What Home Renovation Savings pays for a home battery in Ottawa
We re-read the program's solar page and its October 2025 requirements on October 3, 2026. Ontario's rebate is for a battery installed with new solar, not for adding one to an existing system.
Battery storage
Paid per kWh of installed capacity, capped at 50% of eligible costs, including the inverter if applicable and the controls.
Only with new solar
A battery is eligible only when paired with a new solar system and sized for it. A home that already has solar or storage is not eligible.
Solar and battery together
The solar rebate is up to $5,000 and the battery rebate up to $5,000, each capped at half its eligible cost.
No net metering
The system must be sized to offset the home's own use. A net metering agreement makes it ineligible.
Safety and approvals
The installer must be a licensed electrical contractor. The battery must meet the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and fire codes, carry CSA, cUL or UL approvals and have utility connection approval.
Timing
No purchase or install before written IESO pre-approval and utility approval. The project must finish within 12 months and be filed within 30 days of installation.
Better Homes Ottawa loan
Repaid on the property tax bill over 20 years. Excludes gas upgrades. Up to the lesser of $125,000 or 10% of assessed value, over 20 years.
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, so confirm on the program page before you sign. The IESO has no pre-qualified contractor list.
Cold garages and basements
Ottawa's record low was -32.2°C. Many batteries have operating temperature limits, which are set by the manufacturer, and the program requires the product to be approved for use in Ontario. Ask the installer about the unit's rated range and where it will sit.
Hydro Ottawa
Hydro Ottawa approves the battery's distributed energy resource connection. The contractor attests in the pre-installation application that the connection application will be filed.
Better Homes Ottawa
The City's loan is repaid on the property tax bill and excludes gas upgrades. We recorded up to the lesser of $125,000 or 10% of assessed value over 20 years, with 0% for households under income thresholds. Check whether a battery is covered.
Already have solar? Not eligible
The program pays for first-time installations only. A home that already has a solar or storage system is not eligible, so an owner who installed panels years ago cannot add a battery and claim this rebate. If you are planning solar and a battery, do them as one project under one pre-installation application.
The kWh arithmetic
The rebate is $300 per kWh, so a 10 kWh battery earns $3,000 and a battery of about 16.7 kWh reaches the $5,000 cap. The rebate is also limited to half the eligible cost, so if the battery costs $8,000 before HST the most you can receive is $4,000. Ask the Ottawa installer to show the capacity in kWh and the pre-HST price on the quote.
Where the battery goes
The battery must be installed by a licensed electrical contractor, comply with the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and applicable fire codes, be approved for use in Ontario and pass an electrical inspection. Placement in a garage or basement affects the fire-code review, so ask the installer where the unit will sit and how the clearances were checked.
Why net metering rules shape the design
A system under a net metering agreement is not eligible, and the system must be sized for load displacement. A battery supports that goal by storing midday output for evening use at home. Tell every installer you want the rebate so they do not design for export.
How to claim in Ottawa
- Confirm you own an eligible house type and plan solar and the battery as one project.
- Talk to Hydro Ottawa about the distributed energy resource approval for the battery and the maximum size it allows.
- Choose a licensed electrical contractor and ask for one quote covering solar and battery, showing kW, kWh and pre-HST costs.
- Let the contractor file the pre-installation application and wait for written IESO pre-approval and utility approval before buying anything.
- After the install, check that the post-installation application is filed within 30 days with the ESA certificate and connection agreement.
Common questions
Does cold affect a battery?
Manufacturers set operating ranges, so ask the installer.
Who approves the connection?
Hydro Ottawa.
Does the City loan cover gas upgrades?
No.
Can I net meter?
Not with the rebate.
What to do next
See Ottawa solar 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, Better Homes Ottawa loan program, Statistics Canada 2021 Census, table 98-10-0233-01. All Ottawa rebates → Every Home Renovation Savings rebate →