Two separate approvals, one safety authority, one distribution company, and a threshold at 10 kW that changes the whole process. None of it is difficult. All of it is where schedules slip.
Grid-tied solar in Ontario must be installed by a licensed Electrical Contractor registered with the Electrical Safety Authority. The contractor files a Notification of Work through ESA before installation begins.
The trades performing it hold a Certificate of Qualification, typically 309A industrial electrician or 309B construction and maintenance electrician. Homeowner self-installation of a grid-tied system is not permitted.
You can verify any contractor's ESA registration yourself before you sign anything. It takes a minute and it is worth doing.
| Approval | From | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Notification of Work | Electrical Safety Authority | The electrical installation, inspected against the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, 29th edition |
| Building permit | Your municipality | Structural capacity for the array plus snow and wind loading |
| Net metering connection | Your local distribution company | Connecting generation to the grid and setting up the credit arrangement |
Toronto requires a building permit for installations over five square metres and typically takes two to three weeks. Other municipalities vary. In rural Ontario the distribution company's connection process is usually the longer constraint, not the permit and not ESA.
Net metering runs under O. Reg. 541/05, capped at 500 kW nameplate capacity.
That assessment is not a formality and it is not instant. On a commercial project it belongs in the schedule from the start, and a proposal that does not mention it has not thought about the timeline.
Net metering credits apply to the electricity commodity charge only. Not delivery. Not regulatory charges. Not the debt retirement charge.
Unused credits carry forward and expire after twelve consecutive months, and Ontario pays no cash for surplus generation. This is why an array should be sized against consumption and not against available roof.
Module and inverter certification, wiring methods, AC disconnect labelling, anti-islanding protection, grounding, and compliance with the current Ontario Electrical Safety Code. An inspection can usually be scheduled within one to two weeks of request, and the path from permit to Certificate of Inspection typically runs two to four weeks on a standard residential system.
Not a grid-tied one. The work must be performed by or under an ESA-licensed Electrical Contractor, who files the Notification of Work before installation and is accountable for the inspection.
Under 10 kW, the micro-generator route is relatively quick. Above 10 kW the distribution company's system impact assessment is the variable, and on rural connections it is usually the longest item in the programme.
500 kW nameplate under the net metering regulation. Beyond that you are into a different regulatory arrangement entirely.
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