Solar Installation FAQs

Most home systems in Kelowna cost between about $14,000 and $37,000 installed, depending on size. A typical 8 kW system is about $20,900 to $26,000, roughly $2.60 to $3.25 per watt. Smaller systems cost more per watt because permits, design and set-up cost about the same at any size.

There is no rebate to subtract on FortisBC, which serves Kelowna. A right-sized 8 kW system saves about $1,490 in its first year and pays for itself around year 14.

Not for most Kelowna homes. Kelowna is served by FortisBC, which does not offer a solar rebate, and BC Hydro’s rebate (up to $5,000 for solar) is only for BC Hydro customers. BC Hydro says plainly that FortisBC customers are not eligible.

What FortisBC customers do get is net metering with a kWh bank: surplus power is banked and used later, instead of being paid out at a low rate each month.

Check the name at the top of your electricity bill. Every neighbourhood in the City of Kelowna, including central Kelowna’s old City-run utility area, is served by FortisBC. Across the bridge, West Kelowna, Westbank and Peachland are mostly BC Hydro.

Usually 6 to 10 weeks from the first visit to switch-on. Install day is short, one to three days on the roof for a home. Most of the time goes to the FortisBC net-metering approval, the electrical permit and the inspection.

Yes. Every grid-tied system needs an electrical installation permit from Technical Safety BC, pulled by the licensed electrical contractor, and an inspection. A City of Kelowna building permit can also be needed where structural work is involved. FortisBC must approve the system before it is connected.

FortisBC’s net-metering program covers residential, commercial and irrigation customers with renewable generation on their own property, up to 50 kW. The system should be sized to your expected yearly use.

When you make more than you use in a billing period, the surplus is banked as kWh credit and used in later periods. Anything left at the end of the year is settled once, at the much lower rate FortisBC pays other power producers. That is why we size to your annual use and not to the size of the roof.

On July 1, 2026, BC Hydro closed net metering to new customers and moved to a Self-Generation Service Rate that credits exported power at a flat 10¢ per kWh on each bill. BC Hydro also points rebate applicants to Home Performance Contractor Network members. None of this applies to FortisBC customers in Kelowna.

Not on their own. Grid-tied systems are required to shut off when the grid goes down, so line crews are safe. To keep power during an outage you need a battery and a backup panel, which switch your chosen circuits over automatically.

Yes, at a lower rate. Kelowna systems make most of their energy between April and September, and much less in the cloudy weeks of November to January when the valley inversion sits low. Wildfire smoke can cut output for a few days at a time. We plan on about 1,200 kWh per kW a year, which already allows for winter cloud and a smoky week or two.

Each modern panel is about 2 square metres and 400–450 watts. An 8 kW system needs about 18 panels, or roughly 36 square metres (390 square feet) of usable roof, ideally facing south, south-west or west.

Not when they are installed properly. Each mount is bolted into a rafter and sealed with flashing that sits under the shingle above it, the same way roof vents are detailed. On tile roofs we use tile hooks or flashed replacement tiles. We photograph every penetration so you have a record.

If your roof has less than about ten years left, usually yes. A system lasts 25 years or more, and taking it off and putting it back for a re-roof later costs roughly $3,000 to $5,000 on a typical home. We check roof age on the first visit and can coordinate with your roofer.

For a Kelowna home on FortisBC with a decent south, west or east roof, usually yes. An 8 kW system costs about $23,200, saves about $1,490 in year one, pays back around year 14 and saves roughly $50,000 over 25 years. It is a long-term investment rather than a quick one, and we tell you plainly when a roof isn’t worth it.

Yes. Many people start with panels and add a battery later. If backup is likely, we choose an inverter that makes adding one simpler and cheaper.

A single battery of about 13 kWh typically runs a fridge, furnace fan, internet, lights and a few outlets through an evening and night. With solar panels recharging it, a battery can keep those circuits going through a multi-day outage in summer.

Very little. Kelowna’s rain and snow clean the panels most of the year; a gentle clean after a heavy smoke or dust season can help. Check your monitoring app monthly and have the system looked at if output drops compared with the same month last year.