FortisBC or BC Hydro? Check your billCall 250-250-2525
SOLAR INSTALLATIONKelowna

SHEET 01 — KELOWNA, BC

Solar installation in Kelowna, planned around your utility

Homes, businesses and off-grid properties across Kelowna. We start with your FortisBC bills, draw the system, handle the paperwork and give you the timeline and payback in writing before you sign.

Book an assessmentCall 250-250-2525

3–50 kW6–10 weeks start to switch-onFortisBC net meteringLicensed crews

Two installers in hard hats lifting a black solar module off a trailer in the driveway of a Kelowna home
FIG. 01 Modules arrive last and leave the trailer by hand.
Close-up of a solar racking rail bolted to a flashed roof mount on dark shingles
FIG. 02 Rail on flashed mount, bolted into a rafter.
Hillside home with black solar panels above Okanagan Lake in late afternoon light
FIG. 03 Finished: flush, all-black, facing the lake.
  • UtilityFortisBCserves the City of Kelowna
  • Rebate$0on FortisBC; BC Hydro’s is for BC Hydro homes
  • ExportkWh banksurplus banked, settled yearly
  • Timeline6–10 wksfirst visit to switch-on

01 — START HERE

Solar installation in Kelowna starts with your utility

Solar installation in Kelowna works a little differently from the rest of BC, and most of the difference comes down to one name on your power bill. The City of Kelowna is served by FortisBC, not BC Hydro. That rules out BC Hydro’s solar rebate, which BC Hydro says plainly is not available to FortisBC customers.

It also means you keep something BC Hydro dropped for new customers in July 2026: net metering with a kWh bank. Power you send to the grid is banked and used later in the year, so a system sized to your use offsets your bill almost one for one. An 8 kW home system costs about $23,200 installed, saves about $1,488 in its first year and pays back around year 14.

We start every project with a year of your bills, then draw the system and write down the timeline. Call 250-250-2525 and we can usually tell you in one call whether your roof is worth a visit.

Solar assessor reviewing a printed roof layout and a year of power bills with a homeowner couple at their kitchen table
FIG. 04 The first visit is mostly paperwork: bills, a roof sketch and the panel box.

02 — UTILITY

Which rules apply to you?

Your utility decides the rebate, how exports are credited and the paperwork. Pick the name on your bill.

WHAT NAME IS AT THE TOP OF YOUR POWER BILL?

FORTISBC — WHAT APPLIES

Solar rebate
None
Exports
Banked as kWh, used in later bills
Year-end surplus
Settled once a year at a low rate
Size limit
50 kW, sized to your yearly use
Paperwork
Net-metering application → approval to build → Interconnection Agreement
8 kW payback
about year 14

This is you if you live anywhere in Kelowna.

BC HYDRO — WHAT APPLIES

Solar rebate
$1,000/kW, up to $5,000
Exports
Flat 10¢/kWh on each bill (since July 1, 2026)
Year-end surplus
No bank; credited as you go
Size limit
Up to 300 kW on the self-generation rate
Paperwork
Rebate via an HPCN member; self-generation application
8 kW payback
about year 14, after the rebate

Across the bridge, not in the City of Kelowna.

A MUNICIPAL UTILITY — WHAT APPLIES

Solar rebate
Depends on the city
Exports
Set by the municipal utility
Year-end surplus
Varies
Size limit
Varies
Paperwork
Apply to the city’s electric utility
8 kW payback
Modelled case by case

Outside Kelowna; ask us and we’ll check the rules.

FortisBC vs BC Hydro, in full

03 — SERVICES

Five ways we install solar in Kelowna

Each one starts with an assessment and ends with switch-on and a folder of documents.

  1. 01 Residential Solar InstallationPanels on your house, sized to a year of bills and connected to FortisBC. Size5–12 kWOn site1–3 daysUtility stepFortisBC net metering Roof mid-installation with aluminium rails across dark shingles and the first black modules clamped in place
  2. 02 Business & Farm Solar InstallationRoof or ground arrays for shops, offices, wineries, orchards and strata. Size15–50 kWOn site3–10 daysUtility stepFortisBC, 50 kW cap Ground-mounted solar array on steel posts beside rows of apple trees
  3. 03 Off-Grid Solar InstallationStand-alone solar, batteries and backup generation for places without a line. Size2–15 kWOn site2–5 daysUtility stepNone Tidy off-grid power shed with a wall-mounted inverter-charger and a rack of plain battery modules
  4. 04 Battery Backup InstallationBatteries and backup panels that keep chosen circuits on in an outage. Size10–30 kWhOn site1–2 daysUtility stepFortisBC review if paired with solar Close-up of a residential backup sub-panel with breakers beside a plain battery cabinet
  5. 05 Solar Repair, Maintenance & Re-InstallationDiagnostics, repairs, cleaning and remove-and-reinstall for re-roofing. Visit1–3 hoursRe-install1–3 daysUtility stepUsually none Solar inverter on a stucco wall with small status lights and a tool bag on a shelf below

04 — WHO WE WORK WITH

Homes, businesses and off-grid owners

We help residents, businesses and off-grid property owners across Kelowna save on electricity, and get their solar installed by our own crew or our vetted local contractor partners.

Newer two-storey homes on a curving hillside street above a golf course, two with black rooftop solar arrays

TYPE 01

Homes

Detached houses, homes with suites and townhomes. Sized to a year of FortisBC bills, laid out on a drawing, installed in one to three days.

Typical
6–10 kW
Panels
14–23
Payback
year 13–15
Residential installation
Low winery production building with a large solar array across its metal roof and grapevines in front

TYPE 02

Business & farms

Shops, offices, wineries, orchards and strata buildings. Daytime loads use solar as it is made, up to FortisBC’s 50 kW cap per account.

Typical
15–50 kW
Mount
roof or ground
Cap
50 kW / account
Business & farm installation
Small wooden cabin among ponderosa pines with a six-panel ground-mounted array beside it

TYPE 03

Off-grid

Cabins, shops and rural lots without a line, or where a line costs more than a system. Designed for December, with honest generator hours.

Typical
2–15 kW
Battery
days, not hours
Utility
none
Off-grid installation

05 — TIMELINE

Six to ten weeks, and most of it isn’t on your roof

A home installation in Kelowna spends one to three days on the roof and several weeks in queues: FortisBC’s net-metering approval, the Technical Safety BC electrical permit and the final inspection. The chart shows a typical job.

We own every step except the ones only FortisBC or an inspector can do, and we tell you when each is due.

How installation works, step by step

Typical Kelowna home solar installation timeline Seven steps over about nine weeks: assessment in week 0 to 1, design and quote in week 1 to 2, FortisBC application in weeks 2 to 5, permits in weeks 3 to 5, installation in week 5 to 6, inspection in week 6 to 7, interconnection and switch-on in weeks 7 to 9. W0W1W2W3W4W5W6W7W8W9W1001 AssessmentYou + us02 Design & written quoteUs03 FortisBC applicationFortisBC04 PermitsUs05 Install daysCrew06 InspectionInspector07 Interconnection & switch-onFortisBC + you Our workUtility or inspector
FIG. G A typical home takes 6–10 weeks from first visit to switch-on. Install day itself is the short bar.
Timeline as a table
StepWhoWeeksWhat happens
AssessmentYou + us0–1Bills, roof, panel box, shade. Usually one visit or a video call.
Design & written quoteUs1–2Panel layout, single-line drawing, price, timeline and payback in writing.
FortisBC applicationFortisBC2–5Net-metering application; FortisBC reviews it and approves construction.
PermitsUs3–5Technical Safety BC electrical permit; a City of Kelowna building permit if structural work is involved.
Install daysCrew5–6Usually 1–3 days on site for a home: mounts, rails, modules, inverter, wiring.
InspectionInspector6–7Electrical inspection of the finished work under the permit.
Interconnection & switch-onFortisBC + you7–9Interconnection Agreement signed, meter set for net metering, system commissioned.

06 — ANATOMY

What actually goes on your house

Panels are the visible part, and about a quarter of the price. The rest is what holds them on, carries their power down the wall and connects it safely to FortisBC’s grid.

Every part in this drawing is listed in our quotes, so you can compare like with like.

Roof-to-meter cutaway of a home solar installation Section drawing of a house: modules on rails over flashed mounts on the roof, a conduit run down to an inverter and disconnect on the wall, then the panel box, the bidirectional meter and the grid line. typical home: 18–24 modules · 8–10 kW 12345678910
  1. 1Solar modulesAll-black 400–450 W panels, sized and laid out to your use.
  2. 2Rails & clampsAluminium rails that hold the modules a few centimetres off the roof.
  3. 3Mounts & flashingLag-bolted into rafters with flashing under the shingle or a tile hook.
  4. 4Roof deckChecked before anything goes on it. Old shingles get replaced first.
  5. 5Conduit runWiring from the array to the inverter, strapped and sealed.
  6. 6InverterTurns the panels’ DC into AC your home uses.
  7. 7DisconnectA lockable switch so crews can isolate the system.
  8. 8Panel boxThe solar breaker lands here. Older 100 A panels may need an upgrade.
  9. 9Bidirectional meterSet by FortisBC to count power both ways for net metering.
  10. 10GridFortisBC’s lines, which bank your surplus as kWh credit.
FIG. C Ten parts between the sun and FortisBC’s grid. Every one is in your quote.

07 — COST

What solar installation costs in Kelowna

Installed prices and paybacks by size. On FortisBC there is no rebate; on BC Hydro the rebate roughly balances the lower 10¢ export credit, so the payback lands in about the same place: year 14 vs year 14 for 8 kW.

SystemInstalled priceFortisBC: year-one value · paybackBC Hydro: net of rebate · payback
5 kW 12 panels · ~6,000 kWh/yr home$14,000 – $17,500$930 · year 15$10,600 after $5,000 · year 13
8 kW 19 panels · ~9,600 kWh/yr home$20,900 – $26,000$1,488 · year 14$18,200 after $5,000 · year 14
10 kW 23 panels · ~12,000 kWh/yr home$25,500 – $31,700$1,860 · year 14$23,300 after $5,000 · year 14
12 kW 28 panels · ~14,400 kWh/yr home$30,100 – $37,400$2,232 · year 13$28,400 after $5,000 · year 15

Installed price ranges, not quotes, as of October 2026. Each size assumes a home using about as much as the system makes (1,200 kWh per kW a year). FortisBC value at about 15.5¢/kWh; BC Hydro shown for comparison (rebate, 40% self-use, 10¢ exports). Paybacks use the mid price and a 3% yearly rate rise.

Book an assessment Full installation cost guide

TOOL — QUOTE DECODER

Got a quote? Decode it.

Enter the total and the system size from any installer’s quote. You get the price per watt, where that sits against Kelowna installs, and the payback on your utility.

Example: an 8 kW quote at $23,200 on FortisBC.

Price per watt$2.90
Against Kelowna installsTypical
Yearly output9,600 kWh
Year-one value$1,488
After rebate$23,200
Paybackyear 14

Estimate only. 1,200 kWh per kW a year; FortisBC value at about 15.5¢ per kWh for a system sized to your use; BC Hydro at 40% self-use and 10¢ exports with its rebate; 3% yearly rate rise. “Typical” is the range a well-specified Kelowna home install falls in for that size. How we price

WHEN THE GRID GOES DOWN

When the FortisBC outage map lights up

Summer storms, a car into a pole, wildfire season. A standard solar system switches off in an outage by design. Add a battery and your fridge, furnace fan, internet and lights carry on.

Battery backup Kelowna outage guide

Dark thunderstorm clouds over a Kelowna neighbourhood at dusk with power poles along the street

AREAS — 20 NEIGHBOURHOODS

Where we install across Kelowna

From Poplar Point and Downtown to Quail Ridge, Tower Ranch and the south-east benches. Every neighbourhood here is on FortisBC.

All service areas

Schematic map of the Kelowna neighbourhoods we serve Okanagan Lake runs down the left side. Highway 97 crosses the bridge and runs north-east to the airport; Highway 33 heads east; Mission Creek runs west to the lake. Twenty neighbourhood dots each link to their page. A full list follows the map. OKANAGAN LAKE HWY 97 HWY 33 MISSION CREEK N Downtown KelownaLandmark DistrictSouth PandosyGuisachanBenvoulinAcademy HillUniversity HeightsQuail RidgeTower RanchGallagher’s CanyonKirschner MountainCrawford EstatesThe PondsMagic EstatesCliftonPoplar PointEast KelownaJune SpringsHall RoadBelgo
FIG. M Schematic, not to scale. Every dot is a neighbourhood page.

CENTRAL & NORTH KELOWNA

HILLSIDE & GOLF COMMUNITIES

RURAL BENCHES & ACREAGES

08 — WHY US

How we run an installation

  • One point of contact. The person who assesses your property stays with you through FortisBC, permits, installation and switch-on.
  • A written timeline. Every step, who owns it and roughly when, on paper before you sign.
  • The paperwork handled. FortisBC application, Interconnection Agreement, electrical permit and inspection.
  • Licensed crews. Our own installers and vetted local partners. All electrical work by licensed electricians.

About us

Electrician working at an open residential electrical panel beside a newly mounted inverter and disconnect switch
FIG. 05 Licensed electricians make every connection, under a Technical Safety BC permit.

09 — QUESTIONS

Common questions

  1. Q01How much does solar installation cost in Kelowna?
  2. Q02Is there a solar rebate in Kelowna?
  3. Q03Am I on FortisBC or BC Hydro?
  4. Q04How long does a solar installation take?
  5. Q05Will my solar panels work during a power outage?
  6. Q06Is solar worth it in BC?
Q01How much does solar installation cost in Kelowna?

Most home systems in Kelowna cost between about $14,000 and $37,000 installed, depending on size. A typical 8 kW system is about $20,900 to $26,000, roughly $2.60 to $3.25 per watt. Smaller systems cost more per watt because permits, design and set-up cost about the same at any size.

There is no rebate to subtract on FortisBC, which serves Kelowna. A right-sized 8 kW system saves about $1,490 in its first year and pays for itself around year 14.

Q02Is there a solar rebate in Kelowna?

Not for most Kelowna homes. Kelowna is served by FortisBC, which does not offer a solar rebate, and BC Hydro’s rebate (up to $5,000 for solar) is only for BC Hydro customers. BC Hydro says plainly that FortisBC customers are not eligible.

What FortisBC customers do get is net metering with a kWh bank: surplus power is banked and used later, instead of being paid out at a low rate each month.

Q03Am I on FortisBC or BC Hydro?

Check the name at the top of your electricity bill. Every neighbourhood in the City of Kelowna, including central Kelowna’s old City-run utility area, is served by FortisBC. Across the bridge, West Kelowna, Westbank and Peachland are mostly BC Hydro.

Q04How long does a solar installation take?

Usually 6 to 10 weeks from the first visit to switch-on. Install day is short, one to three days on the roof for a home. Most of the time goes to the FortisBC net-metering approval, the electrical permit and the inspection.

Q05Will my solar panels work during a power outage?

Not on their own. Grid-tied systems are required to shut off when the grid goes down, so line crews are safe. To keep power during an outage you need a battery and a backup panel, which switch your chosen circuits over automatically.

Q06Is solar worth it in BC?

For a Kelowna home on FortisBC with a decent south, west or east roof, usually yes. An 8 kW system costs about $23,200, saves about $1,490 in year one, pays back around year 14 and saves roughly $50,000 over 25 years. It is a long-term investment rather than a quick one, and we tell you plainly when a roof isn’t worth it.

All questions FortisBC vs BC Hydro

WORK ORDER № SIK-001

Start with a free assessment

Tell us where the property is and what you’re after. We reply within one business day with next steps, or a straight answer if solar doesn’t suit it.

OR CALL250-250-2525

  • A year of FortisBC bills helps most
  • A photo of your electrical panel, door open
  • Plans for an EV, heat pump or pool

Free and no obligation. We use your details only to reply.

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