Two Ways to Go Solar in Alberta
If you’re considering solar panels for your Alberta home, one of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to stay connected to the electrical grid or go fully off-grid. Both approaches let you generate your own clean electricity, but they work very differently — and the right choice depends on your location, budget, and energy goals.
This guide breaks down the real differences between grid-tied and off-grid solar systems so you can make a confident, informed decision.
How Grid-Tied Solar Works
A grid-tied (or grid-connected) solar system is the most common type of residential solar installation in Alberta. Your solar panels generate electricity during daylight hours, and any power you don’t use immediately flows back to the provincial grid through Alberta’s micro-generation framework.
Here’s the key benefit: you receive a credit on your electricity bill for every kilowatt-hour you export. When your panels aren’t producing — at night or on cloudy winter days — you draw power from the grid as usual. There’s no interruption and no lifestyle change.
What You Need for a Grid-Tied System
- Solar panels — typically 15–30 panels for an average Alberta home
- A grid-tied inverter — converts DC power from panels to AC power for your home and the grid
- A bi-directional meter — your utility installs this to track electricity flowing both ways
- Net metering approval — filed through your wires company (ATCO, ENMAX, EPCOR, FortisAlberta, or your municipal utility)
No batteries are required, though you can add them later if you want backup power during outages.
How Off-Grid Solar Works
An off-grid solar system is completely independent from the provincial electricity grid. You generate, store, and consume all your own power. If your panels aren’t producing enough, you rely on your battery bank — and when that runs low, a backup generator kicks in.
Off-grid solar is most common on remote acreages, cabins, and rural properties in Alberta where the cost of running a power line from the nearest transformer can run $30,000–$100,000 or more.
What You Need for an Off-Grid System
- Solar panels — often 20–40+ panels to cover 100% of your consumption plus a safety margin
- A battery bank — lithium-ion (LFP) or lead-acid, sized for 2–3 days of autonomy
- A charge controller — manages the flow of energy from panels to batteries
- An off-grid inverter/charger — converts stored DC to AC and manages the backup generator
- A backup generator — propane or diesel, for extended cloudy stretches in winter
Cost Comparison: Grid-Tied vs Off-Grid
Cost is where the two systems diverge the most. As of September 2026, here’s what Alberta homeowners can expect:
| Component | Grid-Tied | Off-Grid |
|---|---|---|
| Solar panels (installed) | ~$2.80/W | ~$2.80–$3.20/W |
| Battery storage | Not required ($0) | $15,000–$40,000+ |
| Backup generator | Not required | $3,000–$8,000 |
| Typical total (10 kW system) | $25,000–$30,000 | $55,000–$90,000+ |
The installed cost of panels alone is roughly $2.80 per watt in Alberta, though final pricing depends on your roof, equipment choices, and installer. For more detail on what drives installed costs, see our city-level guides for Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer.
The bottom line: off-grid systems cost roughly two to three times more than grid-tied systems of similar panel capacity because of the battery bank and generator.
Net Metering: The Grid-Tied Advantage
Alberta’s micro-generation regulation is one of the strongest incentives for grid-tied solar. When your panels produce more than you use, the surplus flows to the grid and you earn a credit at the retail electricity rate — no middleman discount, no wholesale haircut.
Credits roll forward month to month and are paid out annually. For most Alberta households, net metering offsets 50–80% of annual electricity costs, and some homes with larger arrays achieve a net-zero electricity bill.
With Get Energy’s Solar Club, micro-generation customers can earn between 5.90¢/kWh and 35.00¢/kWh for exported power (as of September 21, 2026), depending on the rate option selected. That compares favourably to Alberta’s 30-day average variable pool price of 6.53¢/kWh (as of September 21, 2026). See our solar export rates comparison for a full breakdown of how Solar Club stacks up.
Off-grid homes don’t participate in net metering at all — any excess energy that your batteries can’t absorb is simply wasted unless you find another use for it (heating water, for example).
Reliability and Power Outages
Here’s an irony that surprises many homeowners: a standard grid-tied solar system does not provide power during a grid outage. For safety, your inverter is required to shut down when the grid goes down (this is called “anti-islanding”). If the power’s out on your street, your solar panels sit idle too.
There are two ways to solve this:
- Add a battery with backup capability — a hybrid inverter with a battery bank can keep essential circuits running during an outage. This adds $12,000–$20,000 to a grid-tied system but gives you the best of both worlds.
- Go off-grid entirely — your home is always on its own power, so grid outages are irrelevant. But you’re responsible for maintaining your battery bank and generator.
For more on whether batteries make sense for your situation, read our guide: Do I Need Batteries With Solar in Alberta?
Which System Suits Which Property?
Grid-Tied Is Usually Best If:
- You live in a city, town, or subdivision with an existing electrical connection
- You want the fastest payback on your solar investment (typically 8–12 years in Alberta)
- You don’t want to manage batteries or a generator
- You’re comfortable relying on the grid for nighttime and winter power
Off-Grid Makes Sense If:
- You’re building on a remote property where a new grid connection would cost $30,000+
- You value complete energy independence above cost efficiency
- You’re willing to manage a battery system and generator maintenance
- Your property is in a rural area with frequent or extended power outages
Most Alberta solar installations — in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Fort McMurray, and Lethbridge — are grid-tied because net metering makes the economics overwhelmingly favourable. Off-grid solar is a strong choice for acreages and remote sites where the grid connection fee alone would exceed the cost of batteries. For acreage-specific considerations, see our guide to solar for acreages and farms.
Alberta’s Solar Resource: Enough for Both Systems
Alberta averages about 1,800–2,000 hours of bright sunshine annually — among the highest in Canada. Cities like Medicine Hat and Lethbridge in southern Alberta are especially sunny, while northern communities like Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray benefit from very long summer days that partly offset shorter winter daylight.
For grid-tied systems, winter production dips don’t matter much — the grid picks up the slack. For off-grid systems, winter is the critical design period: your battery bank and generator must cover December and January, when solar production drops to about 25–30% of summer output.
Financing and Incentives
Both grid-tied and off-grid systems qualify for federal incentives like the Canada Greener Homes Grant (where available) and may qualify for municipal rebates depending on your location. The Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) is available in participating Alberta municipalities and lets you finance a solar installation through your property tax bill — but it applies only to grid-connected properties.
Off-grid systems don’t qualify for CEIP, and because they cost more upfront, financing options matter even more. Check our Alberta solar tax guide for a breakdown of what you can and can’t claim.
Making the Decision
For the vast majority of Alberta homeowners, a grid-tied solar system is the clear winner. It costs less, pays for itself faster through net metering credits, and requires almost no maintenance beyond keeping your panels reasonably clean. Alberta’s micro-generation framework is specifically designed to reward grid-tied solar producers.
Off-grid solar is a practical, proven solution for remote properties where the alternative is paying tens of thousands of dollars for a grid connection that still leaves you dependent on utility pricing. If that’s your situation, off-grid solar combined with a well-sized battery bank and a backup generator delivers true energy independence.
Either way, choosing a qualified installer is critical. Read our guide to choosing a solar installer in Alberta before signing any contract.
Ready to Explore Your Options?
Whether you’re grid-tied or off-grid, pairing your solar panels with the right electricity rate makes a real difference. Check Get Energy’s current rates — including Solar Club rates designed specifically for micro-generation customers — and see how much you could save.