Learn about solar in BC

Reference pages and guides for BC homeowners weighing a solar quote. Each one answers a plain question, shows its sources and gives the date we checked them.

Solar Second Look writes these pages. We review solar quotes for BC homeowners for a flat fee. We sell no solar and take no money from installers, lenders or manufacturers. That leaves us free to say when the numbers in a quote don't add up, and when they do.

Last checked November 12, 2026.

Rebates and incentives

What a BC homeowner can claim in 2026, who runs each program and the conditions that trip people up.

BC solar rebates and incentivesOne table of every program we could confirm on an official page, with links and dates.

• BC Hydro solar rebate 2026: how much, who qualifies and the order to do things in
• What does BC Hydro pay for solar power now?

How solar works

The equipment and the billing, in plain words, so the terms in a quote make sense.

How home solar worksPanels, inverters, the meter, batteries, and what decides how much a system makes.

• Is a solar battery worth it in BC under the 10 cent rate?

Guides

Longer articles on single questions. New ones are added as BC rules change.

• Is solar worth it in BC in 2026?November 12, 2026Payback under the 2026 BC Hydro rate, worked through for an electric-heat home and a gas-heat home.
• What does BC Hydro pay for solar power now?November 12, 2026The self-generation rate (Rate Schedule 2289) explained: 10 cents per kWh for surplus, with a worked year.
• BC Hydro solar rebate 2026: how much, who qualifies and the order to do things inNovember 12, 2026Who qualifies for how much, and the order to do things in so you keep it.
• BC's door-to-door solar sales ban: what it means if someone knocked on your doorNovember 12, 2026What the August 1, 2026 ban covers and what to do if you signed at the door.
• How to read a solar quote in BC: the numbers to check before you signNovember 12, 2026The six numbers to check before you sign, worked through on an invented quote.
• How much do solar panels cost in BC in 2026?November 12, 2026Price per watt and cost by system size, before and after the BC Hydro rebate.
• Is a solar battery worth it in BC under the 10 cent rate?November 12, 2026What a home battery changes on a BC Hydro bill, what it leaves alone, and how the battery rebate and Peak Saver work.
• What questions should you ask a solar installer in BC?November 12, 2026Eight questions to put to an installer in writing, with what a sound answer looks like.

All guides

Checking a quote of your own?

Our free price check and paid reviews test a quote against the rules and figures on these pages. The method page lists every constant we use.