Annual Energy Balance
Monthly Net Metering Detail
| Month | PV Output (kWh) | Self-Used (kWh) | Exported (kWh) | Credit Value |
|---|
How to Use the Net Metering Calculator
Each province loads its prevailing electricity rate and export credit factor. Alberta's rate reflects the competitive retail market average. Confirm the current rate with your specific utility, as rates change annually.
Enter the DC nameplate capacity of your system in kW. The performance ratio accounts for inverter and wiring losses. Most Canadian string inverter systems run 0.76 to 0.80 in practice.
Self-consumption is the fraction of PV output used directly in your home rather than exported. Households away during the day export more. Work-from-home and EV-charging households self-consume more. Enter your annual electricity use from your utility bill.
Enter the total installed system cost before incentives. The calculator shows simple payback from net metering savings alone. For a full financial model including the Canada Greener Homes incentives, use the solar payback calculator.
Net Metering in Canada: Province-by-Province Guide
Net metering is the billing mechanism that makes rooftop solar financially viable for most Canadian homeowners. Without it, surplus solar electricity would be wasted or sold at a low wholesale rate. With net metering, every kilowatt-hour your panels export earns a credit worth the same as a kilowatt-hour you'd otherwise buy - turning your roof into a virtual battery backed by the provincial grid.
How the annual true-up works
Most Canadian provincial utilities settle net metering accounts annually rather than monthly. During summer, your PV array likely produces more than your home uses, building up a credit balance. In winter, when production is low and heating loads are high, you draw on that credit balance. At the end of the 12-month period, any remaining credit is typically paid out at a lower avoided-cost rate, often just $0.01 to $0.04 per kWh. This means sizing your array to match your annual consumption - not to maximize summer exports - gives the best financial result. Use the solar PV HVAC calculator to size the array for your specific annual load.
Ontario net metering
Ontario's net metering program operates under the IESO's framework and allows systems up to 10 MW for eligible customers. Residential customers receive a credit at the full retail commodity and delivery rate for exported electricity. The credit carries forward monthly and is settled annually. Ontario's time-of-use pricing means exports during on-peak hours (weekday afternoons) earn a higher credit than off-peak exports. A solar system that is west-facing will export more during on-peak hours, which can improve the effective credit rate compared to a purely south-facing array.
British Columbia net metering
BC Hydro and FortisBC both operate net metering programs at the full retail rate. BC Hydro's program allows systems up to 100 kW for residential accounts. FortisBC allows up to 100 kW for most customers. BC has among the lowest electricity rates in Canada at around $0.13/kWh, which means net metering credits are worth less per kWh than in Nova Scotia or Alberta, but BC's mild climate means cooling loads are low and the system needs to offset mainly heating loads if it's a heat pump system.
Alberta net metering
Alberta's deregulated electricity market means the net metering credit rate depends on your retail electricity provider rather than a regulated utility. Most Alberta retailers offer a credit at or near the prevailing retail rate, but the rate itself fluctuates with the energy market. Atco Electric and Epcor are the main distribution utilities that process the physical connection; your retailer sets the credit rate. Alberta had the highest solar incentive in Canada through its Residential and Commercial Solar Program (RCSP), which offered $0.90/W installed up to $6,000 for residential systems.
Quebec net metering
Hydro-Quebec's net metering program credits exports at the full retail rate of approximately $0.075/kWh - the lowest rate in Canada. Quebec's cheap hydro power means solar payback periods are the longest of any province, typically 18 to 25 years without incentives. However, for households with high electricity consumption from electric heating, the total bill offset from a well-sized array can still be significant in absolute dollar terms even at the low rate. Quebec's program limits residential systems to 50 kW.
Self-consumption vs. net metering strategy
There are two competing strategies for maximizing solar value: maximize self-consumption (use as much PV output as possible directly) or maximize net metering exports (send surplus to the grid for credits). In Canada, where net metering credits equal the retail rate, the two strategies have identical financial value per kWh - $0.13 saved on a bill equals $0.13 earned as a credit. The choice matters only in Alberta (where credit rates fluctuate) or in scenarios where credits above annual consumption are paid out at a lower rate. Adding a battery storage system increases self-consumption but reduces exports, which is only advantageous if the export credit rate is below the retail import rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Net metering lets you export surplus solar electricity to the grid and receive a bill credit equal to the retail electricity rate in most Canadian provinces. When your solar panels produce more power than your home uses, the excess flows to the grid and your meter runs backward. At billing time, exported kWh offset imported kWh at the same rate. Most Canadian utilities settle net metering annually, so summer surplus credits carry forward to offset winter bills. Ontario, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI all have active programs. Use the solar PV HVAC calculator to size your array for full annual offset.
No. Most provinces credit exported electricity at the full retail rate, which is the most favourable arrangement for solar owners. However, some utilities cap the credit at the commodity rate only, excluding delivery charges, which can reduce the effective credit to roughly half the retail rate. Alberta uses a competitive retail market where net metering credit rates vary by retailer. Quebec's Hydro-Quebec credits exports at the retail rate but limits total net metering system size to 50 kW for residential. Always confirm the current credit rate and program rules with your specific utility before sizing a system.
Most Canadian net metering programs use an annual true-up period. Credits accumulated during summer months carry forward month-to-month and offset winter consumption. At the end of the annual period, any remaining credits are typically paid out at a wholesale or avoided-cost rate, which is much lower than the retail credit rate during the year - often $0.01 to $0.04/kWh. This means it's generally not worth significantly oversizing a PV array beyond your annual consumption, since the excess annual production earns a lower rate. The solar payback calculator models the impact of oversizing on financial return.
Yes, battery storage can be combined with net metering in most Canadian provinces, but the rules vary by utility. In Ontario, the IESO allows solar-plus-storage under net metering provided the battery is charged only by the solar system and not from the grid. In BC, FortisBC and BC Hydro both allow storage with net metering. A battery reduces the amount exported to the grid by storing midday surplus for evening use, which improves self-consumption but reduces net metering credits. Where export credits equal the retail import rate, a battery provides convenience and resilience rather than additional financial return. This calculator models the grid-export scenario without storage.
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