Is Solar Worth It In Ontario?

It's a fair question to ask before spending tens of thousands of dollars on your roof. The short answer for most Greater Toronto Area homeowners on time-of-use billing is yes, but "most" isn't "all," and the reasons why matter more than the headline.

The Case For Solar In The GTA

Ontario's on-peak time-of-use rate has pushed well past 20 cents per kWh in recent years, roughly 20.3¢, while off-peak sits closer to 9.8¢, and that spread has widened in most recent years, not narrowed. A properly sized system offsets a large share of your consumption at today's install price, locked in for 25 plus years of panel performance. On recent Terawatt Solar client designs, cash payback on a net-metered residential system typically falls in the 9 to 13 year range, with the system continuing to produce well past that point.

Where It's Less Clear-Cut

Solar makes the least financial sense for homes with very low electricity usage, heavily shaded roofs, or roofs needing replacement within the next few years (we recommend handling that first). If you're planning to sell your home within a year or two, the payback math changes too, though a well-documented solar system can still be a selling point in today's market. See our service areas to check whether your GTA municipality is a strong fit.

Two Paths, Different Trade-Offs

We model both net metering, which maximizes long-term savings, and load displacement with battery backup through the Home Renovation Savings Program, which lowers upfront cost and adds outage protection but gives up net metering eligibility. See our battery storage page for how that trade-off works in practice.

The Only Way To Know For Your Home

Generic online answers can't account for your roof, your usage, or your municipality. Run your numbers on our solar calculator for a real price estimate, or request a free assessment and we'll tell you honestly whether solar pencils out for your specific situation, not just push a sale.