Solar panels in Quebec

Q: Is solar worth it in Quebec?

At 7.9 cents per kWh and 1,385 usable sun hours, a typical system pays back in about 30.7 years.

Q: How much do solar panels cost in Quebec?

A 9.2 kW system costs about CA$26,220 before incentives.

Roofs across Quebec get about 1,385 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 7.9¢/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 30.7 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 4 Quebec cities.

1,385Sun hours / yr

7.9¢Per kWh

23Panels typical

30.7 yrPayback

Solar is a slow payback in Quebec. At 30.7 years, mostly because electricity here costs 7.9¢/kWh, this only makes sense as a long-horizon decision or with local incentives. Check the numbers hard.

Check your own roof in Quebec → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.

How Quebec compares

Quebec gets more sunlight than 16% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 0% of states and provinces. Both matter, but not equally: the electricity rate usually matters more, because solar saves money by replacing power you would otherwise buy. A sunny state with cheap power often pays back slower than a cloudy state with expensive power. Why that happens →

Solar by city in Quebec

City	Sun hrs/yr	Panels	Net cost	Payback
Quebec City	1,408	23	CA$26,220	30.6 yrs
Laval	1,385	23	CA$26,220	30.7 yrs
Montreal	1,384	23	CA$26,220	30.7 yrs
Gatineau	1,291	25	CA$28,500	33.3 yrs

What a system costs in Quebec

System	Size	kWh/yr	Net cost	Saves/yr	Payback
8 panels	3.2 kW	3,767	CA$9,120	CA$298	30.6 yrs
12 panels	4.8 kW	5,651	CA$13,680	CA$446	30.6 yrs
16 panels	6.4 kW	7,534	CA$18,240	CA$595	30.6 yrs
20 panels	8 kW	9,418	CA$22,800	CA$744	30.6 yrs
26 panels	10.4 kW	12,243	CA$29,640	CA$882	33.6 yrs

Payback stops improving as systems grow, then gets worse. You can only save on electricity you were going to buy, so once a system covers your usage the extra panels mostly export at a lower rate.

Quebec solar incentives

The 30% US federal tax credit does not apply in Canada, and the figures on this page exclude it. Canadian support comes through federal programmes such as the Canada Greener Homes Loan plus provincial and utility schemes, which vary and change — check current Quebec programmes directly rather than trusting a figure on a website.

Check your net metering rules. What your utility credits you for exported power drives your return more than most rebates do, and it differs by utility.

Quebec solar questions

Is solar worth it in Quebec?

At 7.9¢/kWh and 1,385 usable sun hours, a typical system pays back in about 30.7 years and returns roughly CA$-4,875 over 25 years. That is slower than average, so compare quotes carefully.

How many solar panels do I need in Quebec?

About 23 panels for a home using 10,800 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 471 kWh annually at Quebec sunlight levels.

How much do solar panels cost in Quebec?

A 9.2 kW system runs about CA$26,220 before incentives. Quotes vary widely by installer and roof complexity — get three.

Worth reading before you buy

What your utility pays for exportsChanges payback more than any equipment choice 12 questions to ask before signingIdentical systems vary 30–40% in price Do panels work in winter?Guide How many panels do I need?Guide

Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 4 Quebec cities, and average Quebec electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.