Ontario · Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP)
Ontario Solar and Battery Rebate Guide: The Home Renovation Savings Program (2026)
Last updated November 1, 2026 · Program amounts cross-checked against homerenovationsavings.ca, IESO + Enbridge program pages
The short answer
Ontario homeowners can get up to $10,000 back on a new rooftop solar and battery system through the Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP): up to $5,000 for solar panels and up to $5,000 for a battery. There's one condition that changes the math for most homes — if you take the rebate, you can't use net metering for the life of the system. For most houses with full-size roofs, net metering pays back faster even without the rebate.
warningVerify before you apply
Rebate rates, caps and eligibility rules change — sometimes with little warning. The program can also close at any time. The information below is compiled to the best of our ability from the official HRSP program pages at time of writing. Before you buy equipment or sign a contract, call the Home Renovation Savings Program at 1-888-668-4636, confirm current amounts, and verify your personal eligibility at homerenovationsavings.ca. You must have written pre-approval before buying or installing anything.
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Key points
- ●Solar: $1,000 per kW, up to $5,000. Battery: $300 per kWh, up to $5,000. Neither can be more than 50% of the project cost.
- ●The battery rebate only applies when it's installed with new rooftop solar.
- ●Taking the rebate means no net metering, ever, for that system. Its output can only be used in your home.
- ●For most homes, analysis by The Atmospheric Fund found net metering without the rebate pays back faster. The rebate makes more sense for homes with limited roof space that are adding a battery.
- ●You must get written pre-approval before you buy or install anything.
How much you can get
| Upgrade | Rebate rate | Maximum | Cost limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooftop solar panels | $1,000 per kW (DC) | $5,000 | 50% of total project cost |
| Battery storage | $300 per kWh | $5,000 | 50% of total project cost |
Source: Home Renovation Savings Program — Solar.
Your rebate is the lowest of three numbers: the per-unit amount, the $5,000 cap, or half the project cost. Each home can receive one solar rebate and one battery rebate.
Worked examples
| Your project | Rate amount | Cap | 50% of cost | Rebate paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 kW solar, $12,000 | 4 × $1,000 = $4,000 | $5,000 | $6,000 | $4,000 |
| 6 kW solar, $18,000 | 6 × $1,000 = $6,000 | $5,000 | $9,000 | $5,000(cap applies) |
| 4 kW solar, $6,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 | $3,000 | $3,000(cost limit applies) |
| 10 kWh battery, $12,000 installed | 10 × $300 = $3,000 | $5,000 | $6,000 | $3,000 |
| 17 kWh battery, $15,000 installed | 17 × $300 = $5,100 | $5,000 | $7,500 | $5,000(cap applies) |
Any solar system of 5 kW or more reaches the $5,000 solar maximum. Beyond that size, the rebate doesn't grow. That matters when you compare it with net metering, below.
What the program is
The Home Renovation Savings Program launched on January 28, 2025. It's delivered jointly by the IESO (through Save on Energy) and Enbridge Gas as part of Ontario's 2025–2027 electricity conservation plan (IESO). It replaced the Home Efficiency Rebate Plus program and covers heat pumps, insulation, windows, smart thermostats, and rooftop solar and battery storage.
Two things set the solar stream apart from the rest of the program:
- No home energy assessment is needed. Unlike insulation and windows, solar and battery applications go straight to the application stage.
- There's no minimum or maximum system size. The rebate is simply calculated on installed capacity, in kW DC for solar and kWh for batteries.
The rebate rules in detail
Solar panels: $1,000 per kW, up to $5,000
- ●The rebate is based on installed capacity in kW DC.
- ●Panels must be on a roof — your home's or that of a permanent structure connected to your home's meter, like a detached garage. Ground-mounted systems don't qualify, and neither do panels on RVs, trailers or other temporary structures.
- ●It must be a first-time installation. Replacing or expanding an existing system doesn't qualify.
Battery storage: $300 per kWh, up to $5,000
- ●The battery must be installed with a new solar system. Standalone batteries aren't eligible.
- ●It must be sized to match the solar system and designed mainly to store your own solar power rather than grid electricity.
- ●A licensed electrical contractor must install it, to Ontario electrical and fire code, with connection approval from your local utility (LDC).
Equipment rules
All equipment must be new, bought in Canada, owned by you rather than leased or owned by a third party, and certified to the applicable CSA, UL or equivalent standards.
Eligibility checklist
Confirm all of these before you apply:
checklistHRSP Solar Eligibility
- check_box_outline_blankYou're 18 or older and own the home. If it's rented, the owner applies.
- check_box_outline_blankThe home is a detached, semi-detached, row house, townhouse, or mobile home on a permanent foundation.
- check_box_outline_blankThe home is occupied when you apply. New builds qualify once someone lives there.
- check_box_outline_blankYou're connected to Ontario's electricity grid. Off-grid homes don't qualify.
- check_box_outline_blankYou're NOT a Cornwall Electric customer. Cornwall is on the Hydro-Québec grid, not the IESO grid.
- check_box_outline_blankThe home has no existing solar or battery system.
- check_box_outline_blankYou're buying the system yourself. Leases and third-party ownership aren't allowed.
- check_box_outline_blankYou'll get the needed municipal permits, an LDC connection assessment, and an Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) certificate.
Not sure if the rebate or net metering wins for your roof?
The best way to decide is to see real numbers for your actual roof + hourly usage from your utility — not a generic estimate. Ask an Ontario installer to model both options side by side.
Rebate or net metering? The decision that matters most
This is the most important choice in an Ontario solar project, and it's permanent.
The rule
If you receive the solar or battery rebate, you can't sign a net metering agreement with your utility. The system must run as load displacement only, meaning its power is used in your home, for the lifetime of the system. The paperwork enforces it — your post-installation application must include a signed utility connection application marked “load displacement” only.
How each option pays you
Net metering
Your utility gives you a bill credit for extra solar power you send to the grid. Credits reduce the electricity (kWh) part of your bill — not delivery or other charges — and unused credits carry forward for up to 12 months (Ontario Energy Board). Your system has to be sized mainly for your own use.
Rebate (load displacement)
You get up to $10,000 up front. But any solar power your home can't use the moment it's produced earns you nothing. On a sunny weekday with nobody home, most of what your panels make goes to the grid for free, unless a battery stores it.
What the analysis shows
In a July 2026 review of the program, The Atmospheric Fund (TAF), a Toronto-based climate agency, found that a 10 kW system with net metering pays back in roughly half the time of the same system without it, even after counting the rebate. Their conclusion was that most homeowners are better off skipping the rebate and net metering instead. The exception is homes with very limited roof space that want to add a battery (TAF).
TAF also spoke to Ontario installers. Several said they now steer most customers away from the rebate for this reason. There's a second issue: the rebate encourages smaller systems. It maxes out at 5 kW, and without net metering there's no payoff for any extra power you can't use right away. Small systems also cost more per kW to install.
Side by side, for a typical 10 kW system
Installed solar in Ontario runs roughly $2.42–$3.50 per watt in 2026, so a 10 kW system costs about $24,000–$30,000 before incentives.
| Rebate (load displacement) | Net metering | |
|---|---|---|
| Solar rebate | $5,000 (capped) | $0 |
| Battery rebate | Up to $5,000 | $0 |
| Extra solar sent to the grid | Earns nothing | Bill credit, carried forward up to 12 months |
| Best system size | Small, matched to daytime use | Matched to your yearly use |
| Payback on 10 kW (TAF) | Longer | Roughly half as long |
Which is right for you?
The rebate is more likely to make sense if:
- ●Your roof only fits a small system, around 5 kW or less.
- ●You're adding a battery anyway, so you'll use most of your solar power yourself.
- ●Someone is home during the day, or you have big daytime loads like an EV charging at home.
Net metering is more likely to make sense if:
- ●You have room for a system that covers most of your yearly use.
- ●The house is often empty during the day.
- ●You produce much more in summer than you use, and want credits for winter months.
Either way, ask your installer to model both options using your actual hourly usage from your utility's online account, not a generic estimate. A good installer will show you the payback for each before you sign anything.
How to apply, step by step
- Choose a contractor. The program doesn't keep a list of approved contractors or recommend any. Your contractor submits the paperwork on your behalf.
- Submit a pre-installation application BEFORE you buy anything. Don't buy or install equipment until you have written pre-approval from the program and approval from your utility. The application includes a cost breakdown of materials, labour and other costs.
- Install once approved, with permits, your utility connection agreement and the ESA inspection in place.
- Submit the post-installation application. You'll need:
- The final invoice and proof of payment.
- Photos of every panel, the battery, the inverter and the utility meter.
- Nameplate photos showing make, model and serial numbers.
- The ESA Certificate of Acceptance.
- Your utility's connection approval.
- Watch the 10% rule. If your final invoice is more than 10% higher than your approved application, you'll need to explain why.
Apply only through the official site, homerenovationsavings.ca. Look-alike domains exist.
Program status and deadlines
The program doesn't list an end date for the solar stream, and its terms allow it to change or close at any time. In late October 2026, a contractor-tracking site reported that Enbridge had confirmed an extension to March 31, 2027 for the program's other streams (GNI). That hasn't been confirmed for solar.
Ontario rebate programs have closed with little warning before. The previous Home Efficiency Rebate stopped taking applications in January 2025 (Enbridge). If the rebate is the right fit for you, apply early.
There's also a push to change the net metering rule. TAF has asked the province to let rebate recipients net meter, which it says would only take a ministerial directive, not new legislation. Nothing has changed yet, but it's worth checking before you decide.
Get a detailed Ontario solar + battery quote
Required contact info ships straight to a vetted Ontario installer who will model both the rebate (load displacement) and net metering payback for your actual roof and hourly usage. The optional details help them pre-size your system.
Related reading
Solar battery backup — 3 to 7 day outage pillar
Why battery pays off even when the rebate caps you at 5 kW: outage resilience, ice-storm readiness, and how to size for a Canadian winter.
Tesla Powerwall 3 in Canada
$14,500–$16,500 installed. Note: Powerwall IS eligible for the HRSP battery rebate (unlike BC Hydro's program).
All Ontario solar + storage rebates
Province-level rebate hub covering HRSP, provincial grants, and municipal programs by city.
Canada-wide rebate database
Every active federal, provincial and utility solar + storage program with current amounts and status.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Ontario solar rebate?
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Can I get the Home Renovation Savings rebate and net metering?
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Is the rebate or net metering better in Ontario?
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Can I get the battery rebate without solar panels?
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Are ground-mounted solar panels eligible for the Ontario rebate?
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Can I expand an existing solar system and get the rebate?
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Do I need a home energy assessment for the solar rebate?
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What do net metering credits cover in Ontario?
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When does the Home Renovation Savings Program end?
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Get quotes that compare both options
Every Ontario home is different, so the best way to decide is to see real numbers for your roof and your usage. We match you with vetted Ontario installers who will model both the HRSP rebate and net metering before you sign anything.
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Last updated November 1, 2026. Program terms can change at any time. Always confirm current amounts and rules on homerenovationsavings.ca before signing a contract. This guide is for general information — not legal or financial advice.