What Home Renovation Savings pays for solar and batteries in Kitchener
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.
Enova Power
Enova Power is the distribution company. It approves the connection, and the contractor files the generation connection application. Because the program does not allow a net metering agreement, ask Enova what connection options exist for a load-displacement system.
Coaching, not a loan
Retrofit Waterloo Region's free Energy Coach is open to homeowners across the Region. Its loan is limited to GrandBridge Energy customers in Cambridge and North Dumfries, so Kitchener homes served by Enova cannot use it. A coach can help you compare solar with insulation and heat pump upgrades.
Housing
66% of Kitchener households live in an eligible house type and 60% own. 15% live in low-rise apartments and 15% in tall buildings. 21,465 are owner-occupied detached houses built before 1981.
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 Kitchener 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. Kitchener has 47,405 detached houses, where roof orientation and shading decide the system size.
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.
No leases or financing arrangements
Rental, leasing and lease-to-own solar arrangements are not eligible for the rebate, and the system must be new, owned by you and bought in Canada. If you pay with a loan, the rebate still applies, but the interest is not an eligible cost.
How to claim in Kitchener
- Confirm you own an eligible house type with a roof or garage that suits panels.
- Talk to Enova Power 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
Who is the utility?
Enova Power.
Can Kitchener use the RetrofitWR loan?
No.
Is coaching free?
Yes.
Does the rebate need pre-approval?
Yes.
What to do next
See Kitchener 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, Retrofit Waterloo Region, Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Kitchener rebates → Every Home Renovation Savings rebate →
