Commercial and industrial solar in Ottawa

Solar energy has proven to be a great long-term solution to lower utility costs, and it also contributes to carbon neutrality. If your commercial or industrial location is in need of a solar energy retrofit or solar backup systems, get in touch with us today. KAJK Constructors is your trusted partner in all things solar, from the design, permit acquisition, construction, testing and maintenance of your commercial solar systems.

Going forward with a commercial green retrofit is a great way to enhance your brand's public image through sustainable means. Let your audience and clients know that you support the switch to green energy in efforts to reduce your carbon footprint. Solar retrofit benefits also include:

Every commercial array in Ottawa answers to three authorities: the City, Hydro Ottawa and ESA. Permit acquisition is part of our scope, and the order matters:

These are the three programs an Ottawa commercial project can draw on. We read each on its own page on 2026-10-01. Terms change, and the assessment confirms what applies to your building.

Ontario lets a business run solar two ways, and the choice changes the array size and the incentive.

We found no 2025 or 2026 change to the net metering rules. Ontario's e-Laws shows O. Reg. 541/05 last amended by O. Reg. 386/22, consolidated to 2026-09-28.

Green Building Canada's commercial cost guide, published 2026-01-13, puts commercial installations in Canada at $1.90 to $2.80 per watt before incentives in 2025. That figure includes panels, inverters, racking, labour, permits and electrical work. On its numbers, 50 kW runs $95,000 to $140,000, 100 kW $190,000 to $280,000, and 500 kW $950,000 to $1.4 million.

Those are national market ranges, not our prices. Roof reinforcement and grid upgrades sit outside them, which is why the engineer's structural review and Hydro Ottawa's impact assessment are what turn a range into a quote.

Start with the roof's remaining life. The Canadian Roofing Contractors Association's Bulletin 57 says solar belongs only on roofs in good condition, with ponding water and edge or flashing problems fixed first, because at re-roofing time the whole array may have to come off and go back on.

If the roof is not ready, the array can go elsewhere. A solar carport over your parking qualifies for the same Retrofit incentive as a rooftop. A ground mount does not, but it frees the system from the roof entirely, and the tax credit does not depend on where the panels sit.

Solar backup adds batteries. Ontario requires the storage to be certified to ANSI/CAN/UL 9540 or field-evaluated (ESA Bulletin 64-7-2), and Hydro Ottawa's 30-day simplified impact assessment excludes any project with storage, so plan for the full one.

Save on Energy lists the gains as lower metered energy consumption, clean generation year-round and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. On a building that buys most of its power during weekday daylight, a rooftop array produces when the building needs it.

It is also a sustainability step customers and tenants can see from the parking lot. A solar canopy over the spaces, with workplace EV charging underneath, shows it to everyone who parks there.