Solar panels in Kingston, ON
Roofs in Kingston get about 1,423 hours of usable sunlight a year — less than 76% 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 Kingston → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.
What a typical Kingston solar system costs
A 23-panel system (9.2 kW) is about right for an average Kingston home using 10,800 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 11,128 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 3,871 | CA$9,120 | CA$588 | 15.5 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 5,806 | CA$13,680 | CA$882 | 15.5 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 7,741 | CA$18,240 | CA$1,177 | 15.5 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 9,676 | CA$22,800 | CA$1,471 | 15.5 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 12,579 | CA$29,640 | CA$1,709 | 17.3 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 Kingston gets 1,423 sun hours
That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across Kingston — 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 Kingston reaches about 1,559 hours, roughly 10% better than typical.
The numbers behind this page
| Typical usable sunlight | 1,423 hrs/yr |
|---|---|
| Unshaded roof | 1,559 hrs/yr |
| Electricity rate (Ontario avg) | 15.2¢/kWh |
| Installed cost assumed | $2.85/W |
| Panel size assumed | 400 W |
| Typical household usage | 10,800 kWh/yr |
| Power used as generated | 34% |
| Paid for exported power | full retail (net metering) |
| Rooftops sampled here | 8 |
| Google imagery from | 2019 |
Nearby cities
See all of Ontario → statewide sunlight, rates, incentives and every city we've measured.
Kingston solar questions
How many solar panels do I need in Kingston?
About 23 panels for an average home. Kingston roofs get 1,423 usable sun hours a year, so each 400W panel produces roughly 484 kWh annually.
Is solar worth it in Kingston?
At 15.2¢/kWh and 1,423 sun hours, a typical system pays for itself in about 15.9 years and returns roughly CA$15,131 over 25 years. That is slower than the national average, so compare quotes carefully.
How much do solar panels cost in Kingston?
A 9.2 kW system costs about CA$26,220 before incentives . Prices vary by installer, roof complexity and equipment.
Worth reading before you buy
Estimates only, generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples and average Ontario 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.