Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By David Cusick
Last Updated June 2024
A rooftop solar array could give you a renewable power source that will pay for itself in time. Going solar can help cut your utility bills and lower your environmental impact. But you'll want to find a qualified installation company first. Luckily, we’ve conducted comprehensive research local solar installers and put together a guide to the best solar companies in Ontario. These trusted providers are smart choices homeowners can depend on.
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Services Offered
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Prompt service delivery
Free quotes
Services Offered
Free quotes
Informative resources
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Prompt service delivery
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Informative resources
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Informative resources
Services Offered
Free quotes
Clear pricing policy
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Family-operated business
Services Offered
Reliable customer support
Informative resources
Clear pricing policy
Free quotes
Services Offered
Today's Homeowner looks at dozens of datapoints on solar companies to come up with our data-driven rankings. It's not possible for a company to pay for preferential treatment in our rankings. We look at the following key factors in determining who should top our list:
Installing solar panels can cut your electricity costs and benefit the planet by reducing your carbon footprint. When determining whether a solar provider is right for you, consider these key factors.
Make sure you hire a licensed solar installer. This helps ensure that the work is done correctly using current best installation practices. There are five different classifications of solar contracting licenses in California: boilers, PV electrical, HVAC, thermal, and pool heating. To earn a license, a contractor must complete a highly comprehensive educational series, gain four years of experience as an apprentice or journeyman, and pass written exams.
Check consumer review platforms like TrustPilot, Google Reviews, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see customer feedback about local solar companies. Detailed reviews can help you evaluate a company's dependability and level of service. Use caution with installers that have no reviews or mostly negative ones.
To find a solar installer that works with your budget, ask for free, detailed quotes from 3–5 providers. The quotes should outline all costs and list the solar equipment included. Looking at several quotes helps you identify the most cost-effective option.
High-quality solar installations should include robust workmanship and performance guarantees. The workmanship warranty covers any installation issues like cracks in the panels, poor alignment, or poor wiring. The output guarantee ensures an energy generation baseline. Strong guarantees reflect a solar provider's faith in its installations.
Solar power can help decrease your electricity costs long-term. When weighing solar panel's cost and value, be sure to factor in these considerations.
Ontario homeowners typically spend about $6,973 on home solar systems after federal tax refunds. Solar arrays in Ontario cost roughly $3,470 per kilowatt, with the average residential solar system being 2.9 kilowatts. An estimate from a local solar provider will include costs for labor, permit fees, and preliminary work, and will account for your system's size, capacity, and panel type. Some homeowners prefer to lease their solar panels in order to reduce upfront costs.
Incentive Amount:
Eligible products can be financed for up to 25 years, depending on the useful life of the eligible product.
Minimum financing: $5,000
The financing may not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the market value of the property, up to the first seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) of the property’s market value, and ten percent (10%) of the remaining value of the Property above seven hundred thousand dollars ($700,000) minus any PACE assessment on the propertyThe total amount of any annual property taxes and assessments shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the property's fair market value, determined at the time program financing is approved.
Incentive Type: PACE Financing
Incentive Amount:
Locally determined
Incentive Amount:
For projects 30 kW or larger, 50% of incentive will be received up-front; 50% will be received based on actual kWh production over the first 5 years. For projects under 30kW, 100% of the incentive will be paid up front.
Incentives will step down over time. See below for incentive amounts.
Incentive Amount:
Step 1 Incentive Rates (contact utility to determine current incentive levels):
Single Family Residential Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $29.85 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: Funding has been exhausted
Commercial/Multifamily Incentives:
Systems that displace natural gas: $20.19 per estimated therm displaced
Systems that displace electricity or propane: $0.42 per estimated kWh displaced *** Note, funding has been exhausted in this category for SCE and PG&E
Solar Pool heating: $5.00 per estimated therm displaced
Generally speaking, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system can be used to power any household system or appliance that uses electricity. In the smallest case, you can use a solar water heater.
With home solar panels, you can recoup the cost of the system over time, lower your home's carbon footprint, and gain additional energy independence.
It depends on where you live and the kind of panels you plan to use. With the winter months in California being very mild, you have a lengthy window to install your panels, though they won't achieve peak performance until summer arrives.
Your payback period is the time to earn a net profit from your solar panels. It will vary based on the average sunlight in your area, the rate your utility charges per kilowatt of power, and their rated capacity. Ontario has extremely high daily sunlight levels, so you could recoup your investment in as little as 9.3 years per 5 kW of rated capacity.
Absolutely. Solar panels are independent of the Ontario grid and will continue to generate power even if the grid is having problems. Keep in mind, however, that a solar system won't take you through a nighttime outage if you don't have a storage system. Your contractor can discuss some economical options to keep your home's power access reliable through the worst conditions, including battery backups or an emergency generator.
Solar energy can be more efficient than other forms of renewable energy. They have inexpensive upkeep and today's systems can work in a variety of conditions.
