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Electricity costs are rising · British Columbia

BC Hydro rates went up 3.75% last year. And another 3.75% this April.

Your business can keep paying whatever comes next, or lock its energy costs in place for the next 25 years. Grants and tax credits will pay for 50%+ of your investment. Let us guide you through the process.

See the Numbers ↓Get My Estimate
Rebates are first-come, first-served while program funding lasts.
+7.6%BC Hydro rate increases across 2025 and 2026, with more filings to come
3–5¢/kWhestimated cost of power from your own roof, fixed for 25 years, vs 12–15¢ from the grid
50%+of system cost typically covered by grants and tax credits (estimate)
~5–6 yrsestimated payback, then the savings compound with every rate increase
The Math You're Already In

You already buy power. The only question is the price.

Every B.C. business pays for electricity one way or another. The difference is whether that price is set for you, or by you.

Keep buying from the grid

~12–15¢/kWh today, up 3.75% in 2025, another 3.75% in 2026, and future increases decided in rate filings you don't control. For a business spending $2,000/month, the increases alone add roughly $275,000 to your power bills over 25 years (estimate).

Generate your own

Power from your own roof or land costs an estimated 3–5¢/kWh once installed, a fixed price for 25+ years, immune to every future rate filing. Grants and tax credits cover more than half the setup cost.

The Do-Nothing Price

What happens to your bill if you do nothing

BC Hydro commercial rates rose 3.75% in April 2025 and another 3.75% in April 2026. Slide to your current monthly bill and see where the compounding takes it if increases continue at a similar pace.

$—/month today ($—/year)
$500$20,000
In 5 years$—$—/yr+16% (estimate)
In 10 years$—$—/yr+34% (estimate)
In 25 years$—$—/yrmore than double
Total paid to BC Hydro over 25 years$—incl. $— caused by the increases alone
Estimates. Assumes increases continue at 3% per year, in line with the assumptions behind the worked examples on this page; the last two BCUC-approved increases were 3.75% per year, and future rates are set in filings you don't control. Power you generate yourself works differently: an estimated 3–5¢/kWh, fixed for 25 years, immune to every future increase. See what your version of this math looks like →
Worked Examples

What opting out actually costs

Three example projects with the full incentive stack applied. All figures are estimates: your roof, your site, and BC Hydro's project review determine the real numbers. Incentive totals already account for how the programs interact; they can't simply be added together.

Estimate

Small winery or farm, 50 kW

About 110 panels. Fits on a mid-size roof.

Typical monthly BC Hydro bill, this size~$800 – $2,500/mo
System cost$100,000
BC Hydro rebate− $10,000
Federal tax credit (refundable)− $27,000
Year-one tax write-off value− $17,000
What you actually pay$46,000
Saves ~$680/month (~$8,200/year) on powerPaid off in about 6 years. Your solar power costs ~4.8¢/kWh vs ~15¢ from BC Hydro.
Estimated 25-year savings: ~$262,000 on a $46,000 net investment.
Estimate

Larger farm or commercial, 200 kW

About 440 panels. Big roof or ground mount.

Typical monthly BC Hydro bill, this size~$2,500 – $6,000+/mo
System cost$370,000
BC Hydro incentive*− ~$115,000
Federal tax credit (refundable)− $76,500
Year-one tax write-off value− $48,000
What you actually pay~$130,000
Saves ~$2,240/month (~$26,900/year) on powerPaid off in about 5 years. Your solar power costs ~3.3¢/kWh vs ~12¢ from BC Hydro at this size.
Estimated 25-year savings: ~$867,000 on a ~$130,000 net investment. *BC Hydro sets larger-project incentives project by project. One B.C. industrial park received $875,000, about 40% of its system cost (public record).
Estimate

Adding battery storage

Works with either system. Backup power included.

Battery cost$90,000
BC Hydro storage incentive (up to 80%)− $72,000
Tax credit + write-off− $8,800
What you actually pay~$9,200
Pays for itself in under 5 yearsOn lower demand charges alone, before counting what it's worth to keep coolers, pumps and lights running through an outage.
In exchange, you sign a 10-year agreement letting BC Hydro draw on the battery during peak periods: max two events a day, four hours each. Your building keeps running the whole time.

All figures are estimates based on typical B.C. installed costs, mid-range solar production (Okanagan and Kamloops do better, the coast somewhat less), current BC Hydro rates, and general corporate tax treatment. Real results depend on your site and what BC Hydro determines for your project. That's what the free assessment establishes.

Since June 2026, only certified installers can get you the BC Hydro rebate.

BC Hydro now requires rebate installations to be done by Home Performance Contractor Network members. Many contractors quoting solar in B.C. can no longer access the rebate at all. Pick the wrong installer and you leave up to $20,000 on the table. Our installations are performed by certified installers who also structure projects to meet the federal labour requirements, so you get the full 30% credit instead of 20%.

Solar by Industry

See how the incentives apply to your operation

Wineries & Breweries

Daytime cooling loads, Okanagan sun, and a brand story your visitors respond to.

Farms & Greenhouses

Ground-mount systems sized to real loads, for incorporated ag operations with land.

Cold Storage & Food Processing

Solar + battery to cut both energy and demand charges, with outage protection built in.

Auto Dealerships

Showroom, service and EV charging loads that peak with the sun, plus roof and lot-canopy space to power them.
Eligibility

Who qualifies for the full stack

The strongest candidates check three boxes: incorporated, own their building, and use electricity during the day.

RequirementWhy it matters
Incorporated businessThe 30% federal Clean Technology credit is available to taxable Canadian corporations. Sole proprietorships don't qualify directly for the credit.
Own your building or landYou need authority over the roof or ground-mount site, and you keep the asset's value. Farms with available land are excellent ground-mount candidates.
Daytime electricity useSolar is worth the most when you consume the power yourself. Under the 2026 self-generation rate, the pitch isn't selling power back. It's sizing to your load and self-consuming at 3–5¢/kWh instead of buying at 12–15¢ (estimates).
Certified installerSince June 2026, BC Hydro rebates require a Home Performance Contractor Network member to do the installation. Non-certified installers can't get you the rebate.
Process

How it works

Free assessment

Tell us about your building and hydro spend. We review your usage profile, roof or land, and rate schedule.

Site evaluation & design

A certified installer evaluates the site and designs a system sized to your load, no generic quotes.

Incentive filing

BC Hydro pre-approval, rebate and incentive applications, and the documentation your accountant needs for the federal credit and first-year write-off.

Install & start saving

Professional installation by certified installers, grid connection, and monitoring from day one.

FAQ

Common questions

How much of the cost do the incentives really cover?
Typically more than half, as an estimate. The stack: the 30% refundable federal Clean Technology credit, BC Hydro rebates ($1,000/kW up to $10,000, plus $500/kWh for smaller batteries), custom incentives for larger projects set by BC Hydro project by project, the storage incentive that can cover up to 80% of a commercial battery, a 100% first-year write-off, and no PST on solar equipment in B.C. The programs interact: the rebate reduces what the federal credit is calculated on, so totals can't simply be added. Our worked examples above already handle that.
How much have BC Hydro rates actually gone up?
3.75% in April 2025 and another 3.75% in April 2026, approved together by the BC Utilities Commission, about 7.6% compounded in two years. Future increases are set in rate filings; the examples on this page assume a modest 3% per year, which is why solar's savings grow rather than shrink over the system's life.
How fast does it pay for itself?
Most well-suited B.C. commercial systems pay for themselves in about 5–6 years (estimate) and keep saving for another 20, on equipment warrantied for 25+ years. Batteries under the storage incentive can pay back in under 5 years on demand-charge savings alone. Real results depend on the roof, the site, and what BC Hydro decides.
Does my business qualify for the 30% federal credit?
It's a refundable credit (a cheque, not just a deduction) for taxable Canadian corporations, through 2033. The full 30% requires the install to meet federal labour requirements (20% otherwise); we structure installs to meet them. Your business generally needs to be incorporated; confirm specifics with your accountant.
Why does the installer matter for the rebate?
Since June 1, 2026, BC Hydro solar and battery rebates are only available through Home Performance Contractor Network members. Many contractors quoting solar in B.C. today can no longer get their customers the rebate. Choosing a non-certified installer can mean leaving up to $20,000 on the table.
What's the catch on the 80% battery incentive?
A 10-year agreement letting BC Hydro draw on the battery during busy periods: a maximum of two events per day, four hours each, with rest in between. Your building keeps running normally the whole time, and you keep the backup power benefit. For operations that can't afford outages (cold storage, refrigeration, irrigation), BC Hydro is essentially paying for your backup system.
Can I sell excess power back to BC Hydro?
Exports earn a flat credit of roughly 10¢/kWh under the rate effective July 2026. But the better economics are in self-consuming: power from your own system costs an estimated 3–5¢/kWh versus 12–15¢ from the grid, so we size systems to your load rather than for export.
What buildings are the best fit?
Owner-occupied commercial buildings with daytime loads: wineries, breweries, grocery stores, packing and processing facilities, dealerships, cold storage, and incorporated farms with land for ground-mount systems. The Okanagan, Fraser Valley, and Lower Mainland all have strong candidates.
Free Assessment

Get the real numbers for your building

The examples above are estimates. Takes 60 seconds to request yours: a solar advisor maps the full incentive stack to your building and hydro spend.

  • No cost, no obligation, no generic sales pitch
  • Your estimated incentive total, payback and 25-year savings
  • Certified installers: your BC Hydro rebate eligibility is protected
  • Rebates are first-come, first-served; funding is not unlimited

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