.

To learn more about net metering, please visit BC Hydro's Website.

Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance:

Accelerated Capital Cost is a federal rebate program for commercial renewable energy systems. Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) is a yearly deduction in the Canadian income tax that can be claimed on depreciable assets in the first year. As of Fall 2019, renewable energy systems are included. This permits the buyer to recover more quickly from the cost of their investment by paying fewer taxes over the coming years.

To learn more about Capital Cost Allowance, click here.