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Off-grid and cottage solar

Off-Grid and Cottage Solar: Size It for the Season You Use It

A seasonal cottage and a full-time off-grid home need different systems. See how to size panels and batteries, which rebates need a utility account, and how to compare installers.

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  • Seasonal and year-round
  • Batteries explained
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Solar panels at a Canadian cottage

Do I Need an Off-Grid System or a Grid-Tied One?

Quick answer

If your cottage has a utility connection, a grid-tied system is usually simpler and cheaper, because the grid is your battery. Go off-grid when there is no connection or the extension costs more than a battery system. Off-grid means batteries, and usually a backup generator.

  • Grid-tied

    Panels and an inverter, no battery needed. Export credits depend on your utility's rules, and a seasonal cottage may bank credits it can't use.

  • Grid-tied with battery

    Adds backup power for outages and lets you store your own generation.

  • Off-grid

    Panels, battery bank, inverter-charger and often a generator for long cloudy stretches. Sized for your worst month, not your average.

How Do I Size Panels and Batteries for a Cottage?

Quick answer

List what you run and for how long, add it up in kWh per day, then size panels to cover it in your sunniest-but-realistic season and batteries to carry you through the nights and a cloudy day or two. Seasonal use lets you size for summer; year-round use must cover winter.

  • Daily load

    Fridge, lights, pump, electronics and any heating or cooling. Cut loads first: every kWh avoided is panels and batteries you don't buy.

  • Panels

    Use NRCan's yearly output for your region as a guide, then ask for a site estimate for shade and tilt. Winter output is lower than the yearly average.

  • Battery days

    Decide how many cloudy days you want to carry. More days means a bigger, costlier bank.

  • Backup source

    A generator or a grid connection covers the gaps a battery bank would otherwise need to be oversized for.

Which Rebates Apply to Off-Grid Solar?

Quick answer

Most solar rebates we have read go to customers of a utility, so an off-grid property often doesn't qualify. BC Hydro's rebate, for example, needs a BC Hydro account, and net metering needs a grid connection.

Businesses can still claim the federal Clean Technology credit, which doesn't depend on a grid connection. Programs for remote communities vary by territory and utility, so check with yours.

If Your Cottage Is Grid-Connected

Whether exports are credited at the retail rate, banked, or bought at a lower price can matter more to payback than the rebate. These are the rules we have read on the utility or regulator page.

Source: each utility or regulator page (linked) · as of Oct 15, 2026. Terms change with rate cases, so confirm with your utility before you size a system.
Province and utilityHow exports are creditedSystem size
British Columbia: BC HydroExports earn a fixed credit of 10¢ per kWh, applied to the current bill and good only against energy charges. The older net metering schedule (1289) is closed to new customers100 kW AC inverter capacity
Alberta: Your electricity retailerSystems under 150 kW are credited monthly at your retail rate, or at hourly wholesale prices if you install a suitable meter. Systems of 150 kW and above are credited at the hourly wholesale price. The rate is agreed with your retailer5 MW, sized to meet your own electricity needs
Saskatchewan: SaskPowerSaskPower posts the credit rate for exports on its net metering page and credits it against energy charges only. Check the posted rate before you size a system100 kW
Manitoba: Manitoba HydroExports earn the excess energy price of 7.173¢ per kWh until March 31, 2027, applied against other charges on your monthly bill. This is not the retail rateUnder 100 kW. Generators of 100 kW or more are priced case by case
Ontario: Your local distribution companyExports earn a credit that carries forward to later bills for up to 12 months. Credits offset energy used, not fixed monthly chargesSet by your local distributor and what the local grid can host
Quebec: Hydro-QuébecExports go into a surplus bank that resets every 24 months. A balance left at reset is credited to your bill at the average cost of electricity supply. The system access charge is not credited1,000 kW, and no more than your estimated energy need

From Quote to Rebate: How a Project Works

Solenery is a marketplace, not a contractor. We check your incentives first, then help you compare quotes from vetted local pros, so you choose the right solar installer with the full cost in view.

  1. 1

    Enter your address

    Anywhere in Canada. Solenery checks federal, provincial and utility programs against your property automatically.

  2. 2

    See your estimate

    Eligible incentives, estimated savings and payback, based on your roof, electricity use and location.

  3. 3

    Compare vetted installers

    Get quotes from local installers. For business projects, ask whether they meet the federal labour requirements that decide a 30% or 20% tax credit.

  4. 4

    Install and claim

    Most rebates need approval or documents before and after installation. Solenery helps you sequence the applications.

Solenery listing the incentive programs matched to an address

Step 1 in Solenery: the programs matched to your address

What is Solenery?

A short explainer on how Solenery matches your rebates and helps you compare contractor quotes.

Off-Grid and Cottage Solar Questions

Answers checked against government and official program pages.

Sometimes. Rebates generally need a utility account at the property, and homeowner programs have their own rules on which homes qualify. Read the program page for your province and utility before you buy.

Only if you're off-grid or want backup power. A grid-connected cottage can run on panels and the grid.

Add up the kWh you use per day in the months you're there, then size panels to cover it in those months. Winter use needs a larger system and often a generator.

Credits expire or reset on a schedule that depends on your utility, so a seasonal property may bank credits it can't use. The table above lists each rule.

No. Solenery is a marketplace that connects property owners with vetted local installers so they can compare quotes. It is free, with no obligation.

Plan solar for your cottage or cabin

Enter the property address to see the incentives that apply and compare quotes from vetted installers.

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How We Research This Page

Last updated: .

Every rebate amount, status and deadline on this page was read on the program's official page and is dated next to it. We re-check each program monthly, because amounts and deadlines change often. Always confirm with the program before you apply.

Facts and figures come from government departments, utilities and safety regulators, linked next to each figure and listed here. We don't publish price ranges: costs depend on your home, so we explain what drives them and let contractors quote.

Solenery is a marketplace. It connects homeowners with contractors and doesn't install anything itself.

Sources