Solar Panel FAQs

Most home systems in BC cost between $10,000 and $32,000 installed, or about $2.50 to $3.20 per watt. A small 4 kW system starts around $10,000. A typical Kelowna family home needs 6–8 kW, which runs from about $15,000 to $25,000.

BC Hydro customers can subtract a rebate of up to $5,000. FortisBC customers currently get no rebate.

For a lot of Kelowna homes, yes, but it depends mainly on how much power you use. All-electric homes with heat pumps, EVs, pools or workshops see the best returns, because every kWh your panels make replaces one you would otherwise buy.

A well-sized 8 kW system in Kelowna pays back in about 12 years for a BC Hydro customer who claims the rebate and about 13 years for a FortisBC customer, against panel warranties of around 25 years. A low-use home on a shaded lot often doesn’t make sense, and we will say so.

Yes, if you are a BC Hydro customer. BC Hydro pays $1,000 per kW of panels, up to $5,000 for a home (capped at half the installed cost), plus up to $1,500 for a battery, or $5,000 if you also join Peak Saver. Funding is first-come, first-served.

That includes most of West Kelowna, Westbank and Peachland. FortisBC customers, who make up most of the City of Kelowna, currently have no solar rebate, but they do get net metering. Qualifying solar equipment is also PST-exempt. See our BC solar rebate guide.

Look at the logo on your electricity bill. FortisBC serves most of the City of Kelowna. BC Hydro serves West Kelowna, Westbank and Peachland, parts of Kelowna, and much of the surrounding region. Penticton and Summerland run their own municipal utilities.

It matters twice over. Only BC Hydro customers can claim the solar and battery rebates. And since July 1, 2026 the two treat surplus power differently: FortisBC banks it as credit for later bills, while BC Hydro pays 10¢/kWh for it on each bill. We confirm your utility at the start of every estimate.

Floor area is only a rough guide. What matters is how much power the house uses. As a starting point, a 2,000 sq ft Kelowna home usually suits a 6–8 kW system, about $15,000 to $25,000 installed.

Two identical houses can need very different systems depending on whether they heat with gas or electricity, and whether there is an EV in the garage.

The upfront cost, and the fact that panels produce most in summer, when you use least. FortisBC’s net metering handles the timing by banking your summer surplus as credit for winter. BC Hydro now pays 10¢/kWh for that surplus instead, which is less than the power it replaces.

The other one people miss: a standard grid-tied system shuts off during a power outage. If you want power during outages, you need a battery.

Most of the time they aren’t. What gets removed is usually an early system taken off for a re-roof, or an array that was badly sized or badly installed and never performed.

The fix is to plan the roof and the solar together, size to your real usage, and use an installer who will still answer the phone in year ten.

Most homes take one to three days on site. Permits and utility approval take longer than the install itself, so allow four to eight weeks from signing to switch-on. We handle the paperwork.