Solar panel calculator (Canada)
In Canada your electricity price matters more than your sunshine: Calgary and Regina get similar sun, but very different power prices. Enter your bill, pick your province and see the system size, cost and payback.
Your inputs
Fills in your province's electricity price (Hydro-Québec comparison) and solar production (PVGIS).
Typical: US 1300–1700 (south sunnier) · Canada 1100–1450 · Germany 950–1050 · India 1400–1700 · UK 850–1000
$2,420–$3,750 per kW installed (EnergyHub survey, last updated Sept 2023)
No federal solar grant or loan open in 2026 (Greener Homes Grant ended, Loan closed); check provincial programmes
Estimated results
- Annual electricity used
- 11,250 kWh
- Recommended system size
- 8.7 kW
- Gross installed cost
- $28,904
- Net cost after incentive
- $28,904
- Estimated annual production
- 11,250 kWh
- Annual electricity bill savings
- $1,800
- Simple payback
- 16.1 years
- 15-yr loan payment (7.5% APR)
- $268/month
- vs. avoided bill
- $150/month
- 25-year net savings
- $16,096
Estimates only. Actual prices vary by installer, state/region, system specification, and time. Get three independent installer quotes before any commitment.
Solar payback by province
| Province | Power price | kWh per kW | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 22.9¢ | 1,455 | 10.0 yrs |
| Prince Edward Island | 19.7¢ | 1,339 | 12.7 yrs |
| Nova Scotia | 20.5¢ | 1,263 | 12.9 yrs |
| Saskatchewan | 17.9¢ | 1,445 | 12.9 yrs |
| New Brunswick | 16.6¢ | 1,270 | 15.8 yrs |
| Ontario | 15.6¢ | 1,263 | 17.0 yrs |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 15.6¢ | 1,116 | 19.2 yrs |
| British Columbia | 12.6¢ | 1,168 | 22.7 yrs |
| Manitoba | 10.5¢ | 1,392 | 22.8 yrs |
| Quebec | 8.3¢ | 1,287 | 31.3 yrs |
Simple payback at $3.34 per watt installed (EnergyHub national average) with full net metering: installed price ÷ (output per kW × electricity price). Your bill size does not change it; your quote, roof and export credit do.
Defaults and sources
- Residential electricity price
- Largest city in your province when you pick one; average of the ten cities 16.0 cents/kWhHydro-Québec, Comparison of Electricity Prices in Major North American Cities 2025 (rates in effect April 1, 2025; 1,000 kWh/month, largest city per province) · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Solar production per kW
- Modelled for the largest city in your provincePVGIS 5.3 (European Commission JRC): south-facing, 30 degree tilt, 14% system losses, ERA5 weather 2005-2023 · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Installed price, home solar
- $2.42-$3.75 per watt across provinces ($4.00+ in Newfoundland and Labrador); national average $3.34/W. Survey last updated September 2023EnergyHub, Cost of Solar Power in Canada (industry survey; no official statistics exist) · checked Oct 27, 2026
- Canada Greener Homes Loan
- Closed: funding fully committed, no new applicationsNatural Resources Canada · checked Oct 27, 2026
How the calculator works
Your monthly bill divided by your electricity rate gives annual use; dividing that by your province's production per kW gives the system size that covers it. Installed cost uses the EnergyHub per-watt survey tiers.
Savings assume every solar kWh offsets a kWh at your rate, which holds under full net metering. Several provinces credit exports at less than retail; lower the rate or expect a longer payback there.
Solar in Canada: common questions
Is solar worth it in Canada in 2026?
It depends mostly on your power price. At EnergyHub's $3.34/W national average and full net metering, simple payback is about 10 years in Alberta and 13 in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan, 17 in Ontario, and over 20 in British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec, where electricity is cheap.
How much do solar panels cost in Canada?
EnergyHub's survey puts the national average at $3.34 per watt, with provincial ranges from $2.42 to $3.75 ($4.00+ in Newfoundland and Labrador). Its figures were last updated in September 2023, so compare them with current quotes.
Is there a federal solar rebate in Canada in 2026?
No. The Canada Greener Homes Grant has ended and Natural Resources Canada lists the Greener Homes Loan as closed, with funding fully committed. Some provinces and utilities run their own programmes.
How much solar does a Canadian home produce?
PVGIS models a south-facing, 30-degree array at about 1,120 kWh per kW a year in St. John's, 1,260-1,290 in Toronto, Halifax and Montréal, and up to 1,455 in Calgary.