What solar actually costs in Calgary

The short answer

Most Calgary homes land between $15,000 and $30,000 before incentives. A typical 8 kW system on a straightforward asphalt roof sits near the middle. Bigger homes with bigger bills go higher; a small bungalow with a south-facing roof can come in under.

That’s a range, not a quote, and we’d rather give you a range you can trust than a number that changes later. The exact price for your house takes us about a day once we have your address and your last twelve months of bills.

What moves the number

• How much power you use. The system is sized to your actual consumption, not a provincial average. A house with a hot tub, a heated garage and two EVs needs more panels than one without.
• The roof. One big south-facing plane is the cheapest roof to work on. Several small planes, a steep pitch, dormers, or metal and tile all add labour and racking.
• Your electrical panel. Solar feeds back into your panel, and the panel has a limit on how much it can take. Many 100 amp services need a 200 amp upgrade to carry solar plus anything else you’re planning. We quote it up front rather than discovering it mid-install.
• Ground mount or roof. On an acreage a ground mount costs more per kilowatt but can be aimed properly and sized past what the roof allows.
• The roof’s age. If the shingles have under ten years left, replace them first. Taking panels off and putting them back costs real money. We do both, so we’ll tell you straight which one you need.

What’s in the price

Everything to a working, approved system. The design and production estimate. The electrical permit and any development permit. The microgeneration application with your utility. Panels, microinverters, racking, wiring and the critter guard. The install, by roofers and electricians on the same crew. The inspection. The monitoring app on your phone, and a walk-through of what your bill will look like from here. GST is shown as its own line.

How to read someone else’s quote

If you’ve been quoted by a door knocker, three questions sort the real ones from the rest. Is the price fixed, or per watt with “subject to site conditions” underneath? Who pulls the permit and files with the utility, and is that in the price? And who is responsible if the roof leaks around a mount in year six? Our answers are fixed, us, and us.

Paying for it

Most people don’t pay out of savings. The Clean Energy Improvement Program finances the project through your property tax bill where your municipality takes part, and financing through Financeit covers nearly everyone else. The goal either way is a monthly payment your bill savings cover. How financing works.

Common questions about cost

How much do solar panels cost in Calgary?

Most Calgary homes land between $15,000 and $30,000 before incentives. A typical 8 kW system on a straightforward asphalt roof sits near the middle of that. The number for your house depends on how much power you use, how much roof you have, and whether anything else needs doing at the same time.

Why won't you give me a price per watt over the phone?

Because it would be a guess dressed up as a quote. Per-watt pricing assumes an average roof, an average service panel and an average install, and the price changes on install day when the house turns out not to be average. We look at the roof on satellite, look at twelve months of your bills, and give you a fixed number that doesn't move.

What's included in the price?

Everything to a working, approved system: design, the electrical permit and any development permit, the microgeneration application with your utility, the panels, microinverters, racking and wiring, the install, the inspection, and the monitoring app on your phone. GST is shown separately.

What makes a system cost more?

Three things, mostly. A bigger system, because you use more power. A more complicated roof, with more planes, steeper pitch or a material like metal or tile. And an electrical panel that needs upgrading to carry the solar, which is common on 100 amp services. We tell you about all three before you sign anything.

How long until it pays for itself?

Most Calgary-area homes land between eight and twelve years, depending on system size, how you use power and what you paid. The panels keep producing for 25 to 30 years, so the years after payback are where the return is. We give you the year for your house, worked from your real bills.

Are there rebates or grants right now?

The federal Greener Homes grant and loan are closed to new applicants. What's left is financing rather than free money: the Clean Energy Improvement Program where your municipality takes part, and financing through Financeit. Farms and businesses can claim the 30% federal clean technology investment tax credit. See the financing page for the details.