Solar panels in Courtenay, BC

Roofs in Courtenay get about 1,116 hours of usable sunlight a year — less than 100% of the cities we've measured. Here's what that means in cost, savings and payback, using real rooftop data rather than a national average.

Check your specific roof in Courtenay → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.

What a typical Courtenay solar system costs

A 29-panel system (11.6 kW) is about right for an average Courtenay home using 10,800 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 11,004 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.

Notice that payback barely improves as systems get bigger, and eventually gets worse. That's because you can only save money on electricity you were going to buy anyway. Once a system covers your usage, extra panels mostly generate exports at a much lower rate.

Why Courtenay gets 1,116 sun hours

That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across Courtenay — it already accounts for shading from trees, chimneys and neighbouring buildings, which is why it's lower than the raw "hours of daylight" figures you'll see elsewhere. An unusually open, unshaded roof in Courtenay reaches about 1,193 hours, roughly 7% better than typical.

The numbers behind this page

When Courtenay actually produces

Annual totals hide the thing that catches people out: 41% of Courtenay's yearly sunlight arrives in May–July, and just 9% across November–January.

That is a severe seasonal swing — Courtenay produces roughly 5.3× as much in Jun as in Dec. A system sized to cover your annual usage will overproduce badly in summer and fall well short in winter, so how your utility credits exported power matters more here than in most places.

The annual total is measured from Google's rooftop imagery. Its split across months is calculated from solar geometry at Courtenay's latitude, not separately measured, so treat the monthly figures as the shape of a typical year rather than a forecast.

How Courtenay compares to the other 673 cities

What actually stands out about Courtenay:

• Roof space is the binding constraint. A typical Courtenay roof fits about 25 panels and a typical home needs 29 — so there is little room to oversize. If you add an EV or heat pump later, plan the array for it now.
• Small roofs. The median Courtenay roof is 77 m², smaller than 97% of cities measured — worth checking your own footprint before assuming a standard system fits.
• The case here is financial, not environmental. Courtenay's grid is already clean at 151 kg CO₂ per MWh, so the carbon saving from solar is modest. Judge this one on payback.
• Dimmer than the rest of British Columbia. Courtenay roofs get 7% less usable sunlight than the typical British Columbia city we've measured — statewide averages will overstate what you can expect here.

Cities with almost the same sunlight

These are the closest matches to Courtenay's 1,116 usable sun hours from other states and provinces. Same sunlight, different electricity prices — which is usually what decides whether solar is worth it.

Nearby cities

See all of British Columbia → statewide sunlight, rates, incentives and every city we've measured.

Courtenay solar questions

Worth reading before you buy

Estimates only, generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples and average British Columbia electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial advice. Your roof, usage, utility plan and local incentives will change these numbers — get real quotes before buying.