Home solar guide
Alberta
Home solar in Alberta: micro-generation, CEIP and choosing a retailer
A step-by-step guide to home solar in Alberta: micro-generation rules, CEIP property-tax financing, local rebates and how your retailer credits exports.
The full walk-through
A step-by-step guide to home solar in Alberta: micro-generation rules, CEIP property-tax financing, local rebates and how your retailer credits exports.
CEIP financingup to $50,000Repaid on property tax
RoLR energy price≈12¢/kWhTo Dec 31, 2026
Micro-gen exportsRetail energy rateUnder 150 kW
Step by step
- Check your billFind your retailer, your energy rate and your wire owner (ENMAX, EPCOR, FortisAlberta or ATCO).
- Check local moneySee if your municipality offers CEIP or a town rebate. These run on their own budgets and close without much notice.
- Size to your yearly useMicro-generation requires the system to be sized to what the home uses in a year.
- Apply to your wire ownerYour installer files the micro-generation application and the electrical permit.
- Install and inspectInstall, inspection, then a bi-directional meter.
- Review your retailer planSome retailers pay more for summer exports. Compare plans before you sign.
How the money stacks
| Program | What it's worth |
|---|---|
| CEIP | Up to $50,000, up to 20 years, transfers with the home (29 municipalities) |
| Banff | $450/kW, up to $9,000 |
| Medicine Hat HAT Smart | Up to $5,000 |
| Edmonton solar rebate | Closed |
| Provincial rebate | None |
Sizing your system
Exports are credited at your retailer's energy rate, so there's no penalty for a system that matches your yearly use. Delivery charges partly scale with kWh too, so solar cuts more than the energy line.
Batteries
Without time-of-use pricing for most homes, batteries in Alberta are mainly for backup, not savings. Plan them for resilience, not payback.
Questions to ask any installer
- Is the system sized to my last 12 months of usage, or to the roof?
- Which incentive are you counting in the price, and is it open today?
- Who files the utility application and the rebate paperwork?
- What are the panel, inverter and workmanship warranties, in years?
- What does the payback look like if export credits or rates change?
Our take
Retailer solar plans with high summer rates can be worth it, but they are contracts. Check the term, the winter rate and the exit fee.
Sources · checked October 2026
For homes
Rates and programs at a glance
Electricity rates for homes
How homes pay for power
Alberta's market is open: you buy energy from a retailer of your choice, and a separate wire company delivers it. If you've never signed a contract, you're on the Rate of Last Resort.
EPCOR (Edmonton)12.01¢/kWhRate of Last Resort to Dec 31, 2026
Direct Energy Regulated12.02¢/kWhATCO service area
ENMAX (Calgary)12.06¢/kWhRate of Last Resort to Dec 31, 2026
Next RoLR termJan 1, 2027Can move up or down by at most 10%
Wire owners4 mainENMAX, EPCOR, FortisAlberta, ATCO
Sales taxNo PSTGST only
Delivery is a big part of the bill
Transmission and distribution charges come from your wire owner and show up whichever retailer you pick. Part of them is charged per kWh, so solar trims those too, not just the energy line.
What this means for solar
Under Alberta's micro-generation rules, homes under 150 kW get credit for exports at their retailer's energy rate. Some retailers offer higher summer rates for solar owners. Read those plans as commercial contracts, and compare before you sign.
Sources · checked October 2026
Home solar programs
The short version
There's no provincial solar rebate in Alberta. The money is local: property-tax financing through CEIP, a handful of town rebates, and no PST on the equipment.
CEIP financingup to $50,000Repaid on your property tax bill
Banff$450/kWUp to $9,000
Medicine Hatup to $5,000HAT Smart
Alberta home solar incentivesCEIP + town rebates + micro-genRead the program →Alberta heat pump incentivesCEIP; federal rebate comingRead the program →National Heat Pump RebateUp to $10,000 for below-median incomes, $2,000 for other households. Applications expected early 2027.Read the program →
| What | How it works |
|---|---|
| CEIP | Up to $50,000, up to 20 years, attached to the property so it transfers if you sell. Offered in 29 municipalities. |
| Micro-generation | Size the system to your yearly use; exports credited by your retailer. |
| Edmonton solar rebate | Closed. Fully subscribed. |
Check your town first
Programs here are municipal and run on their own budgets. We confirm what's open where you live before we quote.
Sources · checked October 2026
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