Solar 101
How Net Metering Works for Ontario Solar Customers
A plain-language walkthrough of how net metering credits work for Ontario homeowners who go solar.
A plain-language walkthrough of how net metering credits work for Ontario homeowners who go solar.
If you're considering solar for your home in the Greater Toronto Area, net metering is one of the first concepts worth understanding, because it directly affects how much you save once your system is online.
Solar panels produce the most electricity in the middle of the day, which is often when a household is using the least. Net metering lets that surplus power flow back to the grid through your existing connection, and your utility credits you for it rather than letting it go to waste. Later, when your panels aren't producing (overnight, or on a cloudy winter afternoon) you draw power back from the grid and those credits offset the cost.
Ontario doesn't have a single province-wide net metering portal. Instead, each local utility, whether that's Alectra Utilities, Toronto Hydro, Oakville Hydro, Burlington Hydro or Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro, runs its own interconnection and net metering application. The core idea is the same everywhere, but billing cycles, credit rollover periods and application paperwork vary by provider. If you're inside the city, see our Toronto Hydro-specific net metering breakdown for exact thresholds and process steps.
A system that's sized well above your actual usage doesn't necessarily save you more, since most utilities don't pay cash for excess generation beyond your annual consumption. That's why our design team builds every proposal from twelve months of your real utility bills rather than a generic rule of thumb based on roof size.
When you work with Terawatt Solar, we handle the net metering application and utility interconnection paperwork as part of your installation, so you're not left figuring out a new utility process on your own. If you want a sense of what net metering would look like for your specific home, our design team can walk you through it alongside a residential solar proposal. Compare it against the Home Renovation Savings Program path, or see our full incentives guide and solar calculator to model both.
