Solar panels in London, Ontario
London Solar: Strong Sun, London Hydro Net Metering, and City Financing
London enjoys some of southwestern Ontario’s best sun, about 1,170 kWh per kW a year, level with Mississauga and ahead of the rest of the GTA. London Hydro offers 1:1 net metering with a 12–month carryforward, and Ontario’s HRSP adds up to $10,000 in solar and battery rebates (you choose HRSP or net metering, not both). London also runs BetterHomes London, a City financing program that puts eligible home energy upgrades on your property tax bill. With strong production and an 8 to 11 year payback, London is one of Ontario’s better cities for solar returns.
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Real Xolar installs in London
Completed systems across the London service area — first-hand specs, not industry averages.
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London — 14.2 kW rooftop
South-facing asphalt shingle · completed November 2023 · 26 progress photos on file
What 15 real London installs tell us
Aggregated from completed Xolar systems in London — first-hand data, not industry averages.
London energy & net metering
What London Hydro charges here, and how surplus solar is credited in Ontario.
Ontario’s Time–of–Use electricity rates range from 9.8¢/kWh (off–peak) to 20.3¢/kWh (on–peak), with mid–peak at 15.7¢/kWh (OEB RPP, Nov 2025–Oct 2026). London electricity is distributed by London Hydro. Solar panels generate most during daytime on–peak hours, earning you credits at the highest rate. The Ontario Electricity Rebate provides a 23.5% discount on your bill.
London Hydro Time-of-Use rates in London
What a kilowatt-hour costs at each tier, and the hours each one applies — OEB Regulated Price Plan, Nov 2025 – Oct 2026. Rates are set province-wide by the Ontario Energy Board, so they are the same whichever utility bills you; only delivery charges differ.
London Hydro peak hours, by season
The tiers hold all year; the hours switch twice a year. Weekends and statutory holidays bill at the off-peak rate all day, in both seasons.
On-peak power costs 2.1× what the same kilowatt-hour costs off-peak. At the Ontario Energy Board's benchmark of 700 kWh a month, that is the difference between $68.60 and $142.10 on the electricity line alone — delivery and regulatory charges are billed separately, and the Ontario Electricity Rebate then takes 23.5% off the total.
This is why solar pays better here than a flat rate would suggest. A rooftop array produces most between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. — precisely the summer on-peak window — so the power it offsets is the most expensive power London buys.
How your system works behind the meter
Most of a London system's value comes from power used behind the meter — electricity your panels make and your home uses on the spot, offsetting energy you'd otherwise buy at 9.8¢/kWh. Only the surplus flows past the meter to London Hydro for net-metering credit.
Rebates & incentives in London
Every active local, provincial, federal and Xolar program a London homeowner can stack.
- Up to $40,000 loan + up to $10,000 incentivesBetterHomes London
- Up to $7,500Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP) – Heat Pump
- Up to $5,000Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP) – Solar
- Up to $5,000Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP) – Battery
- Up to 30% of eligible costsClean Technology Investment Tax Credit (Commercial ITC)
Solar Panels in London, Ontario
London, served by London Hydro, has strong solar production at 1,170 kWh per kW annually. Southwestern Ontario receives more sunshine than the GTA, making London one of Ontario’s better cities for solar ROI.
Ontario’s net metering program credits excess solar at the full retail rate. With Time-of-Use billing, solar earns maximum value during on-peak hours (20.3¢/kWh). HRSP ($5K solar + battery at $300/kWh up to $5K) or net metering available – but not both.
Solar Incentives and Financing in London
Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP) offers up to $5,000 for solar ($1,000/kW) plus battery storage at $300/kWh up to $5,000. Solar and battery together can reach $10,000 in HRSP rebates. Solar installed under HRSP must be sized for load displacement only, so you choose either HRSP or 1:1 net metering, not both.
London Hydro handles your net metering: residential micro-generation up to 12 kW with a dedicated online net-metering application and credits that carry forward for 12 months.
BetterHomes London is a City of London financing program (launched 2026) that funds eligible home energy upgrades through a charge on your property tax of up to $40,000, repaid over 10 to 20 years and transferable if you sell. Confirm the current list of eligible measures with the City. You can also check your own roof’s solar potential with the City’s free MyHEAT Solar tool.
Note: the federal Greener Homes Grant (closed March 2024) and Loan (closed October 2025) are no longer available. As of June 2026.
BetterHomes London: $40,000 at 2.5%, and Solar Panels Qualify
London is one of the few cities on this site where the municipality will lend you the money for a solar system. BetterHomes London offers up to $40,000 at a 2.5% fixed interest rate, over a repayment term you choose — 10, 15 or 20 years. Repayment is collected through your property tax bill, on your municipality’s regular tax schedule.
The eligibility list matters here, because most municipal retrofit programmes stop at insulation and heat pumps. This one does not: rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems are named as an eligible upgrade, and so are battery storage devices. You can finance the whole system, not just the parts around it.
The thresholds are worth checking against your quote before you assume you qualify. The minimum total project value is $15,000, with a minimum loan of $5,000. To apply you must own a home in London, be up to date on your property taxes, and the home must be your full-time primary residence. Detached, semi-detached, townhomes, duplexes and triplexes are all eligible property types, and landlords may apply under certain conditions. The City also notes that homeowners may be eligible for up to $10,000 in incentives alongside the financing.
A typical 9 kW London system sits comfortably above the $15,000 project minimum, so for most homeowners here the binding question is not whether the system is large enough to qualify but whether financing at 2.5% over 15 years beats paying cash. That depends on what else you would do with the money — but 2.5% fixed is materially below what an unsecured home improvement loan costs, and the charge sits on the property rather than on you personally.
What Our London Installs Say About Sizing Here
London and the towns around it are among the busiest parts of our install map, and the work here goes back to 2022 rather than clustering into one good year.
They are not all the same size, and that is the useful part — the largest is several times the smallest. Some are in London itself; others are in Dorchester, Strathroy, Tillsonburg, Port Stanley and Port Burwell. If you are in one of those towns rather than the city proper, you are not an outlier for us.
That range is worth holding on to when you read an average. This page quotes a typical system size of 9 kW for London, and that figure is a reasonable planning assumption — but almost nobody gets the average. What a system is actually sized to is your roof, your shading, your panel orientation and the size of the bill you are trying to offset. A household with electric heat and two cars on chargers lands well above that figure; a well-insulated bungalow with a gas furnace lands below it.
London also has the shortest payback of any city in this group — 8 to 11 years, against 9 to 12 in Oshawa and St. Catharines and 10 to 13 in Sudbury. That comes from a combination this city happens to have all of: strong sun by Ontario standards at 1,170 kWh/kW, a utility that pays 1:1 credits, and a municipal loan at 2.5% that covers solar outright.
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15 installs in London · 264 across Ontario · 534 nationwide
Completed Xolar installations — each dot represents a city where we've installed solar.
Areas We Serve in London
Professional solar panel installation available in these London neighborhoods and communities:
What London homeowners say
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"phenomenally informative without aggressive sales or pushiness. really excited to get my solar panels!"
"Installed 47 solar panels for an excellent price. No issues."
"Abe was very attentive to my needs, he thoroughly explained the proposal he sent, and answered all my questions in detail. We chatted about a few other subjects and I discovered that he is a pleasant and knowledgable person to deal with."
"Part one- the quote: Dylan was friendly, communicates clearly, promptly, and through convenient methods. His quote and explanations are precise and transparent. A good experiencePart two- installation in update post"
"Xolar rep is very knowledgeable about solar product and the government rebates that can help make the project happen. Spencer was able to answer all my questions and made the decision to proceed with the application an easy one."
"Our solar panels were installed and are working great. Lots of great communication from Xolar throughout the process to ease our worries."
London solar questions
Who provides electricity in London, Ontario?
London Hydro distributes electricity in London.
Ontario’s Time-of-Use rates: 9.8¢ off-peak, 15.7¢ mid-peak, 20.3¢ on-peak (OEB RPP, Nov 2025-Oct 2026).
London gets more sun than Toronto.
What is the payback for solar in London?
8-11 years with HRSP rebate or net metering.
London’s 1,170 kWh/kW production is above the Ontario average, making it one of the better cities for solar ROI in the province.
What solar rebates are available in London?
Ontario’s HRSP provides up to $5,000 for solar ($1,000/kW) + battery storage at $300/kWh up to $5,000.
Important: HRSP solar cannot use net metering – customers must choose one or the other.
The federal Greener Homes Grant and Loan programs are both closed.
How does net metering work in London?
London Hydro offers 1:1 net metering – excess solar earns credits at the full retail rate.
Credits roll over for 12 months.
As of May 1, 2026, the residential threshold is 12 kW.
Note: Solar under HRSP cannot use net metering.
Can I finance a solar system through the City of London?
Yes.
BetterHomes London lends up to $40,000 at a 2.5% fixed rate over 10, 15 or 20 years, repaid through your property tax bill.
Unlike most municipal retrofit programmes it covers solar directly — rooftop and ground-mounted photovoltaic systems and battery storage devices are both named as eligible upgrades.
The minimum total project value is $15,000 with a minimum loan of $5,000, which a typical London system clears comfortably.
You need to own the home, live in it full time, and be up to date on your property taxes; detached, semi-detached, townhomes, duplexes and triplexes all qualify, and landlords may apply under certain conditions.
How big a system will London Hydro let me connect?
London Hydro treats a micro-generation plant as a system capable of 12 kW or less, which covers the great majority of residential solar.
Credits for what you export are carried forward for 12 months to offset later bills.
You start by filling in a request form, and London Hydro’s generation team can be reached at generation@londonhydro.com.
Customers with net meters can now combine energy storage with a renewable system, which matters if you are claiming Ontario’s rebate for solar and battery storage together.
Systems above 12 kW are still possible but follow the larger embedded generation process rather than the simplified micro route.
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