British Columbia
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British Columbia Solar and Battery Storage Incentives
BC Hydro Solar and Battery Storage Rebates
BC Hydro offers up to $5,000 for solar panel installations and an additional $5,000 for battery storage for residential customers. For businesses, rebates can reach up to $25,000 for solar installations and another $25,000 for battery storage systems. The rebate amounts are capped at 50% of the total installation cost, including labour and materials.
CleanBC Better Homes Program
The CleanBC Better Homes Program provides rebates for energy-efficient home upgrades, including solar panels and battery systems. Homeowners can access provincial rebates, and additional top-up incentives are available from certain municipalities to further reduce costs.
Canada Greener Homes Loan
The Canada Greener Homes Loan offers up to $5,000 for the installation of solar panels, helping to offset the initial cost of your solar investment. This federal program also provides grants for home energy assessments and other efficiency improvements.
BC Hydro Net Metering Program
BC Hydro’s Net Metering Program allows homeowners to generate their own electricity and feed any excess energy back into the grid. Participants earn credits for surplus energy, which can be used to offset future electricity bills. Systems up to 100 kW are eligible for this program.
Municipal Solar Incentives
Many municipalities across BC offer additional incentives to encourage solar adoption. These can include tax credits, cash rebates, or low-interest financing for solar and battery storage installations, depending on your location.
We are committed to helping you navigate these programs and maximize the benefits of solar energy in British Columbia. Contact us to learn more about how we can help with your solar installation and rebate applications.
BC Hydro Net Metering Program
The Net Metering Program in British Columbia allows renewable energies, such as solar, wind, and hydro or any energy defined in B.C.’s Clean Energy Act to become micro-generators. Three wire service providers, BC Hydro, Fortis BC and Nelson Hydro determine renewable energy rates in their respective service areas (see map)
Service area of BC Hydro, Fortis BC, and Nelson Hydro
Under BC Net Metering rules, the excess of solar or renewable energy not consumed at the site can be sold at a credit rate determined by service providers. Also, solar energy generated and consumed at the site, offsets the energy charges that otherwise would have been paid to service providers. Both BC Hydro and Fortis BC have a two-tier pricing system where after a pre-determined amount of electricity usage in a billing period the electricity rate in $/kWh increases.
Key Net Metering rules, Net Metering credit rates and energy charges are summarized below:
2018 British Columbia Solar and Energy Rates
| Provider | Type | Credit $/KWh | Teir 1 $/KWh | Teir 2 $/KWh | Tier 2 KWh Billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BC Hydro: | Residential | 0.0999 | 0.0884+5% | 0.1326+5% | Above 1,350 kWh in 2-month period (~22.1918 kWh/day) |
| Farm (Exempt Residential Service) | 0.0999 | 0.1059+5% | 0.1059+5% | No Second Tier | |
|
Small Business
(Peak < 35kW) |
0.0999 | 0.1173+5% | 0.1173+5% | No Second Tier | |
|
Medium Business
(35kW to 150kW) |
0.0999 | 0.0906+5% | 0.0906+5% | No Second Tier | |
|
Large Business
(Peak > 150kW) |
0.0999 | 0.0567+5% | 0.0567+5% | No Second Tier | |
|
Irrigation
(During Mar-Oct) |
0.0999 | 0.0573+5% | 0.0573+5% | No Second Tier | |
|
Irrigation
(During Nov-Feb) |
0.0999 | 0.0573+5% | 0.4541+5% | Above 150kWh in 4-month period | |
| Fortis BC: | Residential | Same As Energy | 0.10117 | 0.15617 | After 1,600*** |
| Small Commercial | Same as Energy | 0.10195 | 0.10195 | No second tier | |
| Commercial | Same as Energy | 0.08663 | 0.07191 | After 8,000 | |
| Nelson Hydro: | Residential | Same as Energy | 0.09712 | 0.09712 | No second tier |
| Small Commercial Urban | Same As Energy | 0.011068 | 0.011068 | No Second Tier | |
| Small Commercial Rural | Same as Energy | 0.01140 | 0.01140 | No Second Tier |
Notes:
Note1: There are some other rate structures unique to certain communities in BC, not shown in this table.
Note2: This table represents rates as of Aug 24, 2018.
Note3: Medium Business pays $5.07/kW demand charge, Large Business pays $11.55/kW demand charge.
Note4: In Part 2, you receive a credit for using less electricity than your baseline, or a charge for using more.
Note5: Fortis BC uses a 60 day billing period
Rates are subject to change
BC hydro net metering rules
BC Hydro net-metering requirements are:
- The solar system must be under 100kW
- A solar system over 5kW may be required to pay a “Net Metering Site Acceptance Verification Fee” if BC Hydro deems it necessary
- At the end of a year BC Hydro pays out the credited amount.
Fortis BC net metering rules
FortisBC requirements to be eligible for the Net Metering Program are:
- The proposed site must have a capacity of 50kW or less
- For any system over 5kW Fortis must be provided with a step-by-step guide to how the system will be energized
Nelson hydro net metering rules
Some additional Nelson Hydro requirements are:
- Projects larger than 25kW and smaller than 250 KW require special considerations with rates determined based on economic benefit to Nelson Hydro