Solar, answered.

Solar panels convert sunlight directly into DC (direct current) electricity using photovoltaic cells. An inverter then converts that DC into AC (alternating current) — what your home uses. The system feeds your home first; depending on your connection type, any excess either flows back to the grid for bill credits (net-metering) or is sized to be fully consumed on-site (load-displacement, the HRSP-eligible setup).

DC is what panels and batteries produce; AC is what your home runs on. Every solar system has an inverter to convert between them. When you see a quote like "8 kW DC / 6.4 kW AC," that's the panel array nameplate vs the inverter rating. Typical residential DC-to-AC ratios run 1.20–1.30 (a slight oversizing of the panels relative to the inverter to capture more energy throughout the day).

A kilowatt (kW) is power — the rate of energy flow at any instant (think: speed). A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is energy — the total amount of work done over time (think: distance). A 7 kW solar system running at full output for one hour produces 7 kWh. Your hydro bill is in kWh; system size is in kW.

Yes — panels still produce in cloudy weather, typically 10–25% of clear-sky output. Snow cover briefly stops production, but panels are smooth, dark, and tilted — they self-clear quickly once any direct sun hits them. December-February output is naturally lower because of shorter days and a lower sun angle, but our annual production estimates already account for Ontario's full seasonal curve.

Roughly $2,500–$3,500 per kW DC installed, including panels, inverter, racking, electrical, permits, and labour. A typical 8 kW system runs $20,000–$28,000 before rebates. Battery storage (e.g., Tesla Powerwall 3 at 13.5 kWh) adds about $14,000–$17,000 installed.

The Home Renovation Savings Program (HRSP), launched January 2026, is Ontario's current incentive. Solar: $1,000 per kW DC up to a $5,000 cap. Battery: $300 per kWh up to a $5,000 cap (must be paired with new solar PV — battery-only does not qualify). Combined maximum: $10,000. Eligible only for load-displacement systems; net-metering is explicitly excluded. Pre-approval is required before installation.

For a typical 8 kW system at Ontario's blended rate, payback after the HRSP rebate runs 10–15 years. Battery payback is longer (15–25+ years) because batteries primarily provide resilience, not savings. Panels carry a 25-year linear output warranty, so most homeowners see 10–15 years of nearly-pure savings after the system has paid for itself.

Most appraisal studies show owned (not financed) solar adds roughly 4–7% to home value, often recouping the install cost at sale. Battery storage tends to add additional value for buyers concerned about grid resilience.

Yes — most solar in Ontario is paid via cash, HELOC, dedicated solar loans, or PACE-style programs. We don't push any specific financier; we'll discuss options on the call so you can pick what fits your situation.

Most residential roofs are. We check four things on the site visit: structural condition, roof age (you don't want solar on a roof you'll replace in 5 years), shading from trees and chimneys, and orientation. Asphalt shingle, metal, and flat membrane all work; tile is more nuanced but doable.

Depends on usable roof area, orientation, and obstructions. A typical 8 kW residential system uses 18–22 modern 400W panels and needs around 400 sq ft of usable roof. Use our address-driven estimate at /start — it pulls Google's Solar API to read your actual roof geometry and tell you the realistic number for your home.

South, east, and west-facing slopes all work well in Ontario. Pure east/west-facing roofs produce about 15–20% less than south-facing for the same panel count, but still pencil out. North-facing surfaces produce too little to justify the install — JAZZ excludes them by default in our designs.

No, when installed properly. Modern flush-mount systems use sealed flashings at every penetration. The panels themselves shield the shingles underneath from UV, rain, hail, and snow load — most homeowners actually see less roof wear under their array.

Best practice: replace first, then install. Removing and reinstalling a solar array later costs $3,000–$5,000+. If your roof is mid-life (8–15 years), we'll assess and recommend a path on the site visit, and we can coordinate with your roofer if needed.

Solar-only generates clean power and lowers your bill, but does not back you up in an outage — for safety, grid-tied solar automatically shuts off when the grid goes down. Solar + battery (e.g., Tesla Powerwall) keeps your home running through outages, stores daytime production for evening use, and unlocks an additional $4,000–$5,000 of HRSP battery rebate.

JAZZ is a Certified Tesla Powerwall Installer. The Powerwall 3 is 13.5 kWh of storage with a built-in solar inverter (no separate inverter needed), 11.5 kW continuous output, and whole-home backup capability. Each unit qualifies for about $4,050 of HRSP battery rebate. We can also install other battery brands depending on your needs.

Whole-home backup runs everything seamlessly through an outage, including HVAC and large appliances — needs more battery capacity. Essential-loads backup runs critical circuits only (lights, fridge, well pump, internet) — smaller battery, lower cost, rides through most outages comfortably. Both qualify equally for HRSP — backup scope doesn't change rebate eligibility, just system design.

For most modern homes with 200A service, no. Older homes with 100A service may need an upgrade for larger arrays or whole-home backup. We confirm during the site visit and roll the cost into the proposal if needed.

At night, panels produce nothing. Without battery, your home draws from the grid as usual — solar simply offsets your daytime consumption. With battery, your home runs on stored daytime energy until the battery is depleted, then falls back to the grid.

Typical residential timeline: 1–2 weeks for design and quote, 2–4 weeks for HRSP pre-approval and permits, 1–3 days for installation, 1–2 weeks for ESA inspection and utility witness test. Total: 6–12 weeks from signed contract to producing power.

Before — HRSP requires pre-approval, and retroactive applications are explicitly not accepted. Installing without pre-approval makes you ineligible for the rebate. JAZZ handles the application paperwork as part of the design phase.

Two: a municipal building permit (for the structural attachment to your roof) and an electrical permit (for the ESA inspection of the solar tie-in). JAZZ pulls both as part of the install — you don't need to do anything.

Final ESA inspection and utility witness test. Once both are signed off, the system is live. We hand over monitoring access (so you can see production from your phone), the workmanship warranty, and all manufacturer warranties.

Modern panels carry a 25-year linear output warranty — guaranteed to still produce at least 80% of original output after 25 years. Real-world systems typically run 30+ years with about 0.5% production loss per year (0.5% degradation is the industry standard we use in our payback math).

Very little. Panels are sealed glass with no moving parts. Optional: rinse with water once or twice a year if you live near construction, dust, or heavy pollen — though Ontario's rainfall handles most of this naturally. Inverters typically need replacement once over the system's lifetime (around year 12–15).

Manufacturer warranties: panels (25 years linear output), string or microinverter (10–12 years parts), Tesla Powerwall (10 years). On top of that, JAZZ adds a 10-year workmanship warranty on the install itself — covering anything related to mounting, flashing, or wiring we touched.

Yes — most JAZZ designs leave room for future expansion (extra inverter capacity, conduit headroom, etc.). Adding panels later is straightforward; adding battery later is also doable but slightly less efficient than installing both together. If you think you'll add an EV or heat pump in the future, mention it on the call so we can size accordingly.