Solar panels in Markham, Ontario: 5 Xolar installs in Markham
The highest average saving of any Alectra city we serve — on mid-table sunshine.
Markham’s average saving of $2,350 a year is the highest of the nine Alectra–served cities on this site, even though its 1,155 kWh per kW is mid–table among them. Payback runs 9 to 11 years. The reason is consumption rather than sunshine: Markham households use more electricity, so the systems built here are sized larger and displace more — which is the single most useful thing to understand before reading a quote.
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Markham — 11.7 kW rooftop
Completed February 2023
Real Xolar installs in Markham
Completed systems across the Markham service area — first-hand specs, not industry averages.
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What 5 real Markham installs tell us
Aggregated from completed Xolar systems in Markham — first-hand data, not industry averages.
Markham energy & net metering
What Alectra Utilities 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). Markham electricity is distributed by Alectra Utilities. 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.
Alectra Utilities Time-of-Use rates in Markham
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.
Alectra Utilities 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 Markham buys.
How your system works behind the meter
Most of a Markham 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 9.8–20.3¢/kWh. Only the surplus flows past the meter to Alectra Utilities for net-metering credit.
Rebates & incentives in Markham
Every active local, provincial, federal and Xolar program a Markham homeowner can stack.
- Free heat pump install (valued up to $25,000) in Ontario, income-eligibleOil to Heat Pump Affordability (Ontario, via Save on Energy)
- Up to $7,500 (air-source) / $12,000 (ground-source)Home 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 $1625Fall 2026 Sale – Battery
- Up to $2550Fall 2026 Sale – Solar
- Up to $475Fall 2026 Sale – Heat Pump
Solar Panels in Markham, Ontario
Markham is one of York Region’s largest cities with growing interest in residential solar. Alectra Utilities provides distribution with solar production of 1,155 kWh per kW annually. Ontario’s Time-of-Use pricing means solar earns maximum credits during on-peak hours (20.3¢/kWh).
Ontario’s net metering program credits excess solar at the full retail rate. HRSP ($5K solar + battery at $300/kWh up to $5K) or net metering available – but not both.
Ontario HRSP - Up to $10,000 for Solar + Battery
Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP), launched January 2025, offers:
- Up to $5,000 for solar panels ($1,000/kW)
- Battery storage at $300/kWh up to $5,000 (about 16.7 kWh of storage reaches the cap)
- HRSP maximums are per category rather than one shared pot: up to $10,000 for solar and storage, up to $12,000 for heat pumps, up to $7,700 for insulation
Important – HRSP vs. Net Metering: Solar installed under HRSP must be sized for on-site load displacement only – net metering is not permitted under HRSP. If you prefer net metering (earning 1:1 credits for excess solar), you would not apply through HRSP. Your Xolar advisor can help determine which option provides the best return.
Note: The Canada Greener Homes Grant (closed February 2024) and Greener Homes Loan (closed October 2025) are no longer available.
Markham Saves More Than Any Other Alectra City. It Does Not Get More Sun.
Alectra Utilities distributes electricity in nine of the cities on this site. Ranked by the average annual saving each page quotes, Markham comes first at $2,350 — ahead of Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Mississauga at $2,300, ahead of Brampton at $2,200, and $300 clear of Guelph at $2,050.
It is not the sunniest of them. At 1,155 kWh per kW a year Markham sits mid-table: Mississauga is modelled at 1,170, and Brampton and Hamilton at 1,160. On production per kilowatt installed, Markham is behind three of the cities it out-saves.
The explanation is consumption. A saving is the product of what you generate and what that generation displaces, and the second term depends on the household. Markham homes tend to be larger and to use more electricity, so the systems built here are sized larger — this page assumes 10 kW as typical, against 9 kW for Guelph, Hamilton and Barrie — and a larger system on slightly weaker sun displaces more than a smaller system on slightly better sun.
This is worth holding onto because it cuts both ways. If your own consumption is modest, the $2,350 figure is not yours; it describes a household bigger than average for the city. The number that matters is on your own bill, and any installer worth using will start there rather than with the municipal average.
Payback here is 9 to 11 years, slightly tighter than most of the Alectra group, for the same reason: a larger system offsetting a larger bill.
Cold Winters Are an Argument for Doing Solar and a Heat Pump Together
Markham’s climate is continental with cold winters, and that shapes the case for solar in a way worth setting out — because the two upgrades most Markham households are weighing interact.
A solar array produces least in December and January. A house heated by gas draws little electricity in those months, so a well-sized array covers a good share of the annual bill. Put a heat pump in and the picture changes: winter electricity consumption rises sharply, exactly when generation is at its lowest. That is not an argument against either technology — it is an argument for sizing them together rather than sequentially.
Ontario’s Home Renovation Savings Program is structured to make that possible. Its maximums are per category rather than one shared pot: up to $10,000 for solar panels and battery storage together, up to $12,000 for heat pumps, and up to $7,700 for insulation. A household doing solar and a heat pump is drawing on two separate ceilings, not splitting one — a distinction that was misstated on this site’s Ontario pages until it was corrected, and one that materially changes what a combined project costs.
The practical sequence is insulation first, then the heat pump sized to the improved envelope, then solar sized to the resulting electricity consumption. Doing solar first and the heat pump two years later usually means an array sized for a bill that no longer exists.
Net metering credits carry forward for twelve months here, which softens the seasonal mismatch: a summer surplus can be drawn down against winter heating. It does not eliminate it, because credits do expire at the twelve-month mark.
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Completed Xolar installations — each dot represents a city where we've installed solar.
Areas We Serve in Markham
Professional solar panel installation available in these Markham neighborhoods and communities:
What Markham homeowners say
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"I -spoke with Brendan in regards to getting a solar system installed. Brendan was very professional with discussing all the aspects of the equipment needed and the process of the install."
"Vivek was helpful and answered all my questions."
"Friendly and courteous. Answered all my questions."
Markham solar questions
Can I get solar in Markham?
Yes.
Alectra Utilities serves Markham with 1,155 kWh/kW production.
HRSP ($5K solar + battery at $300/kWh up to $5K) or net metering available.
Payback: 9-11 years.
What solar rebates are available in Markham?
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.
Who provides electricity in Markham?
Alectra Utilities distributes electricity in Markham.
Ontario’s Time-of-Use rates: 9.8¢ off-peak, 15.7¢ mid-peak, 20.3¢ on-peak (OEB RPP, Nov 2025-Oct 2026).
The Ontario Electricity Rebate provides a 23.5% discount.
How does net metering work in Markham?
Alectra Utilities 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, systems up to 12 kW qualify for Ontario’s simplified micro-embedded connection process (up from 10 kW); larger systems can still net-meter through the standard connection process.
Note: Solar under HRSP cannot use net metering.
Why does Markham save more than Mississauga despite getting less sun?
Because a saving depends on the bill as much as on the sunshine.
Markham is modelled at 1,155 kWh per kW a year against Mississauga’s 1,170, so it produces marginally less per kilowatt installed — but the average saving quoted here is $2,350 against Mississauga’s $2,300, the highest of the nine Alectra-served cities on this site.
Markham households consume more, so systems are sized to displace more.
The practical implication is that neither figure is yours until someone has looked at twelve months of your own bills; a city average describes a household that may be nothing like yours.
Can I claim Ontario's rebate for both solar and a heat pump?
They are separate ceilings rather than one shared pot, which is the part people most often get wrong.
The Home Renovation Savings Program lists up to $10,000 for solar panels and battery storage together, up to $12,000 for heat pumps, and up to $7,700 for insulation.
A household doing solar and a heat pump is therefore drawing on two different maximums.
Programme rules govern what any individual project qualifies for, so confirm eligibility before counting on a combination — but do not assume a single overall cap, and treat any quote that implies one with caution.
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