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BC Solar Incentive › Solar for Auto Dealerships

Solar for Auto Dealerships in British Columbia

BC Hydro rates rose 3.75% in 2025 and another 3.75% this April, and every EV you demo, deliver or service adds charging load on top. Power is one of the few input costs a dealer can actually fix: your own roof and lot supply it for 25 years, with grants and tax credits covering more than half the setup. Worked examples below at 50 kW, 200 kW and with battery storage.

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 →

The numbers: 50 kW and 200 kW dealership systems

Estimate

Mid-size dealership, 50 kW

About 110 panels. Fits on a mid-size showroom and service-bay 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 5-6 years (estimate). Your solar power costs ~4.8¢/kWh vs ~15¢ from BC Hydro.
Estimated 25-year savings: ~$262,000 on a $46,000 net investment. Incentive totals already account for how the programs interact.
Estimate

Large dealership or dealer group, 200 kW

Rooftop, lot canopy, or a combination across sites.

Typical monthly BC Hydro bill, this size~$2,500 – $6,000+/mo
System cost ($1.85/W)$370,000
BC Hydro Load Displacement incentive*− $115,000
Federal tax credit (refundable, 30%)− $76,500
Year-one tax write-off value− $48,000
What you actually pay~$130,000
Saves ~$2,300/month (~$27,600/year) on powerPaid off in about 5-6 years (estimate). Roughly 230,000 kWh a year at an estimated 3.3¢/kWh levelized cost.
Estimated 25-year net benefit: ~$810,000 after the initial investment. *Illustrative screening figure: Load Displacement incentives are negotiated project by project. One BC Hydro project received approximately $875,000, about 40% of system cost.
Under or over 100 kW changes the program. Systems up to 100 kW may qualify for BC Hydro's standard business solar rebate ($1,000/kW up to $10,000). Systems over 100 kW may instead qualify for the Load Displacement Program, where incentives are determined project by project and can be substantially larger. Sizing the system to the right side of that line is part of what the assessment works out.

All figures are estimates based on typical B.C. installed costs, mid-range production, current rates and general corporate tax treatment. The 50 kW savings figure assumes roughly 85% of generation is consumed on-site at ~15¢/kWh and 15% is exported at ~10¢/kWh under the self-generation rate. Your site and BC Hydro's review determine the real numbers. That's what the free assessment establishes.

Why dealerships are built for solar

Solar is worth the most when you use the power yourself, the moment it's generated. Showroom lighting, HVAC, service bays, compressors and EV charging all draw hardest during business hours, the exact window your panels produce. And unlike most businesses, a dealership has the real estate to capture it: large flat roofs and open lots where canopies generate power while sheltering inventory.

Daytime load match

Showroom, service and charging demand peaks with the sun, so most generation is consumed on-site at ~15¢/kWh grid value.

EV charging is a growing load

Every demo drive, delivery prep and customer charge draws power, almost entirely in daylight hours. Solar offsets it at full value.

Roof + lot real estate

Flat commercial roofs and canopy-ready lots mean dealerships can host larger systems than most buildings their size, and canopies shade inventory.

Brand value

Selling EVs charged on your own sunshine is a story customers and OEM image programs respond to.

The incentive stack behind those numbers

Why now: BC Hydro rates rose 3.75% in April 2025 and another 3.75% in April 2026, about 7.6% in two years, with future increases set in rate filings you don't control. Every increase makes the fixed-cost side of this math better. BC Hydro's new self-generation rate took effect July 1, 2026 and now compensates exported energy, though on-site use still earns the most. Rebates are first-come, first-served while funding lasts.

The battery case: cap the demand spike, keep the lights on

Fast charging is the hardest load a dealership carries: a single DC fast charger can spike site demand the moment a car plugs in, and demand charges bill you for that peak all month. A battery caps the spike by supplying the burst itself, and it keeps the showroom, service bays and chargers running through outages. In the estimated participating-project scenario below, BC Hydro covers most of the battery cost in exchange for limited access to it.

Estimate

Battery storage, paired with the 200 kW system

Participating-project scenario with BC Hydro's Energy Storage Incentive.

Battery cost$90,000
BC Hydro Energy Storage Incentive (80%)− $72,000
Federal tax credit + first-year write-off− $8,800
What you actually pay~$9,200
Payback under 5 years (estimate)From demand-charge savings alone, before counting the value of backup for the showroom and chargers.
The 80% contribution reflects an estimated participating-project scenario and may be subject to performance requirements, including potential clawback if the battery underperforms during required dispatches.
What participation means

In this scenario, the customer signs a 10-year agreement allowing BC Hydro to draw on the battery during busy periods: a maximum of two dispatches per day, up to four hours each. The building keeps operating during dispatch, subject to system design and available capacity.

In plain terms: BC Hydro pays for most of your battery, and in exchange it gets to borrow it sometimes. You keep the backup capability and the demand-management savings.

The assumptions behind the numbers

These are preliminary screening estimates, not quotations or tax advice. The worked examples use: installed cost of $2.00/W (50 kW) and $1.85/W (200 kW); annual production of 1,150 kWh per installed kW; electricity value of 15¢/kWh at the smaller site and 12¢/kWh at the larger site; 3% annual electricity-price escalation; 0.5% annual panel degradation; a 25-year analysis period; a 27% corporate tax rate; and the federal Clean Technology ITC at 30% of eligible cost after applicable assistance, subject to eligibility. Actual results depend on roof condition, shading, interconnection, load shape, tax position and BC Hydro approval.

What the assessment looks at

A useful solar answer starts with your BC Hydro bills and your site, not a generic quote. The free assessment reviews your rate schedule and load profile, roof and lot canopy options, service-bay and charging loads (including any fast-charger demand impact), and which incentives your corporate structure qualifies for. You get your version of the numbers above before anyone designs anything.

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More solar use cases

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