You’ve made the big decision to go solar – YEY! Now, while your installer is taking care of sourcing components, applying for permits, and gathering their install crew, you have one key decision to make: which electricity provider to go with.
In Alberta, solar doesn’t work the same way it does in other provinces: your electricity provider plays a direct role in how much you will actually save with solar each year.
In this article, we’ll break down each option succinctly, show you the benefits, and (hopefully!) help you decide what makes the most sense for your situation.
How Solar Billing Works in Alberta
Before we compare options, let’s quickly cover how solar billing works here. Alberta uses a system called net-billing. Net‑billing means you buy and sell electricity at your current electricity rate, instead of receiving kWh “credits” like in a net-metering system.
Any extra energy your system produces is converted into dollars once it goes through your electrical meter which means how much you receive in compensation is heavily dependent on your electricity plan and rate.
That’s why choosing the right electricity provider is important, as different retailers have different rates, and perks. It’s worth saying here the importing and exporting to the grid is all done automatically through your electrical meter and happens at the same rate on a daily basis. But the key is that you can have different rates for different months! Here’s how it works:
- During summer months, your solar system often produces more electricity than your home uses → you net export power to the grid, so you want a high electricity rate so you can sell high
- In the winter, your system produces less than your home needs → you net import electricity from the grid, so you want a low electricity rate so you can buy low
Check out our video for a visual explanation.
Now onto the options!
1. SolarClub™
The SolarClub™ is the original microgenerator plan for Alberta, and you can sign up with them through any of a network of retailers (or Energy Marketers). All of the retailers offer the same rates, so which one you choose doesn’t matter too much. What the SolarClub™ does is bring together all of the microgenerators signed up with all these retailers into one larger “Virtual Solar Community.”
By pooling solar customers this way, the SolarClub™ can participate in Alberta’s power pool. The revenue created through this aggregated solar generation supports the SolarClub’s model, and is where the money comes from to compensate you throughout the summer for all of your exported energy, during which your account builds up lots of credit, which you can use to pay for your winter bills.
If you want a deeper breakdown of exactly how this works, here’s the article we wrote about it: 👉 How the SolarClub™ Works in Alberta
Benefits of choosing the Solar Club:
- Many SolarClub™ retailers have the options to sign-up for both Electricity and Gas – if you like having these two bills from one provider.
- Many SolarClub™ retailers also have options for selling your carbon credits on the same platform, if you want to squeeze every dollar out of your system that you can.
- Auto-switching between rates option available
- Many SolarClub™ retailers have a “Pre-Solar Rate” option which is a low electricity rate for people who have signed solar agreements but haven’t had their systems installed yet. This is a nice way to save a bit while you wait for your system to be installed!
Overall: Good option for homeowners who want the convenience of bundling electricity and gas and to lock in their low rate for as long as 3 years.
Many of our clients have signed up with SpotPower, an Alberta-based electricity retailer that participates in the SolarClub™ program, offering Electricity & Gas, auto-rate switching and Pre-Solar rates. If you’d like to see their current rates, Check them out here: 👉 https://www.spotpower.net/ and let them know that we sent you!
2. Solartility
The new kid on the block, Solartility is the main competitor of the SolarClub™ and they are taking the microgenerator market by storm by having the lowest low rates on the market and introducing auto rate switching in late 2025 - which now allows microgenerators to not have to manually switch between the high and low rates during the year. The SolarClub™ quickly rolled this feature out shortly after in order to stay competitive. We are glad for the competition, as it ultimately means better rates for solar microgenerators!
They often have sign-up offers, where they cut admin fees for a defined period. You can read more about them here: 👉 https://www.solartility.ca/
Overall: Good option for homeowners who want the best rates on the market, like the idea of a disruptor company, and enjoy the convenience of not having to manually switch rates.
3. ENMAX’s EasyMax Seasonal Solar
ENMAX’s EasyMax Seasonal Solar plan allows you to keep your current electricity rate with them as your Low Import rate – and they match the High Export rate to the SolarClub™. They don’t offer a Pre-Solar rate, Auto-switching or Carbon Credit selling, but if you choose to stay with them, you can keep all your bills in one place. The only caveat with this plan is, twice a year you will need to update your rate to make sure you are on the correct one (High rate during summer, Low rate during winter)! We send out reminder emails to our solar family during these times of the year as a helpful reminder.
You can read more about them here: 👉 https://www.enmax.com/solar/easymax-seasonal-solar
Overall: Good option for homeowners who want the convenience of having all their bills in the same place.
The Biggest Mistake to Avoid
Is to not sign up to an electricity provider that offers solar rates when you have solar! We have seen so many families who purchase a home with solar and they don’t even know that they are microgenerators and that they have the option to sign up with a provider that has great rates – which can save them a ton of extra money every year.
Biggest tip: If your solar system does not offset your entire electricity bill - you might not generate enough excess energy during the summer months to benefit from the dual rate switch. But the low rates offered by Solartility, and the SolarClub™ are better than you will find with other retailers. If you have solar, choose an electricity retailer that understands solar, so you can maximise the savings of your solar system, no matter it’s size.
Need Help Choosing? We’ve Got You.
If you’re comparing options and still feel unsure, or if you simply want a second opinion, feel free to reach out! Our goal is to help every solar homeowner maximize the benefits of their system and enjoy the full value of going solar.
