Solar panel and battery storage rebates

• You must own an eligible property in the relevant utility’s service area and have an active account with a permanent communicating meter that records electricity flowing in both directions. Your rate must be one of those in Appendix 1 of the terms. Individuals must be at least 18. A separate consent route is available to landlords and developers where a tenant holds the account.
• Eligible homes include separately metered detached homes, duplexes, triplexes, row homes, townhomes and permanently fixed mobile homes with complete services and no towing apparatus or axle. Individually metered farm dwellings and farm buildings on residential rates also qualify. BC Hydro additionally covers commercial buildings on eligible general-service rates and apartment or stacked-townhome buildings of three storeys or more on a single meter or strata common-area account.
• Individual condo or apartment suites, secondary suites, movable properties, unheated, seasonal, unenclosed or unoccupied buildings, parkades and properties using temporary construction meters are excluded. Separately metered residential garages and outbuildings are excluded, except farm buildings on residential rates. A detached installation connected to the primary home’s account and meter can qualify. Non-farm buildings billed as residential but used commercially rather than as permanent homes are excluded.
• The higher social housing caps require a non-profit housing provider registered as a charity under the Income Tax Act, a housing society under the Societies Act, or a housing cooperative under the Cooperative Association Act. Equity housing co-ops are excluded; mixed-use residential buildings need at least 50% residential floor area. An Indigenous governing body must be authorized to act for Indigenous peoples with rights recognized by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. Social housing providers and Indigenous governing bodies owning residential property in New Westminster are not eligible for these rebates.
• Equipment must be new, bought in Canada, owned by you, working and not previously installed elsewhere. Use a licensed Home Performance Contractor Network member to design and install a fixed, hardwired system under the required permits and electrical rules; self-installation and portable or plug-in systems do not qualify.
• Solar must be CSA-certified and meet the standards in section 4(i) of the terms. The combined system cannot exceed 100 kW AC inverter capacity for BC Hydro or 50 kW for New Westminster. Batteries must be on the qualified product list, provide at least 5 kWh, and meet CUL 1973 and CUL 9540 certification; batteries in living spaces must additionally meet CUL 9540A testing criteria. Tesla products are excluded for new rebate applicants. Ask your contractor to check the equipment and interconnection standards before applying.
• For the enhanced Peak Saver battery rebate, the residential participant must be at least 19, live in British Columbia, hold the BC Hydro residential account and have an active MyHydro profile showing daily smart-meter use. E-Plus accounts are excluded. Enrol an eligible device through its manufacturer or BC Hydro’s specified route, using the MyHydro email address, and connect it to Wi-Fi. A battery eligible for Peak Saver rewards still has to meet the separate rebate product rules. Batteries cannot supply electricity to the grid unless the utility approves that use under a separate agreement or applicable tariff.
• Remote-community projects are reviewed individually within a self-generation limit of 15% of the community’s average electricity demand. Bella Coola, Firvale, Hagensborg, Ehthlateese, Kwadacha (Fort Ware), Masset, Old Massett, Port Clements, Sandspit, Daajing Giids, Skidegate and Tlell have reached their self-generation limit. Check BC Hydro’s eligible-community list and capacity guidance before applying. Remote single-family solar is limited to 10 kW DC, with UL1741SA-certified inverters. Solar alone may export power, but paired solar and batteries must not export and must charge only from solar; solar must remain non-exporting if the battery fails or is not maintained.

Peak Saver participants must keep enrolled equipment working at their own expense. BC Hydro can control it without event notifications during programme periods and collect device and smart-meter data under the programme terms. BC Hydro aims to leave a 20% battery reserve but does not guarantee it, and can override higher reserve settings during an event. Do not rely exclusively on the battery for life-support or critical emergency needs. You pay any additional electricity costs caused by energy lost during charging and discharging.

Estado

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Condições do período de candidaturas

• First come, first served while funds last. Apply before purchase and installation; remote communities are subject to capacity limits.

Apply before purchasing or installing equipment. BC Hydro customers submit a self-generation application through MyHydro; New Westminster residential customers use their utility’s solar and battery rebate route. Obtain technical acceptance before proceeding. Solar recipients must also obtain grid-interconnection approval under BC Hydro Rate Schedule 2289 or New Westminster Net Metering Rate 500, which changes the electricity service rate on their account.

Where a tenant holds the BC Hydro account, the owner and contractor create the self-generation application for the tenant to approve. The tenant consents to the rate change and owner’s separate rebate application. The owner then uses the landlord/developer rebate form and the accepted self-generation application number.

Finish installation and submit the required final documentation within 18 months of technical acceptance. Rebate documentation must also be submitted within six months of interconnection approval. Include the electrical compliance declaration or inspection certificate and a paid invoice identifying each system’s costs, components, models and capacities. Changed equipment or a larger generator may require further approval or a new application. BC Hydro does not accept another rebate application on the same account and meter while one is already in progress.

Keep supporting documents for at least one year after payment. Verification can occur before payment and for one year afterwards; respond with the requested information and property access within 30 days of a verification notice or risk refusal or recovery of the rebate. Ineligible equipment, non-compliant installation, or removal or decommissioning within ten years of payment can require repayment of the full rebate.

Applications are accepted first come, first served while funds last. Rebate amounts follow the terms in force when you submit the application.