How we check a quote
Every number in a report can be traced to your paperwork or to a published source. This page lists the checks, the constants and where they come from. Last checked November 12, 2026.
Price
We divide the total price before rebates by the system size in watts. Published 2026 Canadian cost guides put installed residential solar in BC between about $2.50 and $3.30 per watt. Above $3.30 we flag the gap in dollars and ask what explains it. A steep roof, a panel upgrade or premium equipment can be fair reasons. Well under $2.10 we ask what the price leaves out.
BC Hydro tells rebate applicants to get three quotes and compare them with BC cost averages. As we review more quotes, our own anonymized price data will replace the published range.
Production
We compare the promised yearly output with what an unshaded south-facing array of that size usually makes in your region. The free calculator uses one figure per region. A paid review uses an estimate for your address, tilt and roof direction from public solar data.
| Region | kWh per kW per year |
|---|---|
| Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley | 1,050 |
| Victoria and southern Vancouver Island | 1,100 |
| Central and northern Vancouver Island | 1,030 |
| Okanagan and Thompson | 1,180 |
| Kootenays | 1,200 |
| Northern BC | 1,080 |
A claim more than 10% above our estimate is flagged. Between 5% and 10% we ask what losses were assumed.
Savings and payback
For BC Hydro customers we use the self-generation rate, Rate Schedule 2289, which replaced net metering for new customers on July 1, 2026. Our reading of the rate is this: within each two-month billing period, your solar offsets your own use one for one. If you make more than you use in that period, the surplus is paid at 10 cents per kWh. Summer surplus does not carry into winter as kWh credits.
We split your annual use and the array's output across the six billing periods using typical seasonal shapes for a home with electric heat or with gas heat. Offset power is valued at the energy charge on your bill. Surplus is valued at 10 cents. Panel output falls 0.5% a year.
We show payback three ways: with electricity prices held flat, with prices rising 3% a year, and for the same system bought at a mid-range price. We don't forecast BC Hydro's future rates. The 3% case is there so you can see how much the answer depends on it.
| Constant | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Surplus rate, new BC Hydro customers | 10 cents per kWh | BC Hydro |
| Flat rate energy charge | 12.70 cents per kWh | Published 2026 rate summaries. We use the figure on your bill. |
| Tier 2 energy charge | 14.08 cents per kWh | BC Hydro |
| Solar rebate, individually metered home | $1,000 per kW, up to $5,000 and half the installed cost | BC Hydro |
| Battery rebate | $500 per kWh, up to $1,500, or $5,000 with Peak Saver | BC Hydro |
Rebate conditions
We check the quote against BC Hydro's published conditions: the amount, your utility, approval before purchase, an installer on the Home Performance Contractor Network (required since June 1, 2026), and equipment eligibility. BC Hydro lists Tesla products as not eligible. Rebates are paid first come, first served while funding lasts, so we flag any quote that calls one guaranteed.
FortisBC and municipal utility customers are not eligible for the BC Hydro rebate. City of New Westminster residential customers are.
Sales practice, contract and financing
Since August 1, 2026, BC bans door-to-door sales of solar panel systems, with narrow exceptions such as a visit the homeowner asked for, and bars sellers from arranging credit as part of a doorstep sale. If your quote came from a visit you did not ask for, we say so and point you to Consumer Protection BC. We don't give legal opinions on your contract.
We work out what any financing in the quote costs in interest and compare the yearly payments with first-year savings. We flag deposits over 30% and workmanship warranties under five years. Those two thresholds are our own rules of thumb, and the report labels them that way.
Who does the work
Software reads your documents, extracts the figures and runs the calculations. That includes an AI model for reading proposals, which come in every layout imaginable. A person then checks the extracted figures and every finding against your paperwork before the report is sent. If a document is unreadable or a figure is ambiguous, we ask you instead of guessing.
What a desk review can't do
We don't visit the property. We can't see shade from a neighbour's fir, the state of your shingles or your electrical panel. We are not engineers, electricians, lawyers or financial advisors, and the report is not advice from one. Where a question needs one of them, the report says so.
Corrections
BC's solar rules moved three times in 2026 and will move again. If you spot something out of date, email hello@solarsecondlook.com. We fix errors on this page and note the date.