Canada Greener Homes Loan (Closed) — What It Was + What's Still Available

The Greener Homes Loan was a federal interest-free loan of $5,000 to $40,000 for eligible home energy retrofits, including solar photovoltaic systems. Repayment ran over 10 years, with no interest and no prepayment penalty. It was administered by Natural Resources Canada.

Homeowners who applied before October 1, 2025 and were approved can still complete their retrofit and receive funding on the original terms. Everyone else needs a different financing path — see the alternatives further down.

• Canadian resident
• Own the home as your principal residence
• Complete a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation before you sign an installation contract
• Use a qualified installer (most Canadian solar companies are pre-qualified)
• Complete a post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation within 18 months of first funding release

Rentals, cottages, and second properties don't qualify. Neither do commercial buildings, farms (there's a separate program), or new construction — the loan is specifically for retrofit of an existing principal residence.

1. Book a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation through natural-resources.canada.ca. Cost: ~$400. Time: 2–4 weeks to schedule, 2 hours on site, 1–2 weeks to receive the report.
2. Get 2–3 solar installer quotes. Confirm the equipment they're quoting is on the eligible measures list (all Tier 1 panels and standard inverters qualify).
3. Submit the loan application through the Greener Homes portal, uploading your EnerGuide report and installer quote. Time: application takes ~30 minutes; approval decision takes 4–8 weeks.
4. Once approved, sign the installation contract. You cannot legally proceed with install until loan approval — starting early means disqualification.
5. Installation happens. Typical install is 1–2 days on the roof; utility interconnection paperwork takes 4–8 more weeks.
6. Book the post-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation once system is commissioned. Cost: ~$400 (some regions bundle pre + post for $600 total).
7. Submit final invoices and post-retrofit report. Funding released within 30 days.

Total timeline from booking the pre-evaluation to receiving funding: typically 4–6 months. Plan accordingly if you're timing around installer availability or utility rebate deadlines.

1. Starting installation before loan approval

The single most common rejection reason. If you sign a contract or begin work before the loan is approved, you're disqualified. Even 'preparatory' work like roof inspection or electrical panel prep counts. Wait for the official approval letter.

2. Skipping the pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation

Non-negotiable. Even if you already had an EnerGuide evaluation done for a different purpose, most are too old (must be within 2 years) or the wrong scope. Book a new one specifically for the Greener Homes program.

3. Using a non-qualified installer

Most Canadian solar installers are on NRCan's qualified list, but not all. Confirm before signing. Ask your installer for their NRCan qualified contractor ID, or verify through the portal.

4. Missing the 18-month post-retrofit deadline

You have 18 months from first funding release to complete the post-retrofit evaluation. Miss it and the loan can convert to a standard-rate loan or be recalled. Book the post-evaluation as soon as your system is commissioned — usually 2–4 weeks after install.

While it was open, the Greener Homes Loan stacked with almost every provincial and municipal solar program. The provincial rebate reduced your out-of-pocket cost; the loan financed the remainder interest-free. If you applied before the October 1, 2025 close date and your application is still in-flight, these stacking examples are still relevant:

• PEI: $10,000 provincial rebate + up to $40,000 Greener Homes Loan → most residential systems fully financed with no cash upfront (PEI rebate now paused for new applications as of April 2026)
• Nova Scotia: $3,000 SolarHomes rebate + Greener Homes Loan → typical $22,000 install became $19,000 loan @ $158/mo for 10 years
• Alberta (Edmonton): $4,000 municipal rebate + Greener Homes Loan → covered install and started monthly payment below what you'd owe the utility
• Ontario (Toronto): Toronto HELP loan and Greener Homes Loan weren't stackable on the same project — Toronto HELP is still active if you weren't approved for Greener Homes

With the federal Loan closed, financing a solar install in 2026 leans on the mix below. None replace the interest-free ~$10k savings the Loan offered on a 10-year term, but stacked together they close most of the gap.

Federal 30% Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit (corporations only)

If your solar install is on an incorporated business (including farms, rental properties held through a corporation, and Airbnb operations run through an Inc.), you can claim a 30% refundable federal tax credit on the equipment cost. Not available for sole proprietors or homes held personally. Runs to end of 2033, then drops to 15% until 2034.

Provincial + municipal cash rebates

Nova Scotia's SolarHomes program still pays $0.30/W up to $3,000. Yukon offers up to $0.80/W. Some Alberta municipalities have Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) financing. PEI's Solar Electric Rebate is paused as of April 2026 — check our rebate page for the current list.

Provincial low-interest energy-retrofit loans

A handful of provinces run their own retrofit loan programs at below-market rates: BC's PACE-style Home Energy Loan Program, Nova Scotia's Efficiency Nova Scotia financing, and some Alberta municipal CEIP loans. Rates are 3–5% instead of 0%, but they don't require the two EnerGuide evaluations the Greener Homes Loan did.

Bank + credit union solar loans

Vancity, Meridian, and several regional credit unions offer solar-specific unsecured loans at 5.5–7% over 10–15 years. Faster approval than any government program, but you're paying real interest — usually adds $6,000–$10,000 to total cost on a $27k system.

Home equity line of credit (HELOC)

Now the default fallback for many buyers. Rates run 6–8% variable. Convenient but expensive over long terms; only worth it if you plan to pay it off within 3–5 years or if you can lock in a fixed-rate variant.

Installer / dealer financing

Some installers still offer 'no money down' financing through SNAP or Financeit. Read the terms carefully — advertised interest-free promo periods usually convert to 20%+ APR if you don't pay off within the promo window.

For a $27,000 solar install, financing interest-free vs 7% HELOC saved roughly $10,500 over the 10-year term. Two EnerGuide evaluations cost about $800 total. Net benefit: ~$9,700 for maybe 8 hours of paperwork. For nearly every homeowner who applied before October 1, 2025, it was the highest-return time investment in the entire solar buying process — and it's now closed.