Most solar content is sales hype, and BC's cheap hydro makes the answer genuinely close. This calculator uses real BC sun hours to show your true production and bill offset — and it accounts for BC Hydro's 2026 net-metering change that most calculators still ignore.
Pick your region, roof, and system size — see annual production, where the energy goes, and what it offsets.
BC's cheap hydro power makes solar marginal here. A tool that gives you the real number — sometimes "the payback is too long" — is worth more than a quote.
A typical 6 kW array makes roughly 6,000 kWh/yr on the coast, a bit more in the Okanagan. We use BC-specific sun hours, not national averages.
BC Hydro's 1:1 net metering closes to new customers July 1, 2026. New systems export at roughly 10¢/kWh — below retail. That changes the math, and we model it.
Because hydro is so cheap, BC payback is long. The free tool shows offset; the kit shows the honest payback after rebates — even when it says "not worth it yet."
Production is only the start. The full kit does the rebates, net cost, payback, and the net-metering impact.
Everything the free calculator does, plus the money-and-decision math:
Plain-English answers to the questions BC homeowners ask before going solar.
A typical 6 kW rooftop array makes roughly 6,000 kWh/year on the BC coast — about 1,000 kWh per kW installed — and a bit more in the sunnier Southern Interior. East/west roofs and shading reduce that. See how production drives payback →
It's genuinely marginal. BC Hydro power is among the cheapest in North America, so each kWh of solar offsets less money than it would elsewhere — payback often runs 10–15 years. For some homes it makes sense; for many the honest answer is "not yet." The honest math →
BC Hydro's 1:1 net metering (rate RS 1289) closes to new customers on July 1, 2026. New solar customers move to the Self-Generation rate (RS 2289), which credits exported surplus at roughly 10¢/kWh — below the retail rate. FortisBC keeps its own 1:1 program. This materially lengthens payback for export-heavy systems. What it means for you →
BC Hydro offers up to $5,000 for solar panels and up to $5,000 for battery storage (if enrolled in Peak Saver; $1,500 if only paired with solar), plus a $2,000 income supplement. From June 1, 2026 the installer must be an HPCN member. The full rebate picture →
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser — every number stays on your device, with no tracking that phones home.