How much power would solar panels make on my BC property?

What the answer means

kWh per kW

The figure is the electricity each kW of panels would make in a year. Multiply it by the system's size: 5 kW of panels at 1,000 kWh per kW make about 5,000 kWh a year. A year of the home's bills says how many kWh it uses.

Where it comes from

Natural Resources Canada maps the sun reaching a panel facing south and tilted at the latitude, averaged over 1998 to 2022 from satellite readings, which count the cloud, on a grid of about 10 km. We turn it into kWh for each kW of panels at the performance ratio of its older photovoltaic maps, 0.75, which allows for losses in heat, wiring, the inverter and dirt (our reading).

Tilt and direction

Against a panel tilted at the latitude, across BC's places on the same map, one tilted 15° flatter than the latitude gets about 4% more over the year and about 9% less in December; 15° steeper, about 9% less over the year and about 4% more in December; flat, about 6% less over the year and about 48% less in December; upright on a south wall, about 31% less over the year and about the same in December. A roof facing east or west makes less than one facing south; the map doesn't give those.

The hills and trees

The map is for an open sky. The hills around a lot, tall trees and the house next door take sun, most of all in winter when the sun is low. A report's Winter sun section reads the lot's own skyline and says how much of the direct sun the hills take; it doesn't fold that into the figure, as the hills block direct sun, not all the light.

Snow and winter

December gives about 3 to 4% of the year's output at BC's places on the map, so panels make most of their power from spring to fall. Snow on the panels isn't counted: a steep panel sheds it sooner than a flat one.

Selling power to BC Hydro

Since July 1, 2026, new BC Hydro customers who generate their own power join its self-generation rate (Rate Schedule 2289): systems up to 100 kW, and electricity sent to the grid earns a fixed 10 cents per kWh, paid each billing cycle. The old net metering rate (Rate Schedule 1289) is closed to new customers; those already on it keep it for 10 years from their start, and those who took BC Hydro's solar rebate moved to the new rate. Our summary of BC Hydro's pages, read 2026-10-11.

Other utilities

In parts of the southern Interior, FortisBC or a city's own utility sells the power instead, with its own rules for home generation. Ask the utility on the bill.

What it means for a buyer

For a house with panels, ask the seller for a year or two of production and the utility's interconnection agreement, whether the panels are owned or leased, and who holds the warranty. For a new system, a solar installer measures the roof and the shade on it.

The figures are our reading of Natural Resources Canada's map for an open sky, read 2026-10-11; a real system's output depends on its roof, shade, panels and upkeep, and on the weather of the year. BC Hydro's rates change by decision of the BC Utilities Commission. Confirm with a solar installer, and BC Hydro or the utility on the bill before you buy or build.

Source: Daily average solar irradiance on tilted surfaces for all of Canada (1998-2022), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Photovoltaic Potential and Solar Resource Maps of Canada (performance ratio), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Self-generation, BC Hydro (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-11); Self-generation rate updates, BC Hydro (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-11).

By place

All 319 of BC's places, each at its town centre (in an electoral area, its main settled place), in kWh a year for each kW of south-facing panels tilted at the latitude. Listed by name: the map's cells are about 10 km across, and in an electoral area a lot far from the settled place can get more or less sun.

The first two columns are our reading of Natural Resources Canada's 1998-2022 sunshine map at the 0.75 performance ratio of its photovoltaic maps; the last is Natural Resources Canada's own figure for the 136 municipalities its older table names, from older data and methods, so it often reads higher. Read 2026-10-11.