How we calculate savings

Estimates you can check

Our estimates depend on assumptions about panel angle, shade, electricity used at home and kit cost. Your home may have different conditions.

Use the figures to compare possibilities. They are estimates, and your results may be higher or lower. The tables below show the choices behind the calculation.

Solar production

Monthly kWh output is computed using NREL PVWatts v8 with the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) satellite dataset. NSRDB coverage is comprehensive across Canada to about 60°N, usable and modeled to ~70°N (Yellowknife, Iqaluit, Whitehorse all fall in this zone), and sparser beyond (we do not make community-specific claims above 70°N).

Assumptions for balcony panels

Why vertical panels outperform roofs in Canadian winter

In Alberta and the Prairie provinces, 90° vertical south-facing panels produce more in winter than summer because the sun is lower. Calgary 1200W panels generate ~448 kWh December through March vs ~360 kWh May through August. This is the opposite of roof-mounted systems. It is a genuine and unusual outcome of vertical mounting at high latitude, and it makes balcony solar particularly well-suited to Canadian winter reliability.

The kits used in our estimates

We calculate production for five example kits. Each product listing is matched to the closest kit so you can compare products using the same assumptions.

Electricity rates

Canadian residential electricity bills have multiple components. The variable portions, energy charge, variable transmission & distribution, variable riders like carbon levy, scale with usage, so solar offsets them fully. The fixed portions (monthly connection fees, admin charges) stay the same regardless of consumption and are not displaced.

We use the full variable displaced rate (energy + T&D + variable riders) for payback math, not just the energy line. In Alberta the energy line is typically less than half the bill; using energy alone would understate savings by ~50%.

Product prices

Product prices come from manufacturer and retailer pages. Each listing links to its source.

Taxes and currency conversion

German retail prices include 19% VAT. Canadian residential electricity bills show pre-tax variable charges (GST is added on top). For an apples-to-apples comparison:

1. We strip 19% VAT from each German listing to get the pre-VAT wholesale equivalent.
2. We convert euros to Canadian dollars using the model’s exchange rate of approximately CAD 1.62 per euro.
3. The resulting CAD pre-tax figure is directly comparable to Canadian electricity rates.

Every CAD-equivalent figure on this site, on the product comparison, in each province's payback block, in aggregates, uses this same pre-GST methodology. The figure answers the question "what would this kit cost in Canadian dollars if sold in Canada before sales tax?" and is comparable to Canadian retail pre-tax pricing. The inc-VAT source price (what German consumers actually pay today) is shown alongside on every card for transparency.

These are estimated prices. The figure shown in Canadian dollars is a price estimate based on overseas listings. It does not establish a Canadian retail price or the total cost of importing a kit.

Current listings

53 reviewed listings are shown. Another 65 listings are awaiting checks of their category, wattage and price. Only reviewed listings are used in the price summaries above.

How we estimate time to recover the cost

We add up the estimated savings until they reach the kit’s purchase price. This is called simple payback. It does not account for financing costs or how the value of money changes over time.

Math: monthly_savings = production_kWh × (1 − shading_derate) × self_consumption_rate × variable_displaced_¢_per_kWh. Cumulative savings per month with annual degradation applied. Payback month is the first month cumulative savings meet or exceed the product cost in CAD.

When the data was updated

• Solar production (PVWatts): Estimates are stored for each region, kit size and panel direction. They are recalculated when the solar dataset or method changes. Dataset used here is NSRDB as of 2026-04-16.
• Electricity rates: Each rate has an effective date. Earlier records are retained so changes can be checked. Rates are intended to be reviewed quarterly and when a utility announces a change.
• Product prices: The first 6 listings were researched on 2026-04-16. Each listing links to the retailer or manufacturer so you can check the current price.
• Exchange rate. The model uses an approximate rate of CAD 1.62 per euro. A monthly update using Bank of Canada data is planned.

External sources cited

• NREL PVWatts v8 API documentation
• National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB)
• Bank of Canada exchange rates
• Utilities Consumer Advocate — Alberta default rates
• EPCOR Edmonton Rate of Last Resort
• ENMAX Calgary Rate of Last Resort
• Rocky Mountain Solar — Alberta rate analysis
• Alberta Utilities Commission
• ENMAX distribution tariff schedules