Heat efficiently. Power it from your roof.
Planning both together means one assessment, one look at your electrical panel, and a solar system sized for the home you will have once the heat pump is running.
Independent. Not affiliated with any utility or with the Government of Canada.
- Licensed local installers
- No door knocking, no pressure
- Independent advice
- Local installers, province by province
Each one makes the other work better
A heat pump changes how much electricity your home uses. Solar is sized on exactly that number. Planning them together avoids guessing.
The heat pump sets the target
Switching from oil raises your electricity use while cutting fuel. Switching from baseboards usually lowers it. Either way, your solar should be sized for the new number.
Solar offsets the new load
Where your utility offers net metering, summer surplus can be credited against energy you use later in the year. In Nova Scotia, for example, NS Power's Self-Generating Option banks it as kilowatt-hours, applied to later use including the heating months.
One electrical plan
Both need panel capacity. Checking it once, and upgrading once if needed, is simpler and usually cheaper than two separate jobs.
Reduce first, then produce
If you can only do one this year, the heat pump usually comes first: it settles your electricity use so the solar array can be sized correctly afterwards. There are good reasons to break that rule.
- Solar first if you already heat with a modern heat pump, or your roof is being replaced anyway.
- Heat pump first if you heat with oil or baseboards and want the biggest change to your winter bills.
- Both at once if the budget allows: one visit, one panel review, one plan.
Is the combination right for my home?
If most of these sound like your home, it is worth looking at both together.
A roof that can carry panels
Reasonable sun on at least one slope and shingles with years left in them.
Roof checked firstOil, baseboards or an old system
The bigger the change to your heating, the more it matters to plan both together.
Strongest case for a bundleA year of electricity bills
Your installer uses them to estimate the new load after the heat pump.
12 months of usageTime to plan
Some programs require an assessment before any work starts. Planning both at once makes the order of steps easier.
Assessment before workThree steps, no obligation
From a quick quiz to a clear answer, without a salesperson at your door.
Take the 60-second quiz
Six quick questions about your home and your electricity bill. No address, no credit check.
Talk to a licensed local installer
They confirm your details, look at your roof and heating, and check which programs and incentives may apply to your home.
Decide at your own pace
You receive a clear recommendation and a written quote. You decide if and when to go ahead.
Free. Takes about a minute.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to do both at the same time?
No. Many homeowners do the heat pump first and add solar a year or two later. Planning both from the start simply means the second step is already mapped out.
Will solar cover all the electricity my heat pump uses?
Not in the depths of winter, when panels produce the least. Over a full year, where net metering is offered (in Nova Scotia, under the Self-Generating Option), kilowatt-hours banked in summer are applied to energy used later, including heating. How much of your total use solar can offset depends on your roof and your home.
Can programs and incentives be combined?
Sometimes, subject to each program's rules. For example, in Nova Scotia, Efficiency NS states that Moderate Income Rebates can be combined with Home Energy Assessment rebates. Rules change, so your installer will confirm what applies when you plan your project. See our incentives page. Source: Efficiency NS.
Is one installer able to do both?
Often, yes. Where it makes sense, we connect you with a licensed local installer who handles both, so you have one point of contact and one plan.
See if your home qualifies
Take the 60-second quiz. A licensed local installer will call to confirm what applies to your home. Free, no obligation.
Check if your home qualifiesNo door-to-door sales. No pressure. If solar or a heat pump does not make sense for your home, we will tell you.