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Solar panels in Drummondville, QC

Roofs in Drummondville get about 1,371 hours of usable sunlight a year — less than 86% 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.

1,371Sun hours / yr
24Panels typical
CA$27,360Cost after credit
31.8 yrPayback
Be careful in Drummondville. At a 31.8-year payback, solar here is a long-horizon decision, mostly because electricity is relatively cheap (7.9¢/kWh). It can still make sense if rates rise or you have local incentives — but check the numbers hard before signing.

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

What a typical Drummondville solar system costs

A 24-panel system (9.6 kW) is about right for an average Drummondville home using 10,800 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 11,187 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.

Estimated economics by system size in Drummondville, at 7.9¢/kWh
SystemSizekWh/yr Net costSaves/yrPayback
8 panels3.2 kW 3,729CA$9,120 CA$295 31 yrs
12 panels4.8 kW 5,594CA$13,680 CA$442 31 yrs
16 panels6.4 kW 7,458CA$18,240 CA$589 31 yrs
20 panels8 kW 9,323CA$22,800 CA$737 31 yrs
26 panels10.4 kW 12,120CA$29,640 CA$879 33.7 yrs

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 Drummondville gets 1,371 sun hours

That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across Drummondville — 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 Drummondville reaches about 1,426 hours, roughly 4% better than typical.

The numbers behind this page

Typical usable sunlight1,371 hrs/yr
Unshaded roof1,426 hrs/yr
Electricity rate (Quebec avg)7.9¢/kWh
Installed cost assumed$2.85/W
Panel size assumed400 W
Typical household usage10,800 kWh/yr
Power used as generated34%
Paid for exported powerfull retail (net metering)
Rooftops sampled here6
Google imagery from2015

When Drummondville actually produces

Annual totals hide the thing that catches people out: 39% of Drummondville's yearly sunlight arrives in May–July, and just 11% across November–January.

Estimated usable sun hours by month in Drummondville (latitude 45.9°)
MonthSun hrsShare of year
Jan 51
Feb 75
Mar 108
Apr 144
May 171
Jun 183
Jul 177
Aug 155
Sep 121
Oct 85
Nov 56
Dec 45

That is a severe seasonal swing — Drummondville produces roughly 4.1× 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 Drummondville's latitude, not separately measured, so treat the monthly figures as the shape of a typical year rather than a forecast.

How Drummondville compares to the other 673 cities

MeasureDrummondville Rank of 673
Usable sunlight1,371 hrs581st
Sunlight lost to shade4%465th most
Median roof size116 m²615th largest
Electricity rate7.9¢673rd highest
Payback31.8 yrs670th fastest
Grid carbon151 kg/MWh671st dirtiest

What actually stands out about Drummondville:

  • The case here is financial, not environmental. Drummondville's grid is already clean at 151 kg CO₂ per MWh, so the carbon saving from solar is modest. Judge this one on payback.
  • Cheap electricity is the headwind. Quebec power costs about 7.9¢/kWh. Low rates are good news generally, but they lengthen solar payback — there is simply less bill to displace.
  • Older imagery. Google's aerial capture of Drummondville dates from 2015. Tree growth and new construction since then are not reflected.

Cities with almost the same sunlight

These are the closest matches to Drummondville's 1,371 usable sun hours from other states and provinces. Same sunlight, different electricity prices — which is usually what decides whether solar is worth it.

CitySun hrs RatePayback
Utica, NY 1,37124.3¢ 7.2 yrs
Greenfield, MA 1,37130.1¢ 5.8 yrs
Buffalo, NY 1,37224.3¢ 7.2 yrs
Ottawa, ON 1,37215.2¢ 16.5 yrs

Nearby cities

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

Drummondville solar questions

How many solar panels do I need in Drummondville?

About 24 panels for an average home using 10,800 kWh a year. Drummondville roofs get 1,371 usable sun hours, so each 400W panel produces roughly 466 kWh annually. A typical Drummondville roof fits about 41 panels, so check your usable roof area before assuming that many will fit.

Is solar worth it in Drummondville?

At 7.9¢/kWh and 1,371 sun hours, a typical system pays for itself in about 31.8 years and returns roughly CA$-5,839 over a 25-year panel life. That is slower than average, so compare several quotes before committing. Exported power earns full retail credit here.

How much do solar panels cost in Drummondville?

A 9.6 kW system costs about CA$27,360 before incentives. That works out near $2.85 per watt installed. Roof pitch, shading, electrical panel upgrades and equipment choice move the price most, which is why quotes for the same house can differ by thousands.

Worth reading before you buy

Estimates only, generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples and average Quebec 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.