FindSolar.caWhat changed on July 1, 2026
BC Hydro's rate design work introduced changes to how self-generation customers are compensated for exported power, taking effect for new applicants from July 1, 2026. The authoritative description lives on BC Hydro's rate design page and the self-generation program page, and because the details govern your specific application date and system, those two pages beat any summary, including this one. The core of it, verified on the rate design page August 26, 2026: the previous net metering service closed to new customers on July 1, 2026, and new systems connect under a self-generation service where exports up to 100 kW per phase earn a flat 10 cents per kWh. Existing net metering customers can stay on their current rate for 10 years from enrollment, unless they took a solar rebate, in which case they transition to the new rate.
What has not changed
The solar and battery rebate remains active as of our August 25, 2026 check: $1,000 per kW of solar up to $5,000, with battery incentives alongside, subject to pre-approval and eligibility rules. Power in BC still is not getting cheaper, roofs still produce, and the fundamental case for self-consuming your own generation is untouched. What the change reshapes is the value of overbuilding to export.
How to size a BC system in the new world
The logic that always protected careful buyers now matters more: size to what your home actually consumes, because self-consumed power is worth full retail no matter what happens to export rates. Exported surplus becomes the bonus, not the business case. A battery moves further up the conversation too: with retail rates above the flat 10 cent export rate, storing your own surplus for evening use beats exporting it, on every single cycle. Ask any BC installer quoting you today two questions in writing: which compensation framework your application will fall under, and what production assumption per exported kilowatt-hour their payback math uses. If the second answer is the old retail rate, the math is stale.
Common questions
I already have solar in BC. Does this touch me?
The changes are framed around new applicants. Existing customers should confirm their own status on the BC Hydro program page rather than assuming either way.
Is solar still worth it in BC?
BC pairs modest power rates with a strong rebate, and self-consumption-first design keeps the planning math workable. Run your own numbers in our calculator and treat the rebate as the accelerator.
Where do I verify the current rules?
BC Hydro's customer generation pages, linked above, plus the pre-approval process for the rebate. Confirm before signing; program pages outrank sales decks and articles alike.
Questions homeowners ask
How much does BC Hydro pay for electricity I export now?
Under the self-generation framework for new customers, exports earn a flat 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, up to 100 kW per phase, verified August 26, 2026 on BC Hydro's rate design page. Retail rates sit above that, which is the whole argument for self-consumption-first design.
Is one kWh I use myself worth more than one kWh I export?
Yes: self-use avoids the retail rate while exports earn the flat 10 cent rate. Every kilowatt-hour you shift into daylight consumption, or store for the evening, upgrades itself from export value to retail value. That gap is the design brief for every new BC system.
Should I install a smaller solar system under the new BC rules?
Smaller than the roof-maximizing pitch, usually: size to your annual consumption and self-use profile rather than export ambitions, since surplus now earns the flat rate rather than banking at retail. The rebate still pays $1,000 per kW on what you do install, which rewards right-sizing twice.
Does the new export rate make batteries more attractive in BC?
It strengthens the case: storing midday surplus for evening use captures the gap between retail and the 10 cent export rate on every cycle, and BC Hydro offers battery incentives alongside the solar rebate. Whether the spread repays the hardware is arithmetic worth running, not assuming.