Quick answer: A typical gas-heated Ontario home that switches to a cold-climate heat pump adds roughly 6,000 to 9,000 kWh a year of electricity use, which takes about 5 to 8 kW of solar to cover over a year. Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program pays up to $7,500 for the heat pump (up to $2,000 if your home heats with Enbridge gas) and up to $5,000 for solar, but solar that takes the rebate can’t use net metering, and net metering is what lets summer solar pay for winter heating.
Key takeaways
- A heat pump uses most of its electricity in winter; solar makes most of its power in summer. The question is how you carry summer production into winter.
- Net metering banks summer surplus as bill credits for up to 12 months, so it can pay for winter heating. The HRSP solar rebate ($1,000 per kW, up to $5,000) rules out net metering.
- For a heat pump home, that makes net metering the more important choice in most cases; the rebate suits homes that use most of their solar as it is made.
- The HRSP heat pump rebate is separate: $1,250 per ton, up to $7,500, for homes heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood; up to $2,000 for Enbridge gas homes. Pre-approval through a participating HVAC contractor is mandatory.
- On Xolar’s current packages, a cold-climate ductless heat pump starts at $13,997 and a central ducted heat pump at $14,997; solar runs from $20,338 for 5 kW to $29,474 for 10 kW (before rebates and tax).
How do solar panels and a heat pump work together?
A heat pump moves heat instead of burning fuel, so it replaces gas, oil or propane with electricity. Solar panels make that electricity on your roof. Together they move your heating onto power you produce yourself, which is how most homes get close to net-zero energy.
The catch is timing. In Ontario, solar panels produce the most from May to August, while a heat pump uses the most from December to February. Over a year the numbers can balance, but month by month they don’t. Whether your summer production can pay for your winter heating depends on how your system is connected to the grid, which is the most important decision in this guide (see rebate or net metering below).
How much solar do you need to run a heat pump in Ontario?
Start with how much heat your home uses today. Enbridge’s 2026 rate notices use 2,400 cubic metres (m³) of gas a year as a typical residential customer. Here is a worked example; every input is listed so you can swap in your own bill.
| Step | Value | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Annual gas use | 2,400 m³ | Enbridge typical residential customer (Rate 1) |
| Share used for space heating (the rest heats water) | about 80%, so 1,900 m³ | Assumption; check your summer gas bills to estimate your own split |
| Energy in the gas | 1,900 × 10.4 kWh = 19,800 kWh | NRCan: about 37.5 MJ per m³ |
| Heat delivered by a 95% efficient furnace | about 18,800 kWh | Assumes a modern high-efficiency furnace |
| Electricity a heat pump needs for the same heat | about 6,300 to 9,000 kWh | NRCan seasonal ratings for an Ottawa-like climate (HSPF 7.1 to 13.2) give a seasonal efficiency of roughly 2.1 to 3.9; this uses 2.1 to 3.0 |
| Solar to cover it over a year | about 5.3 to 7.6 kW (roughly 12 to 18 panels) | About 1,180 kWh per kW per year for a 10 kW system in typical Ontario sun (Xolar pricing estimate) |
So a typical gas-heated home needs about 5 to 8 kW of extra solar to cover a heat pump over a full year. Homes heated with electric baseboards are different: a heat pump lowers their electricity use, because it delivers two to three times more heat per kWh than baseboards. Your existing electricity use is on top of these figures. The solar panel calculator sizes a system from your current bill, and our guide to how many solar panels you need explains the rest of the sizing.
What do solar panels and a heat pump cost in Ontario (2026)?
| System | Xolar package price, installed, before rebates and tax |
|---|---|
| Cold-climate ductless heat pump, 1 zone | from $13,997 |
| Each extra indoor unit (up to 4 zones) | $3,497 |
| Central ducted heat pump (ductwork and air handler extra) | from $14,997 |
| Solar, 5 kW (SolarEdge) | $20,338 ($4.07 per watt) |
| Solar, 10 kW (SolarEdge) | $29,474 ($2.95 per watt) |
Larger solar systems cost less per watt, and Growatt equipment runs lower than the SolarEdge prices shown. On these list prices, a central heat pump with 5 kW of solar comes to $35,335, and with 10 kW of solar to $44,471, before rebates and tax; most gas-heated homes need something in between (see the sizing example above). See solar panel prices across Canada and our heat pump installation page for current packages.
Which rebates can you claim for solar and a heat pump in Ontario?
Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP) lets you do one or more upgrades, each with its own rebate.
| Upgrade | HRSP rebate | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Cold-climate air-source heat pump, home heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood | $1,250 per ton, up to $7,500 | Participating HVAC contractor; pre-approval before installation |
| Cold-climate air-source heat pump, home heated by Enbridge gas | $500 per ton, up to $2,000 | Same |
| Ground-source heat pump | $2,000 per ton, up to $12,000 (gas homes: $3,000) | Same |
| Solar panels | $1,000 per kW, up to $5,000 (max 50% of cost) | System can’t use net metering |
| Battery (with new solar) | $300 per kWh, up to $5,000 (max 50% of cost) | Must be installed with new solar; up to $10,000 combined with solar |
Coming: the federal National Heat Pump Rebate. Announced on October 8, 2026, it will pay up to $10,000 toward a heat pump for households below the median income, and $2,000 for other eligible homeowners, for heat pumps on a federal eligible-products list. It isn’t open yet, and the income thresholds and the rules for combining it with provincial rebates haven’t been published. Our guide to the federal heat pump rebate tracks what’s confirmed.
New builds (homes occupied six months or less) don’t qualify for the heat pump rebate. Most Ontario homes heat with gas, so the $2,000 heat pump rebate is the one most homeowners will see. Our heat pump rebate guide for Ontario covers eligibility in detail, and solar rebates and incentives in Canada lists programs in other provinces.
Solar rebate or net metering: which is right for a heat pump home?
This is the decision that matters most. You can’t have both on the same solar system.
Net metering credits the power you send to the grid against your bill, and the credits carry forward for up to 12 consecutive months. Utilities don’t pay out unused credits as cash. For a heat pump home, that’s the mechanism that turns July’s surplus into January’s heating.
The HRSP solar rebate pays up to $5,000 up front, but a rebated system can’t use net metering, so it has to be sized for the power you use as it’s produced. Summer surplus can’t be banked for winter.
Net metering usually fits better if:
- You want solar to cover your heat pump’s winter use over the year.
- Your heat pump replaces gas, oil or propane, so your winter electricity use is about to rise sharply.
- You want room to add an EV later.
The rebate can fit better if:
- Your home already uses a lot of electricity during the day, all year (for example, you work from home).
- You’re adding a battery to store daytime solar for the evening, and want the battery rebate too.
- Your solar system is small relative to your use, so you’d rarely have surplus to bank anyway.
Our page on net metering in Canada by province explains how credits work with each utility.
Do you need a battery with solar and a heat pump?
A heat pump runs on electricity, so in a power outage it stops unless something else powers it. Grid-tied solar alone also shuts off during an outage. A battery keeps essential circuits running; whether it can carry the heat pump depends on the battery’s size and the heat pump’s draw, which we size per home. A battery also stores daytime solar for the evening, which helps most when you don’t have net metering. See home battery backup for options and the battery rebate.
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Do heat pumps work in Ontario winters?
Yes, if you choose a cold-climate model. Efficiency drops as it gets colder: NRCan lists air-source heat pumps at roughly 2.0 to 5.4 units of heat per unit of electricity at 8°C, and about 1.1 to 3.7 at -8°C. Cold-climate units are built to keep working well below that, and most systems keep backup heat for the coldest nights. The HRSP rebate only applies to cold-climate air-source models. Our guide to what a heat pump is and how it works covers the technology.
How a solar + heat pump project runs
- Your bills: start with 12 months of electricity and gas bills to size both systems.
- Heat loss and sizing: the heat pump is sized for your home’s heat loss; the solar system for your total electricity use after the switch.
- Rebate path first: decide between the solar rebate and net metering before anything is ordered. For the heat pump rebate, the participating HVAC contractor who installs it submits the pre-installation application, and it must be approved before installation.
- Utility connection: the solar installer applies to your local utility for the connection (net metering or load displacement).
- Installation: heat pump and solar installed by licensed technicians.
- Inspection: ESA inspection and utility approval before the solar system turns on.
- Rebate paperwork: the post-installation applications are submitted for each rebate; HRSP says heat pump rebate cheques arrive by mail within about 60 days of approval.
Get a free solar and heat pump quote and we’ll run the numbers for your home.
Frequently asked questions
How many solar panels do I need to run a heat pump in Ontario?
For a typical gas-heated home switching to a heat pump, about 5 to 8 kW of extra solar (roughly 12 to 18 panels) covers the heat pump over a year. Your existing electricity use is on top of that.
Can I get the HRSP rebate for both solar and a heat pump?
Yes. HRSP lets you do one or more upgrades, each with its own rebate. The solar rebate rules out net metering on that solar system; the heat pump rebate doesn’t affect net metering.
Can I claim the solar rebate and still use net metering?
No. A solar system that takes the HRSP rebate can’t use net metering.
How much is the heat pump rebate if my home heats with gas?
$500 per ton, up to $2,000, for a cold-climate air-source heat pump in an Enbridge gas home. Homes heated by electricity, oil, propane or wood get $1,250 per ton, up to $7,500.
Will solar panels cover my heat pump in January?
Not directly: panels produce little in midwinter. With net metering, credits banked in summer pay for winter use, for up to 12 months.
Do heat pumps work during a power outage?
Not without backup power. A battery, sized for it, can keep a heat pump or at least essential circuits running.
Does a heat pump work at -25°C?
Cold-climate models keep producing heat in deep cold, at lower efficiency; most systems keep backup heat for the coldest nights.
Is there a federal heat pump rebate in 2026?
One has been announced but isn’t open yet. The National Heat Pump Rebate (announced October 8, 2026) will pay up to $10,000 for households below the median income and $2,000 for other eligible homeowners.
Do new homes qualify for the heat pump rebate?
No. Homes occupied for six months or less don’t qualify for the HRSP heat pump rebate.
Sources
- Home Renovation Savings Program: heat pumps (rebate amounts, pre-approval, new-build exclusion; checked October 13, 2026)
- Home Renovation Savings Program: solar and battery (rebates, no net metering; checked October 5, 2026)
- Natural Resources Canada: Heating and cooling with a heat pump (COP and HSPF ranges)
- Natural Resources Canada: Heating with Gas (37.5 MJ per m³)
- Enbridge Gas: Rate 1 residential rate notice (typical customer 2,400 m³ a year)
- Prime Minister of Canada: National Heat Pump Rebate announcement (October 8, 2026)
- Ontario Regulation 541/05: Net Metering (credits carried forward 12 months)