GreenOn Solar Rebate Program Ontario (Complete Guide 2018)

Update June 19, 2018: The Ford administration has vowed to cut funding to the GreenOn Solar Rebate Program as their first act once sworn into government.

Story here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/greenon-program-ends-1.4713161

Ontario Solar Rebate: Highlights

Ontario is launching a new solar power rebate program in the summer of 2018 called the GreenOn Solar Rebate Program. This rebates is given on a “per watt” basis to Ontario-based home or business owners investing in solar power or solar power storage technologies.

The solar rebate for Ontario homeowners is as follows:

• $1/watt for any Solar Photovoltaic (PV) – (this is the type of panels that are used to produce electricity)
• $1.50/watt for any on-grid Solar PV combined with a battery storage system
• $3.00/watt for any off-grid Solar PV combined with a battery storage system
• And $370/kWh for any stand-alone battery storage system

NOTE: You can easily calculate the size of the solar system you need in units of watts by using the simple formula given in the sizing section of the Ontario Solar Guide. This calculation can also be found on our solar power pricing page.

Ontario Solar Rebate: Need To Know

First of all, let’s begin by stating what this program is NOT. This program is not a performance-based program whereby you can earn money for the energy that you produce with your solar system. Many Ontario homeowners will remember the Feed In Tariff (FIT) and microFIT programs offered by IESO whereby excess energy could be sold back to the grid at an increased price – these programs are now closed!

This rebate is a one-time cash payment intended to reduce the initial costs of investing in a solar power system. That’s it.

According the strict net metering policies set out by the Ontario Energy Board, you will not be able to sell excess energy back to the grid and thus sizing your system to meet your exact energy needs it’s a critical step in the process. Full and detailed information about the net metering program and all relevant considerations can be found in the performance payments section of the Ontario Solar Guide.

There is a maximum size restriction of 10 kW.

This means that you can install a larger solar system if needed (again, you can calculate the size of your system here), but you will only receive the rebate on the first 10 kW. (Note that 1 kW equals 1,000 Watts)

You can participate in the program if you’re living in an existing detached home, townhouse, or semi-detached home OR if you’re building a new custom home.

And thus the rebate generally applies to anyone who classifies themselves as a ‘homeowner’, but excludes participants like apartments.

Ontario Solar Rebate: Commercial (FYI)

It’s important to keep in mind that the rebate structure and restrictions will change if you’re buying the panels through your business (i.e. – maybe you want to purchase it under your farm’s name).

The solar rebate for Ontario businesses is as follows:

• $0.75/watt for Solar PV
• ~$26/sqft for Solar Thermal Air
• No rebate for solar power battery storage
• No rebate for off-grid Solar PV

Thus there are some trade-offs if you’re thinking about buying the panels through your business. On the down side the rebate is less, but on the bright side you would qualify for the federal tax provision for clean energy that would allow you to depreciate the cost of your system at an accelerated CCA rate of 50%.

Ontario Solar Power Rebates & Tax Credits

Overall, Ontario has a rich and diverse history of rebates. And when we ranked our provinces at the start of 2018, there were none! However, with the addition of the GreenOn Solar Rebate Program, Ontario would now have one of the best solar rebate programs in the country.

All interested home and business owners and highly encouraged to read our Complete Solar Power Guide For Ontario (Updated 2018).

Do you solar power? Support this project by sharing this page or commenting below! (or both )