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BC Hydro solar rebate 2026: how much, who qualifies and the order to do things in

The BC Hydro solar rebate for a home is $1,000 per kW of panels, up to $5,000 and no more than half the installed cost. BC Hydro has to approve your application before you buy equipment, and since June 1, 2026 the installer must be a Home Performance Contractor Network member.

Last checked November 12, 2026. Rates and program rules change, so confirm them with the source before you sign.

How much is the solar rebate?

BC Hydro pays $1,000 for each kW of installed DC panel capacity on an individually metered home. Two caps apply: $5,000 in total, and half of the installed cost including labour and materials. The $5,000 cap is reached at 5 kW, so a larger system gets no more.

System size	Working	Rebate
3 kW	3 × $1,000	$3,000
4 kW	4 × $1,000	$4,000
5 kW	5 × $1,000	$5,000
7 kW	7 × $1,000, capped	$5,000
10 kW	10 × $1,000, capped	$5,000

At the usual BC prices of $2.50 to $3.30 per watt, the half-of-cost cap doesn't bite on a rooftop system. A 4 kW system at $2.50 per watt costs $10,000, and half of that is more than the $4,000 rebate.

How much is the battery rebate?

A battery earns $500 per kWh of storage. For a home the cap is $1,500, or $5,000 if the battery is enrolled in BC Hydro's Peak Saver program. The half-of-cost cap applies here too. A battery on its own, without panels, qualifies only if it is enrolled in Peak Saver.

Battery size	Standard cap	With Peak Saver
2 kWh	$1,000	$1,000
5 kWh	$1,500	$2,500
10 kWh	$1,500	$5,000

Before the half-of-cost cap. The battery must be on BC Hydro's qualified list.

Who qualifies?

Residential BC Hydro customers who own the property. A rented home can qualify, and the rebate is paid to the registered owner. Residential customers of the City of New Westminster's electrical utility can get the rebates through the City's program.

Customers of other BC utilities, such as FortisBC, are not eligible.

Some conditions catch people out:

The system must be designed and installed by a Home Performance Contractor Network member. This has applied since June 1, 2026.
Self-installed systems don't qualify.
BC Hydro lists Tesla solar and battery products as not eligible.
Rebates are first come, first served while funding lasts.

What order do you do things in?

The order matters more than anything else on this page. Buying equipment before BC Hydro has approved the application can cost you the rebate. These are BC Hydro's steps, in our words.

Read the program terms and the interconnection requirements for self-generation.
Choose a contractor who is a Home Performance Contractor Network member. BC Hydro suggests at least three quotes, compared against its BC cost averages.
Submit the self-generation application yourself, before anything is bought or installed. The same application covers the rebate.
Wait for BC Hydro's technical acceptance. Installation starts after that.
Once the system is in, send the final inspection documents and the final paid invoice to get interconnection approval.
If you have a battery and want the higher cap, enrol it in Peak Saver within 14 days of interconnection approval.
BC Hydro processes and pays the rebate within 60 days of interconnection approval.

The rebate arrives after the job is finished and paid for. Plan to cover the full quoted price first.

What can cost you the rebate?

A contractor who applies for you. BC Hydro says contractors may not submit the application on a customer's behalf or ask for your MyHydro login. If an installer offers to handle it with your password, that is a reason to slow down.

A thin final invoice. The invoice has to identify each component, with its make, model, cost and installed capacity. Missing details can delay payment. This is one reason a quote that names no inverter model deserves a question.

Equipment that changes after approval. If what gets installed differs from the approved application, BC Hydro may need a further approval or a new application.

A signature at the door. A sale that closes on the first visit leaves no room for step 3. BC also restricted door-to-door solar sales in August 2026. See BC's door-to-door solar sales ban.

What should your quote say about the rebate?

A careful quote shows the rebate as a separate line under the full price, and its schedule waits for BC Hydro's approval. It names the installer's contractor network membership. It does not call the rebate guaranteed, because funding is first come, first served and BC Hydro pays only after it approves the connection.

The rebate also covers a smaller share of a bigger system. On a 7 kW system quoted at $20,300, the $5,000 is about a quarter of the price. On a 5 kW system quoted at $14,500, it is about a third.

How to read a solar quote in BC lists the rebate questions beside the other checks.

Common questions

How much is the BC Hydro solar rebate in 2026?

For an individually metered home it is $1,000 per kW of installed panel capacity, up to $5,000 and no more than half the installed cost. A 5 kW system or larger reaches the $5,000 cap.

Do I apply for the rebate, or does my installer?

You do. BC Hydro says contractors may not submit applications on behalf of customers or ask for MyHydro login details. The self-generation application also serves as the rebate application.

Can I get the rebate if I install the panels myself?

No. BC Hydro says self-installations are not eligible. Since June 1, 2026 the system must be designed and installed by a Home Performance Contractor Network member.

Do FortisBC customers qualify for the BC Hydro solar rebate?

No. Customers of other BC utilities, such as FortisBC, are not eligible. Residential customers of the City of New Westminster electrical utility can get the rebates through the City program.

Want your own quote checked?

The free calculator runs the rough numbers in your browser from four figures on your quote and your hydro bill. The sample report shows what a written review looks like.

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Solar Second Look is a document review. We check a quote against published prices and program rules. This guide is general information and does not replace legal, financial or engineering advice. For questions about a contract, contact Consumer Protection BC.