Skip to content
KAJK Constructors

What solar panels cost in Ottawa in 2026

Published Ontario averages put a rooftop home system at $2.60 to $3.30 per watt installed (Green Building Canada, updated 2026-04-20), and SolarQuotes.ca prices a typical 7.5 kW Ottawa system at about $21,870 before rebates (read 2026-10-10). The clearest Ottawa example from a primary source is a Hydro Ottawa customer story: a 14.4 kW roof installed in December 2023 for just over $30,000 plus HST. Size moves the price most, and size comes from your bills. KAJK prices your system in a written proposal after the free assessment.

Book a free assessment(613) 869-8254
Black solar panels in rows on a shingled Orléans roof, seen from a drone
$2.92per watt installed, the Ontario roof-mount average SolarQuotes.ca prices Ottawa systems on, read 2026-10-10

Published solar panel prices for Ontario homes

These are other publishers' figures, with what each one describes. None of them is a KAJK price.

SolarQuotes.ca: $2.92 per watt
Its Ontario average for a roof-mounted home system with Tier 1 panels (500 W each) and a string inverter, installed, before rebates. On its Ottawa page that gives 5 kW at $14,580, 7.5 kW at $21,870, 10 kW at $29,160 and 12 kW at $34,992 (read 2026-10-10).
Green Building Canada: $2.60 to $3.30 per watt
Its 2026 Ontario average installed cost, before incentives: 7 kW at $18,000 to $23,000 and 10 kW at $26,000 to $33,000. It names Ottawa among the urban centres where labour and permitting run slightly higher than in rural areas, and says permit and inspection fees are usually paid on top (updated 2026-04-20).
Hydro Ottawa: one Ottawa roof
A homeowner's 14.4 kW, 37-panel system on the east and north slopes of his roof, installed in December 2023, “cost just over $30,000 plus HST, not including other costs to upgrade the electrical panel and Hydro Ottawa's connection” (Hydro Ottawa blog, 2024-02-20). That is a little over $2.08 per watt before tax, on a large system bought in 2023.
What the figures leave out
Neither publisher says whether its figure includes HST, and all three describe home roof mounts. Ground mounts, carports, batteries and commercial systems are priced differently: our solar carport and commercial solar pages carry the published ranges for those.

How much do solar panels cost for a 2,000 sq ft house?

Your electricity use sets the size, and the size sets the price. Add up 12 months of kWh from your bills and divide by 1,200, the yearly output Natural Resources Canada gives a kilowatt of panels in Ottawa facing south at latitude tilt (read 2026-10-10). That is the system size in kW, and size times the per-watt price is the estimate.

The Ontario Energy Board sets electricity prices around a typical household using 700 kWh a month, or 8,400 a year, which comes to 7 kW of panels. At SolarQuotes.ca's $2.92 per watt, 7 kW is about $20,440 before rebates, inside Green Building Canada's $18,000 to $23,000 for that size. A house with electric heat or an EV uses more and needs a bigger array.

Direction changes the sum too. NRCan gives a flat array in Ottawa 977 kWh per kW a year, against 1,200 at the best tilt, so a low or poorly facing roof needs more panels for the same year of use. Hydro Ottawa's example shows it: with trees shading the south side, the owner put 14.4 kW on his east and north slopes to cover nearly 80% of his use.

What moves the price of a solar installation

System size
Bigger systems cost less per watt. The Atmospheric Fund notes that small systems carry the same fixed interconnection and permit costs as larger ones, which raises their cost per kW (2026-07-10).
The roof
Pitch, access and condition all show up in the labour. We look for a new roof or one 10 years old or less, because panels protect the membrane and help it last, and a one-time removal for later roof work can be included in the quote.
The electrical panel
Hydro Ottawa's example left panel upgrades out of its price. If your panel needs work, the concept design itemizes it before you commit.
Roof, ground or carport
A roof is already built. A ground mount or a solar carport adds a structure of its own, and the home rebate excludes ground-mounted solar.
A battery
Priced by its capacity, on top of the panels. Home Renovation Savings pays $300 per kWh, up to $5,000, toward one installed with a new solar system. Sizing is on our home battery backup page.
Permit and connection
The City of Ottawa sets its building permit fee from the value of the installation (page dated 2026-07-29). Your local distribution company (LDC) quotes its share of the connection work separately, and its fees vary with system size.

Rebates, HST and loans: what comes off and what goes on

Home Renovation Savings rebate
$1,000 per kW of panels up to $5,000, plus $300 per kWh of paired battery up to $5,000, each capped at 50% of eligible costs, which leave out HST. It covers first-time rooftop systems used for load displacement only: no net metering, and nothing bought before written pre-approval (Enbridge Gas and IESO, read 2026-10-10). Details are on our Home Renovation Savings program page.
HST at 13%
Ontario's harmonized sales tax is 13% (Canada Revenue Agency), and Green Building Canada notes it applies to solar panels and their installation. Hydro Ottawa's example is stated before HST, so ask whether any quote you compare includes it.
Net metering
Nothing upfront. Exported power earns a credit at the rates you pay, carried for up to 12 months: see net metering in Ontario.
Better Homes Ottawa Loan
A City of Ottawa loan from $10,000 up to the lesser of $125,000 or 10% of assessed value, at 4.33% fixed over 20 years with a 4% administrative fee, repaid on the property tax bill and payable early without penalty (page dated 2026-09-09). Solar panels and battery storage qualify, and an EnerGuide assessment comes first (Better Homes Ottawa, read 2026-10-10).
Federal programs
The Canada Greener Homes Grant and Greener Homes Loan have both closed: the grant's last day for documents was 2025-12-31, and the loan approves no new applications (Natural Resources Canada, page modified 2026-08-04). Some cost pages still list the loan as open.
Businesses
Save on Energy's Retrofit Program pays $1,000 per kW-DC up to 10 kW and $770 per kW-AC above that to 1 MW-AC, capped at 50% of eligible costs, for rooftops and parking canopies, and a funded system can never be net-metered (read 2026-10-10). Corporations can add the Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit, up to 30% of the capital cost of property in use by 2033-12-31 (Canada Revenue Agency). More on commercial solar.

A worked example: 7 kW on an Ottawa roof

Built from the published figures above and the OEB's typical household. Your own numbers come from your bills and your roof.

  1. Size

    8,400 kWh a year divided by 1,200 kWh per kW is 7 kW of panels, or 14 panels at SolarQuotes.ca's 500 W.

  2. Price before rebates

    7,000 W at $2.92 is $20,440, SolarQuotes.ca's average. Green Building Canada's range for 7 kW is $18,000 to $23,000.

  3. Path one: the rebate

    7 kW at $1,000 is $7,000, which the program caps at $5,000, well under half of $20,440. You pay about $15,440 before HST, and the system can never be net-metered.

  4. Path two: net metering

    You pay about $20,440 before HST, and every kWh the house does not use as it is made becomes a credit at the rates you pay.

  5. Output

    About 8,400 kWh a year at NRCan's Ottawa figure, 60% of it from March to August.

Is it worth getting solar panels in Ontario?

On an unshaded Ottawa roof the output is there: NRCan gives Ottawa 1,200 kWh per kW a year at latitude tilt, a little ahead of Toronto's 1,163. Whether it pays depends on how that power is valued. The Atmospheric Fund, a regional climate agency, estimated on 2026-07-10 that a 10 kW net-metered system pays back in roughly half the time of a comparable system without net metering, rebate included.

Your proposal from us sets out the costs, equipment and plans, built on a model of your roof, so you can weigh it against your own bills before you commit.

Get a price for your roof

Published averages give you the range. Your price comes from your roof, your electrical panel and your year of use, and we put it in writing once the free assessment is done. Read how net metering works in Ontario before you choose a path, or see our solar panel installation in Ottawa page. Call (613) 869-8254.

Our process is simple

If you need solar energy solutions, we'll be there from conception to completion. We have the experience and accreditation to lead the way in all phases of your solar project. Here's what you can expect.

  1. Consultation

    From your initial assessment to project management, budgeting, scheduling and acquiring your permits, we handle all major aspects of your project.

  2. Design

    We design your solar project to ensure that it meets your needs in the most affordable way possible. We do it all, including system designs to as-built drawings.

  3. Procurement

    We acquire the best quality materials for your project at the lowest cost possible, giving you the best value for your dollar.

  4. Construction

    Our project manager leads all construction projects to ensure that installation, construction and maintenance projects go smoothly and efficiently.

  5. Warranty, operation & maintenance

    Once your system is running, we stay with it: warranty support, operation, maintenance and repairs, including on systems other installers put in.

Questions we get asked

Is Ontario paying homeowners to go solar?

Yes, through Home Renovation Savings, run by Enbridge Gas and the IESO: up to $5,000 back for rooftop panels and up to $5,000 for a paired battery, if you give up net metering for that system. Ottawa owners can also borrow through the Better Homes Ottawa Loan and repay it on the property tax bill. Net metering pays in bill credits, never cash.

Is there a downside to having solar panels?

The trade-offs are planning ones. The roof should have years left in it, which is why we look for a new roof or one 10 years old or less, and a one-time removal can be included in the quote. You choose between the rebate and net metering before the design is final. And your LDC approves the connection before any equipment is bought, which sets the start date.

What is the 20% rule for solar panels?

A rule of thumb from equipment sellers' guides: build about 20% more capacity than you use. It also adds cost: on a 7 kW design, 20% more is 1.4 kW, about $4,088 at $2.92 per watt, and under net metering any output beyond a year's use is written off after 12 months. Size from your bills instead.

Why are people getting rid of their solar panels?

We found no Ontario data on owners removing working panels in numbers. The case that touches cost is the roof: a reroof means taking the panels off and putting them back, which is why we look for a new roof or one 10 years old or less, and a one-time removal can be written into the quote. Contracts are the other case, covered in our net metering guide.

Does a solar quote include connecting to the grid?

Not always. Hydro Ottawa's example excluded the electrical panel upgrade and the utility's connection. Your LDC quotes its share of the connection separately, and its fees vary with system size.

What does a commercial solar system cost?

Less per watt than a home system. Green Building Canada's commercial guide of 2026-01-13 puts commercial installations in Canada at $1.90 to $2.80 per watt before incentives in 2025, covering panels, inverters, mounting, labour, permitting and electrical work, with structural upgrades such as roof reinforcement on top. The incentives differ too: Save on Energy's Retrofit Program and, for corporations, the Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit. See commercial and industrial solar.

Sources for this page (17), last read 2026-10-10
  1. Solar Installers in Ottawa, ONSolarQuotes.ca, read 2026-10-10
  2. The Average Solar Panel Installation Cost in Ontario (2026), published 2025-04-11, updated 2026-04-20Green Building Canada (Simon Dauphinee), read 2026-10-10
  3. A homeowner harnesses the power of the sun (blog, 2024-02-20)Hydro Ottawa, read 2026-10-10
  4. Photovoltaic potential and solar resource maps of Canada: municipality database (kWh/kWp)Natural Resources Canada, read 2026-10-10
  5. Backgrounder: Regulated Price Plan (2025-10-17)Ontario Energy Board, read 2026-10-10
  6. Go solar and save up to $5,000 backHome Renovation Savings (Enbridge Gas and IESO), read 2026-10-10
  7. Solar and Storage Program Stream Requirements, version October 2025Home Renovation Savings (Enbridge Gas and IESO), read 2026-10-10
  8. GST/HST calculator (and rates for provinces), modified 2025-04-01Canada Revenue Agency, read 2026-10-10
  9. Better Homes Ottawa Loan Program (page dated 2026-09-09)City of Ottawa, read 2026-10-10
  10. Better Homes Ottawa Loan ProgramBetter Homes Ottawa (City of Ottawa program, EnviroCentre), read 2026-10-10
  11. Solar collector systems (Do I need a building permit?), page dated 2026-07-29City of Ottawa, read 2026-10-10
  12. Canada Greener Homes Initiative (modified 2026-08-04)Natural Resources Canada, read 2026-10-10
  13. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) incentives, Retrofit ProgramSave on Energy (IESO), read 2026-10-10
  14. Retrofit Program FAQs (Solar PV DER)Save on Energy (IESO), read 2026-10-10
  15. What Commercial Solar Panels Cost in Canada in 2026 (published 2026-01-13)Green Building Canada, read 2026-10-10
  16. Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit: What is the Clean Technology ITC (modified 2025-12-22)Canada Revenue Agency, read 2026-10-10
  17. Ontario's solar rebate has a hidden catch (2026-07-10)The Atmospheric Fund, read 2026-10-10

Contact Ottawa's solar energy experts

Ready to get started? Give us a call or send us a quick message for all your solar and green energy needs. The free assessment looks at your roof or site, your last year of electricity use and what you want the system to do, then comes back with a concept design, costs and the equipment we would use.

Book a free assessment(613) 869-8254

Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: by appointment