Alberta has some of the best solar resource in Canada, and a commercial rooftop can be a sound investment here. It can also be badly oversized, wrongly sited or sold on arithmetic that quietly ignores how micro-generation is actually credited. We model it against your real consumption before anyone talks about panels.
Last updated September 12, 2026.
The number that matters
In Alberta, a well-sited commercial array produces roughly 1,150 kWh per kW of installed capacity per year. That figure is the honest starting point for any business case. A 100 kW system is therefore producing in the order of 115,000 kWh a year — spread very unevenly, with long summer days doing most of the work and December contributing very little.
If a proposal in front of you assumes materially more than that without an unusually good reason — ideal tilt, no shading, tracking — the payback period in that proposal is wrong.
Size it to consumption, not to roof space
Under Alberta’s micro-generation framework, a micro-generation system is sized so its expected annual output does not exceed the site’s own annual consumption. That is the rule that determines whether you are a micro-generator at all, and it is also just good economics: exported energy is credited, but self-consumed energy displaces the full retail cost of the power you would otherwise have bought, including a share of variable delivery charges.
So the right first question is not how many panels fit on the roof. It is what your load looks like hour by hour. A warehouse that runs eight to five in summer self-consumes almost everything it generates. A restaurant whose load peaks at seven in the evening does not.
What solar does not do
- It does not reliably cut your demand charge. Your peak may occur on a cloudy morning or after dark. Without storage or controls, solar reduces consumption far more predictably than it reduces demand.
- It does not fix a bad rate class. If your site is misclassified, that is still true with panels on the roof.
- It does not remove fixed delivery charges. Those are per day or per site, not per kilowatt-hour.
This is exactly why we look at solar last rather than first. Rate class, demand and consumption normally have better returns and no capital cost, and fixing them first also changes the array you should build.
How we approach it
We take twelve months of consumption, interval data where it exists, your roof or ground area and orientation, and model output at Alberta’s real yield. You get a system size sensible for your load, an estimate of what share is self-consumed versus exported, and a payback range with the assumptions written down so you can argue with them. Engineering and installation are arranged through our network as part of the package if the numbers hold up.
If they do not hold up for your building, we will tell you that. A north-facing roof, a short lease, a structural issue or an evening-peaked load are all real reasons to walk away, and none of them are visible from a satellite photo.
What we need to model it properly
| Input | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| 12 months of electricity bills | Annual consumption sets the maximum sensible system size. |
| Interval data if available | Shows how much generation you would actually self-consume. |
| Roof or ground area, orientation, shading | Drives realistic yield rather than a nameplate figure. |
| Roof age and structure | A re-roof two years after install destroys any payback. |
| Lease term if you rent | A ten-year payback on a three-year lease is not an investment. |
| Planned load changes | New equipment or an expansion changes the right size today. |
Book a free Energy Cost Audit
Send us one recent electricity bill and one natural gas bill. We review both halves — the
energy you buy and the delivery charges you are billed to receive it — and come back with a
written summary of what we found and what, if anything, is worth changing. No cost, no obligation,
and no requirement to switch anything.
Upload your bills — free Energy Cost Audit
Prefer email? Send your bills to
info@getenergy.ca, or call
(780) 665-4771, Monday to Friday 9 AM–5 PM.
Common questions
How much power does commercial solar produce in Alberta?
A well-sited Alberta array produces roughly 1,150 kWh per kW of installed capacity per year. A 100 kW system therefore generates in the order of 115,000 kWh annually, concentrated heavily in the summer months.
How big a solar system can an Alberta business install?
Under Alberta’s micro-generation framework a micro-generation system is sized so its expected annual output does not exceed the site’s own annual electricity consumption. Sizing to consumption is also better economics, because self-consumed power displaces more cost than exported power earns.
Will solar reduce my demand charges?
Not reliably. Demand charges are set by your highest 15-minute pull, which can occur on a cloudy morning or after sunset. Without storage or controls, solar reduces consumption much more predictably than it reduces demand.
Should I do solar before or after a bill review?
After. Rate class corrections, demand management and efficiency usually have better returns with no capital cost, and fixing them first changes what size of array is actually right for the site.
Other things the review can act on
- Power factor correction
- Demand and load management
- Commercial solar
- Combined heat and power
- Efficiency and controls
More for Alberta businesses
- Business energy in Alberta — the overview
- The Energy Cost Audit — what we review and what you get
- Distribution and transmission charges on a business bill
- Small business electricity rates in Alberta
- Commercial natural gas in Alberta
- Do you need an energy broker in Alberta?
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Get Energy is an Alberta competitive retailer and energy broker serving
residential, small business, farm and commercial consumers. Get Energy is a tradename of Utility
Network & Partners Inc.