Solar Club: get paid more for the power you send back
Solar Club is a loyalty program for Alberta homes with solar. Its members sell their summer surplus at a high rate and buy their winter power at a low one. Here is how it works and what it means for a Northern PWR system.
Two rates. You choose which one fits the month.
Rates published by Solar Club on solarclub.ca, checked November 15, 2026. Solar Club sets these rates and can change them.
HI Rate
40.00¢/kWhFor the months you export more than you import. Solar Club describes this as typically March to October.
LO Rate
5.45¢/kWhFor the months you draw more from the grid than you send to it, typically November to February. Listed as a two-year rate.
Pre-Solar Rate
5.45¢/kWhAvailable once you have a signed solar contract, while you wait for your install. Valid for up to 180 days.
In any billing period the same rate applies in both directions. On the HI Rate you are credited 40¢ for each kilowatt-hour you export and you pay 40¢ for each one you import. That is why the switch matters, and why Solar Club offers RateSwitch to do it for you.
What the difference looks like
Take a July where your panels send 800 kWh more to the grid than your home draws from it.
| Rate that month | Net export | Energy credit |
|---|---|---|
| HI Rate, 40.00¢ | 800 kWh | $320.00 |
| LO Rate, 5.45¢ | 800 kWh | $43.60 |
An illustration of the arithmetic only. It covers the energy charge, before delivery charges, fees and taxes, and your own production and use will differ.
What else members get
- Cash back on imports. Solar Club advertises 3% a year on imported electricity costs, another 3% on bundled natural gas, and 2% more for battery EV drivers. Conditions apply.
- Credits you control. Move credit between your electricity and gas accounts, or turn on a refund once your credit balance has been $200 or more for two months in a row.
- A heads-up before each bill. A pre-bill email shows your imports and exports a few days before the invoice is final, so you can still switch rates for that period.
- A choice of retailers. Solar Club is offered through dozens of Alberta energy retailers, several of which give part of their proceeds to local charities.
Why a seasonal rate suits Alberta
This far north, a roof can see twice as much daylight in June as in December. Your system is planned around both: it earns in the bright months and carries that value into the dark ones. How it does that depends on your province.
In Alberta, your rate can follow the season
Solar Club members switch to a high rate for the months they send more power to the grid than they take, then back to a low rate for winter. How Solar Club works
In Nova Scotia, summer surplus is banked
Under Nova Scotia Power’s Self-Generating Option, extra kilowatt-hours from long summer days are banked and applied to what you use later in the year. Solar in Nova Scotia
Sized on twelve months of bills
One month tells us very little. We design from a full year of your electricity use so the system fits the whole swing, winter included.
Cold is fine. Snow is temporary.
Panels work in winter, even in cold temperatures. Heavy snow can reduce output for a while, and typically slides off once the sun warms the glass. More on cloud and snow
Solar Club questions
Who can join Solar Club?
Solar Club is for Alberta homes and small businesses registered as small micro-generators (systems under 150 kW) with a bidirectional meter from their wires company. You sign up through one of the participating energy retailers. Solar Club also asks members to make a donation to a local food bank or charity of their choosing.
What rate am I on while I wait for my install?
Once you have a signed solar installation contract, you can go on Solar Club’s Pre-Solar Rate while you wait. Solar Club lists it at 5.45¢/kWh and says it is valid for up to 180 days. When your site is registered as a micro-generator you move to the LO Rate.
How do I switch between the HI and LO rates?
You can ask to switch in your Solar Club online account, or opt in to RateSwitch, which changes your rate automatically when you go from importing more than you export to the reverse. Solar Club says there is no fee to switch, that you can switch once per billing cycle without penalty, and that a switch can be backdated as far as your last meter read.
Why not stay on the HI rate all year?
Because the rate cuts both ways. Under Alberta’s micro-generation rules you are credited for exports at the same rate you pay for imports in that billing period. On the HI Rate you earn more for what you send out and pay more for what you take in. It works in your favour in the months your panels produce more than you use, which Solar Club describes as typically March to October.
What is the cash back?
Solar Club advertises 3% cash back each year on what members pay for imported electricity (energy charges, not delivery or other fees), a further 3% on bundled natural gas, and 2% more for members with a battery electric vehicle. It is paid by direct deposit in February for the previous calendar year. Conditions apply, so check Solar Club’s current terms.
Is Northern PWR part of Solar Club?
No. Solar Club is a trade name of Utility Network & Partners Inc. and membership is arranged through its participating energy retailers. We install the system, handle your micro-generation paperwork and show you how to get set up, including the Pre-Solar Rate while you wait for your install.
See what a Solar Club summer could be worth at your address.
We will size a system from your bills and show you the month-by-month picture.