A Bright 2025: Looking Back on the Milestones for Canadian Solar

 

2025 marked another important year for solar and clean energy in Ontario and across Canada. Progress was real: from falling costs and growing deployment to new policy signals and grid investments, but it was also uneven and incomplete. This year-end list highlights key milestones worth celebrating, alongside a clear-eyed look at where faster action, stronger policy, and greater ambition are still needed to fully unlock solar’s potential.

 

Canada powers ahead with solar growth forecasts

Summary: New national forecasts project 17–26 GW of new solar capacity could be added across Canada over the coming decade, reflecting rapidly improving economics and momentum for clean electricity.

Why it matters: Forecasts like this help shift solar from “nice to have” to a mainstream infrastructure expectation supporting investment confidence, supply-chain planning, and grid modernization.

Could be better: To convert forecasts into on-the-ground projects faster, Canada could streamline interconnection and permitting, expand transmission planning, and strengthen long-term policy certainty for clean procurement.

 

Ontario launches long-term Energy for Generations plan

Summary: Ontario released a long-term energy roadmap outlining how the province plans to meet rising electricity demand while maintaining reliability, including references to renewables and distributed energy resources.

Why it matters: A clear planning signal helps de-risk private investment and enables better alignment between generation, transmission, and demand-side solutions.

Could be better: The plan could go further by setting clearer renewable build targets, accelerating storage procurement, and tightening timelines for phasing down fossil generation to reduce lock-in risk.

 

New Ontario solar and storage rebates expand access

Summary: Expanded rebate programs in 2025 reduced upfront costs for rooftop solar and batteries, helping households and small businesses adopt clean energy faster.

Why it matters: Upfront incentives are one of the fastest ways to expand distributed solar, reduce peak demand, and improve household energy resilience.

Could be better: Rebates could be paired with stronger low-income access, simpler application pathways, and more grid-friendly tariffs that reward batteries for supporting evening peaks.

 

CanREA launches inaugural national clean energy awards

Summary: Canada’s renewable sector launched national awards recognizing leadership and innovation across solar, storage, and grid integration.

Why it matters: Recognition helps professionalize the sector and spotlights scalable solutions which is useful for attracting talent, capital, and public attention to what’s working.

Could be better: Beyond awards, Canada needs faster procurement and better market signals for clean capacity. Deployment speed is the real bottleneck.

 

Federal investment modernizes Ontario’s electricity grid

Summary: The federal government announced targeted funding to modernize Ontario’s grid, supporting reliability upgrades and enabling more distributed resources like solar and storage.

Why it matters: Grid modernization is a prerequisite for high-renewables systems; without it, solar gets curtailed, interconnection queues grow, and costs rise.

Could be better: Funding is helpful, but outcomes depend on execution: Ontario could publish clearer interconnection timelines and prioritize upgrades that unlock near-term renewable capacity fastest.

 

Energy storage expansion supports higher solar penetration

Summary: Ontario’s battery storage pipeline continued to expand, improving grid flexibility and helping manage variability from renewables like solar.

Why it matters: Storage is the backbone of a reliable renewables grid, shifting solar energy into evening hours and providing fast-response balancing services.

Could be better: Ontario could accelerate storage by standardizing contracts, improving market access for distributed batteries, and ensuring storage is paired with renewables rather than used to extend gas dependence.

 

Ontario maintains a strong clean-power foundation

Summary: Ontario’s earlier coal phase-out continues to underpin a relatively low-emissions electricity system, which supports electrification and enables further renewable growth.

Why it matters: A cleaner grid increases the climate benefits of electrification (EVs, heat pumps) and creates a stronger baseline for adding solar and storage.

Could be better: The next step is tackling remaining fossil generation more directly—through accelerated renewables + storage procurement and demand-side measures that reduce peak reliance on gas.

 

Municipal programs continue to support distributed solar

Summary: Municipal financing tools and local incentive programs continued to support rooftop solar adoption and energy retrofits in Ontario communities.

Why it matters: Local programs can move quickly, remove financing barriers, and keep the economic benefits of clean energy: jobs, savings, resilience, close to home.

Could be better: Municipal efforts would land even harder with stronger provincial alignment, especially standardized net-metering rules and more support for community-scale solar and storage.

 

Distributed energy recognized in provincial planning

Summary: Provincial planning increasingly acknowledges the role of behind-the-meter and community energy projects in meeting future electricity demand.

Why it matters: Official recognition helps unlock market participation and can reduce the “soft costs” of projects by normalizing distributed energy as a serious resource.

Could be better: Recognition should translate into concrete reforms: faster interconnection, better compensation for grid services, and explicit pathways for community solar and virtual net metering.

 

Canadian Renewable Energy Market Outlook guides 2025 planning

Summary: The 2025 Market Outlook provided updated analysis on costs, deployment trends, and policy context for solar and other renewables in Canada.

Why it matters: High-quality market data supports better decisions by investors and policymakers especially when the grid is changing quickly and demand forecasts are rising.

Could be better: Data is necessary but not sufficient. Canada still needs clearer procurement schedules, faster approvals, and stronger policy follow-through to turn insight into deployment.