Self generation
Solar and battery rebates now available
Starting July 23, 2024, we're offering rebates on solar panels and energy storage systems for residential and business customers joining the self-generation program. Check our rebates information to learn about eligible products and projects:
- Up to $10,000 for residential customers
- Up to $50,000 for businesses and multi-family buildings
- Up to $150,000 for social housing, Indigenous communities, and remote micro-grid communities
Generate your own electricity
Our self-generation program – previously called net metering – is designed for those who want to reduce their electricity bills and gain energy independence by generating their own electricity. It allows you to power your home or business with your privately generated renewable energy, with the flexibility to rely on our grid if you need it.
As of September 2024, over 10,000 customers are participating in our self-generation program, with the majority using a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Some customers install a battery to store excess energy they generate to use when they want to, or as backup energy during a power outage.
How it works
When you generate more electricity than you need, you feed it back to our grid and get a generation credit towards your future electricity use. When you don't generate enough to meet your needs, you buy it from us.
- Solar panels* convert energy from the sun into direct current (DC) electricity.
- Inverters convert the DC electricity into alternating current (AC) electricity, which is what your home or business and our distribution system use.
- The electricity your system generates powers your home or business first, and excess is sent to our distribution grid.
- Your smart meter measures how much of the electricity supplied by BC Hydro you've used, and how much excess you've sent to the grid.
- Your excess generation is credited to you on your next bill. If you still have generation credits on your anniversary date (March 1), we'll pay you for the excess electricity at market price.
*Or another source of clean or renewable energy generation as identified in the Clean Energy Act.
Watch: Solar panels, battery storage and self-generation
Eligibility
The self-generation program is open to residential and commercial customers. You can participate if your electricity generators meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Owned or leased by you (the customer)
- Connected to our distribution system
- Uses a clean or renewable resource as defined by the Clean Energy Act (such as solar, wind, hydro, etc.)
- Have an aggregate nameplate capacity of no more than 100 kW
Self-generation can't be combined with some programs
If you're registered in Team Power Smart, you'll be unenrolled from this program if your self-generation application is approved. Any active Team Power Smart challenges will be cancelled.
Apply for self-generation
Want to participate in our self-generation program? Start by understanding how the full process works.
You'll use the same application if you’re applying for rebates on eligible solar panels and/or battery storage.
Applicants in our Non-Integrated Areas
For projects located in our Non-Integrated Areas (NIAs), we strongly recommend waiting to purchase generating equipment until after the self-generation application is reviewed and accepted by us.
NIA systems use a variety of resources to support their electricity load, such as diesel, existing or proposed independent power producer (IPP) renewable generation, and intermittent energy via self-generation. That complexity requires us to perform a thorough technical review of each self-generation application received for projects located in an NIA, so we can ensure that we’ll be able to continue to provide reliable and cost-effective electricity to you.
Resources
- Rate Schedule 1289 self-generation (Net Metering) Service [PDF, 976 KB]
- Sample self-generation bill – summer [PDF, 271 KB], Sample self-generation bill – winter [PDF, 245 KB]
- Sample self-generation bill – with time-of-day pricing [PDF, 234 KB]
- Net Metering Evaluation Report #5 [PDF, 1.0 MB]
Program updates
Throughout 2023, we held various engagement activities to gather feedback about the self-generation rate. Learn more about our current rate design activities.
Engagement & presentations
July 2024 - Industry Webinar
BC Hydro hosted this webinar to provide an overview of the solar panel and battery storage system rebates.
- Webinar presentation [PDF, 1.0 MB]
June 2023 – In-depth interviews
We completed multiple in-depth interviews with net metering program participants and non-participants to gain a deeper understanding of their feedback about the program and our upcoming rate application.
May 27, 2023 – Salt Spring Island Saturday Market
The net metering program is going to the Salt Spring Island Saturday Market on May 27. Join us at the BC Hydro booth. We'll be here to listen to your feedback on our net metering program and to answer your questions. Your input will help us shape the future of the program.
May 17, 2023 – Informational webinar
BC Hydro hosted this webinar to provide an overview of the complex application documentation requirements that were updated May 11, 2023. Please review the webinar's presentation [PDF, 526 KB].
April 5, 2023 – Industry workshop
This industry-focused workshop is to provide industry professionals a program update, as well as information on the upcoming rate application and the key areas of focus for your feedback.
- Workshop presentation [PDF, 962 KB]
- Information booklet [PDF, 346 KB]
March 29, 2023 – Rate design workshop
We're hosting an interactive workshop to listen to individuals and organizations who are interested in potential changes to the net metering rate to help inform our application to the B.C. Utilities Commission later this year.
July 5, 2022 – Informational webinar
BC Hydro hosted this webinar to provide an overview of the new online application form. Please view the webinar's presentation [PDF, 1.5 MB].
November 15, 2021
BC Hydro hosted the technical workshop for complex net metering projects. Please view the workshop presentation [PDF, 857 KB].
July 27, 2021
We've posted updated samples of drawings to assist solar contractors with complex net metering applications.
June 22, 2021
Clean Power 2040 is BC Hydro's plan for how we'll ensure we can continue to deliver clean, reliable electricity for the next 20 years. As a net metering customer, there are elements in the draft plan that may interest you.
February 16, 2021
BC Hydro hosted the net metering informational webinar. Please view the webinar's presentation [PDF, 849 KB].
January 20, 2021
BC Hydro is hosting a net metering informational webinar on February 16, 2021 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
October 30, 2020
BC Hydro submitted an evaluation report [PDF, 2.2 MB] to the B.C. Utilities Commission.
September 15, 2020
BC Hydro will be sending an evaluation report to the BC Utilities Commission by October 31, 2020. To help inform the report, we asked you to share your views in the survey. The survey closed on September 25, 2020.
August 19, 2020
The new Rate Schedule 1289 Net Metering Service [PDF, 976 KB] effective June 23, 2020 has been posted.
July 22, 2020
In a recent decision, the BCUC approved changes to the net metering program.
These changes will provide customers with increased opportunities to offset their load while ensuring the price paid for excess energy is aligned with the wholesale electricity market and reflects its value to BC Hydro.
The main changes approved by the BCUC:
- Lower the price paid for the annual surplus energy to a market price, updated each year;
- Provide a transitional energy price of 9.99 cents per kWh to existing customers until April 2024;
- Remove the interim requirement to limit a customer's generation size to the annual load; and
- Assign a March 1 anniversary date with one complimentary opportunity to choose an alternative date after.
How these changes impact customers:
- If your net metering application was accepted before April 29, 2019, you'll continue to receive the transitional energy price of 9.99 per kWh until April 2024, then move to the market price.
- If your net metering application was accepted on or after April 29, 2019, you'll receive the market price for surplus energy.
- Customers applying to the program will not be required to limit the generation size to the annual load and can apply for a generating facility up to 100 kW.
- All customers will have a March 1 anniversary date set to allow the best opportunity to offset their BC Hydro energy costs by applying their generation credits over fall and winter months. Customers have one opportunity to choose an alternative anniversary date after.
We'll be implementing these changes in the coming months.
June 25, 2020
On June 23, 2020 the B.C. Utilities Commission issued the Decision on BC Hydro's Application to Amend Net Metering Service under Rate Schedule 1289 [PDF, 3.1 MB] for changes to the net metering program.
Frequently asked questions
Billing
It can take about four weeks for your self-generation data to show in your MyHydro consumption graphs.
However, your first self-generation bill will show your self-generation data starting from the effective date that’s stated in your interconnection approval email.
The amount of electricity that you generate, as registered by your inverter's reader, won't match up to a data point on your BC Hydro bill. This is because the electricity you generate will first supply the electricity needs of your home or business. If you generate more than you need, excess generation will outflow to our grid and will be recorded on your bill as "outflow to the grid."
Your BC Hydro bill will also show the amount of additional electricity needed from us to supplement your home or business, which is labelled as "inflow from the grid."
If, over the course of one billing cycle, you generate more electricity than you consume, you’ll receive a generation credit in kWh that first applies to your current billing cycle. Any excess will then be carried over to your next bill. If you still have generation credits on your anniversary date (March 1), we’ll pay you for the excess electricity at the market price per kWh.
This payment comes in the form of a bill credit on your account. If you have multiple accounts with us and want to apply the bill credit to another one of your accounts, you can request a fund transfer by calling us at 1 800 224 9376.
Self-generation bill credits cover Energy Charges only. You’ll still need to pay any other charges that are part of your bill, such as the Basic Charge.
The program’s anniversary date – or, the annual payout date – is March 1. The date was selected as it allows for “solar” credits to accumulate over the sunny months which you can then use to manage your electricity costs throughout the winter, when British Columbians typically use more electricity.
If you’d like to change your anniversary date, you can make a one-time request by emailing us at self.generation@bchydro.com to set a new anniversary date for your account moving forward.
For those who still have generation credits on the anniversary date (March 1), the market price for annual surplus electricity is calculated on January 1 every year. It’s based on the daily average wholesale electricity prices in Mid-Columbia for the previous calendar year, converted to Canadian dollars using the average annual exchange rate from the Bank of Canada for that year.
Since the market price has been in place for our self-generation program, it has ranged from about three to ten cents per kWh, and has averaged six cents per kWh.
If your self-generation application was accepted before April 29, 2019, you’ll continue to receive annual payouts at the transitional energy price until April 30, 2024 in adherence with the B.C. Utilities Commission’s decision. Then, it’ll be the market price.
Eligibility
Yes, residential customers participating in the self-generation program can also be on the optional tiered rate with time-of-day pricing.
This is not available to commercial customers.
What is time-of-day pricing?
With time-of-day pricing, electricity is more expensive during the evening and cheaper overnight. View details and pricing for this rate plan.
How does it work with self-generation systems?
Time-of-day pricing only applies to your inflow – the electricity you draw from our grid when you need it. It does not apply to your outflow back to our grid.
This means that:
- The surcharge applies to all electricity you draw from our grid during the on-peak period of the day (4 to 9 p.m.)
- A discount applies to all electricity you draw from our grid overnight (11 p.m. to 7 a.m.).
- When you're using electricity directly from your own generation or storage system at any time, no surcharges or discounts accumulate.
Maximize your savings
By combining a generation system with time-of-day pricing, you can further reduce your electricity costs. We expect that the average residential self-generation customer with a solar panel system and electric heating would save about $52 per year on this rate plan, even without changing their daily habits.
Ways to save more:
- If you need to charge your energy storage batteries (if you have them) with electricity from our grid, do that during the overnight period to earn the discount.
- Use your own electricity as much as possible during the on-peak period to reduce or avoid the surcharge.
Want to opt in to time-of-day pricing? Change your rate plan online.
Connections
Yes, even if it’s a small generation system, or one that won’t have any outflow to our grid, you need to apply and get approval prior to connecting your system to our grid.
This is a requirement from the Canadian Electrical Code, which stipulates that any customer who wants to connect a generating system to the electrical grid must meet their utility’s interconnection requirements and receive approval prior to connecting.
More importantly, it’s important for the safety of our electrical workers.
A load-side generation source refers to any source connected within the customer’s premises that powers the customer’s energy use (load), in parallel with energy delivered from our grid. Sources may include solar generation, wind turbines, small hydro generation, battery storage system, etc.
An unauthorized grid connection is any load-side generation source connected to our grid that we haven’t approved. This can include connections made without proper permits or those that don’t comply with safety standards.
Unauthorized grid connections pose significant safety hazards and legal implications. They can endanger both the property owner and the broader community by potentially causing electrical faults or fires.
We use various methods to detect unauthorized grid connections including routine inspections, monitoring systems, and reports from the community.
What are the penalties for unauthorized connections?
Unauthorized connections can lead to fines, service disconnection, and a service reconnection fee. If you have an unauthorized connection, you’re responsible for all associated expenses. However, if the service disconnection was made in error, you can discuss your situation with us to see if any exceptions apply.
What should I do if I have an unauthorized grid connection?
If you discover that you have an unauthorized grid connection:
- Disconnect the load-side generation source connection immediately.
- Apply for the appropriate permits.
- Ensure your installation complies with our technical interconnection requirements [PDF, 779 KB].
- Request authorization by either applying for the self-generation program or submitting your technical documentation without applying for self-generation.
Planning
Contractors can:
- Design and install your clean or renewable energy system safely
- Optimize your system size based on your electricity use profile
- Assist with the application process
- Provide estimated monthly savings and may be able to assist with calculating the payback of your project
You can find a contractor through the Canadian Renewable Energy Association member directory or the BC Sustainable Energy Directory.
The contractors listed in the directories provided are independent contractors and not affiliated with or employees of BC Hydro. We don't endorse the quality of work provided by these contractors or guarantee any of their services. It's your responsibility to interview and select a contractor that meets your needs, and we recommend that you get multiple quotes. You may select a contractor from these directories, or select your own contractor.
The average household uses approximately 10,000 kWh of electricity per year. A typical solar installation on a residential roof is seven kilowatts (kW) in size with 16 solar panels, which in B.C., generates 7,700 kWh of electricity per year.
Every project is different, but your contractor can assist you to better understand the estimated payback period of your project.