What Home Renovation Savings pays for solar and batteries in Hamilton
We re-read the program's solar page and its October 2025 requirements on October 3, 2026. The rebate comes with conditions that change how the system is designed, so read them before you ask for quotes.
Solar panels
Paid on installed DC capacity, capped at 50% of eligible costs. Rooftop systems only, including a garage roof on the same meter.
Battery storage
Only with a new solar system, also capped at 50% of eligible costs. Combined solar and battery rebates reach $10,000.
No net metering
A system under an Ontario net metering agreement is not eligible. The system must be sized for load displacement only.
Approvals before you buy
The contractor files the pre-installation application with a quote dated within 60 days. You cannot buy or install before IESO pre-approval and your local utility's approval.
Finish within 12 months
The project must be complete within 12 months of approval, with the ESA certificate and the connection agreement filed within 30 days of installation.
First-time installs only
Homes that already have solar or storage are not eligible. Leases, rentals and lease-to-own arrangements are excluded.
Canada’s new heat pump rebate is worth up to $10,000. Get an email the day it opens
Planning a heat pump too? This one is on top of the rebates above, and we’ll email you the day it opens.
- Up to $10,000
- if your household earns below the median income
- $2,000
- for other homeowners who qualify
Stack it with the Ontario rebate open today
Ottawa says you can combine them. Each program has its own rules. Amounts are the most you can get.
Applications open early 2027
Join the launch alert
- Launch-day email, with what to do first
- Who qualifies for the $10,000, once Ottawa says
- A short hello now, so you know it worked
Know someone with old heating? Send them this.
Only emails about this rebate. No spam, no sales calls. Unsubscribe anytime.
Read everything we know so far Official page: canada.ca
The requirements document gives no end date for this stream, and funding conditions can change, so confirm on the program page before you sign. The IESO has no pre-qualified contractor list for it.
Roofs and repairs
61% of Hamilton households live in homes built before 1981. A roof near the end of its life should be replaced before panels go on, because taking panels off and putting them back later adds cost. Ask the installer for a roof inspection and its findings in writing.
Alectra Utilities
Alectra approves the connection and receives the generation connection application. The program recommends speaking to the utility about maximum system capacity before installing.
Solar next to other upgrades
Hamilton gets about 3.9 peak sun hours a day. For a house with an old roof and thin attic insulation, insulation and heating upgrades usually come first. The assessment stream pays up to $7,700 for insulation, and the heat pump stream pays up to $7,500, with no net metering rule to worry about.
Why net metering matters here
Many Ontario solar quotes assume net metering, where extra power sent to the grid earns bill credits. This program does not allow it: a system under a net metering agreement is not eligible, and the system must be sized for load displacement, meaning it should match what the home uses. A Hamilton owner who wants the rebate should tell every installer up front, because a system designed to export will not qualify.
Rooftop only
The panels must be on the roof of the house or of a permanent structure on the same property and connected to the home's meter, such as a detached garage. Ground mounts are not eligible, and neither are systems on trailers or other temporary structures. Hamilton has 125,095 detached houses, where roof orientation and shading decide the system size.
What counts as a cost
The rebate is capped at 50% of eligible costs, which cover equipment, permits, approvals and labour. HST, financing costs, insurance, maintenance and spare parts are not eligible costs. A quote should therefore show the pre-HST price and separate any financing, so the program can check that $1,000 per kW does not exceed half.
Timing of the project
The order matters. The contractor submits the pre-installation application with a quote dated within 60 days, you receive written pre-approval and your utility's approval, and only then do you buy and install. The system must be finished within 12 months of approval, and the contractor files the post-installation application within 30 days of installation.
How to claim in Hamilton
- Confirm you own an eligible house type with a roof or garage that suits panels.
- Talk to Alectra Utilities about the connection process and the maximum system size allowed before you sign anything.
- Choose a licensed electrical contractor and ask for a quote that shows the DC capacity in kW and the eligible costs without HST.
- Let the contractor file the pre-installation application, and wait for written IESO pre-approval and utility approval before buying or installing.
- After the install, check that the post-installation application is filed within 30 days with the ESA certificate and connection agreement.
Common questions
Should I replace the roof first?
If it is near the end of its life, yes.
Who approves the connection?
Alectra.
Is solar the first upgrade to price?
Often insulation and heating come first.
Can I add a battery?
Yes, with new solar.
What to do next
See Hamilton insulation rebates, heat pump rebates and the Ontario rebate calculator.
By Sam Menard. Sources, last read October 3, 2026: Home Renovation Savings: solar and battery, Solar and Storage stream requirements (PDF), Save on Energy: Home Renovation Savings, Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Hamilton rebates → Every Home Renovation Savings rebate →
