Residential and Commercial Solar Program in Alberta

Alberta’s Residential and Commercial Solar Program (RCSP) was launched in June 2017 and was aimed to provide financial incentives of $0.75 per watt to homeowners, business owners and nonprofit organizations looking to install solar panels on their homes or buildings. This solar incentives program was cancelled by the United Conservative Party in May of 2019.

Who Was Eligible to Participate?

The following parties were eligible to participate in the Residential and Commercial Solar Program.

• All homeowners in the province with either single or multi-family homes
• All businesses owning or leasing buildings in Alberta
• Nonprofits with facilities in the province, except those that qualified for the Alberta Municipal Solar Program
• Expansions to systems installed prior to April 15, 2017
  

  Commercial Solar Panels Installation in Banff, Alberta

Steps required to participate in the RCSP

• Step 1: Complete and submit Part I of the online application. You could check back with the status of your application anytime by logging into your account.
• Step 2: Hire a qualified solar panel installer to put the solar panels on your home, business or nonprofit facility. If you’d like to get 2-3 free quotes for your solar panels simply fill out a request form, and we will connect you with qualified professionals in your area.
• Step 3: Complete and submit Part II of the application by submitting all final documentation online, including items such as your final invoice and photos of your meter and inverter.
• Step 4: You would receive your incentive via direct electronic deposit in the bank account of your choice. The first payment would arrive within one week of submitting Part II of the application, unless you required an inspection of your system.

Alberta Is STILL a Perfect Fit for Solar Energy

The good news for Albertans is that when it comes to solar panels, Alberta is an ideal location. The province is one of the sunniest places in Canada, and even the world. Alberta not only receives the most hours of sunshine out of all Canadian provinces, but the highest average number of sunny days per year. Of course, that gives Albertans a natural advantage when installing solar panels, as they have access to a lot more sunlight to convert to energy throughout the year.

Residential Solar Panels Installation in Edmonton, Alberta

If Alberta hopes to achieve the ambitious goal of having 30 percent renewable energy by 2030, it will require more people making a commitment to living a sustainable lifestyle and making green choices. Initiatives such as the RCSP made widespread adoption of solar energy attainable for a greater number of people.

The cost of installing solar panels could be a deterrent for people who are interested in reducing their carbon footprint, but are worried about their ability to pay for it. Therefore, the goal of this program was to make it easier and more affordable for Albertans to invest in renewable solar energy by defraying some of the expenses associated with solar panels.