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The Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP)

  • No Upfront Cost CEIP Loan
  • 4.5% Financing (Subject to Change)

The Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) is a financing option available to Alberta homeowners who want to upgrade their homes with energy-efficient improvements like solar panels, insulation, or efficient heating systems.

Instead of taking out a separate loan, CEIP lets you finance solar directly through your property tax bill.

Get a Solar Quote & Apply for the CEIP

How CEIP Works for Solar

  • Check eligibility – CEIP is offered by participating municipalities in Alberta. Not every city or county has it yet.

  • Apply through your municipality – Get approval before you begin your solar project.

  • Choose upgrades – Solar panels, equipment, and installation costs can all be included.

  • Municipality pays upfront – Your installer is paid once the system is installed.

  • You pay back gradually – Repayment is added to your property taxes, spread out over the life of the project (often 15–20 years).

Solar financing alberta options

What is the CEIP?

Specific to Alberta, various cities offer the program to help homeowners pay for solar.

  • No big upfront payment

  • Competitive, often subsidized interest rates right now at 4.5%

  • Simple repayment—added to your property taxes each year

  • Payments stay with the home if you sell, so the next homeowner continues where you left off

It’s designed to remove the biggest barrier to going solar: the high upfront cost.

Why Alberta Solar + CEIP Makes Sense

  • Alberta enjoys 17+ hours of summer daylight

  • Net billing credits extra summer power toward winter bills

  • CEIP financing removes the need for loans or lines of credit

  • Homes with solar typically see higher resale value

Example: Typical Alberta Home with CEIP

Let’s break down a common scenario for an average household:

  • System Size: 8 kW (about 18–20 solar panels)

  • Installed Cost: ~$24,000

  • Financing: CEIP, 15-year term, ~3.5% interest (varies by municipality)

  • Annual Energy Offset: ~$1,500 in electricity savings

  • First Year Net Cost: Around $500 saved, even after CEIP payments

  • Break-Even Point: ~11 years

  • Lifetime Savings (25 years): $30,000–$45,000 (depending on usage and rate increases)

Key Benefits of CEIP for Homeowners

✅ No upfront costs—start saving from day one
✅ Easy repayment added to property tax bill
✅ Program stays with the home if you sell
✅ Boosts home value and long-term savings
✅ Backed by Alberta municipalities

Alberta homeowners are taking advantage of the CEIP loan.

Which Alberta Cities & Towns Offer CEIP

Municipality Current Status Key Terms & Incentives
Edmonton Open Up to $50k funding. Requirement: Must bundle 3+ energy retrofits.
Calgary Paused Next funding window expected Early 2026. Pre-qualify now to stay updated.
St. Albert Open Highly active. Includes a $1,400 rebate applied directly to the loan.
Lethbridge Open Competitive 2.83% rate + $1,350 rebate for completed projects.
Airdrie Open 2.75% interest rate. Minimum project spend of $5,000 required.
Strathcona County Open One of the lowest rates in Alberta at 2.0% APR.
Medicine Hat Open 3.25% rate. Includes a 6.6% project incentive to reduce total cost.
Spruce Grove Paused Intake closed for 2025. Expected relaunch in mid-2026.

How to Apply for CEIP Yourself

Below are the steps to apply for the CEIP. Or you can fill out a form, book a call and upload your bill with a local, licensed, approved contractor, and we take care of the entire application process for you at no charge. 

Step 1: Confirm Your Municipality & Program Status

  1. Go to the CEIP website and check Residential Program Locations to see if your municipality participates.

  2. Check whether your city is Open or Paused for new intake (details in the table further down this page).

If intake is paused, you can’t submit a new application yet – but you can complete all the prep (design, EnerGuide, quotes) so you’re ready on Day 1 when it reopens. If you aren’t prepared, expect your neighbors to be, and will be first in line.

Step 2: Pre-Qualification

When intake is open, your first step is Pre-Qualification: Complete the online Pre-Qualification Form for your municipality.

You’ll provide:

    • Property owner information

    • Property tax details and roll number

    • Mortgage information and lender consent (if required)

    • Confirmation that your taxes are up to date and you’re in good financial standing

This step confirms that you and your property meet the basic CEIP rules before you spend money on designs and evaluations.

Step 3: EnerGuide Home Evaluation

Once you’re pre-qualified, you book an EnerGuide home evaluation with a licensed energy advisor (by filling out our form we can connect you with a local licensed installer)

  • The advisor audits your home and issues an EnerGuide label/report.

  • This report helps you decide which upgrades (solar, insulation, windows, etc.) give the best bang for your buck.

  • You’ll need both a pre- and post-project EnerGuide evaluation as part of CEIP.

You pay for the EnerGuide evaluation up front; in many municipalities, that cost can be rolled into CEIP financing once your project is approved.

Step 4: System Design & Quotes (This Is the Heavy Lifting)

Before you can submit a full CEIP project application, you need a properly designed project:

  1. Choose a CEIP-Qualified Contractor from the official directory – only these companies can work on CEIP-financed jobs. ceip.abmunis.ca+1

  2. Work with your contractor to:

    • Size the solar system based on your usage & roof

    • Confirm equipment specs

    • Check structural and electrical feasibility

  3. Get at least one detailed quote.

By this point you should have:

  • EnerGuide report

  • Full solar design (layout, size, production estimate)

  • Itemized quote from a CEIP-Qualified Contractor

This is the part most homeowners underestimate – it’s not a quick online form; it’s a full project design plus paperwork that has to meet CEIP rules.

Step 5: Project Application

With your design and EnerGuide report in hand, you complete the Project Application:

You’ll submit:

  • Project Application Form for your municipality

  • EnerGuide pre-project report

  • Contractor quote(s)

  • Any required supporting documents (tax notice, mortgage lender consent, condo board letter if applicable, etc.)

Alberta Municipalities reviews your file for:

  • Eligibility

  • Projected energy savings

  • Compliance with CEIP rules and upgrade lists

If approved, they issue you a conditional approval and next steps.

Step 6: Program Agreements

When your project is approved, you’ll sign:

  • Clean Energy Improvement Agreement

  • Project Agreement with Alberta Municipalities/your municipality ceip.abmunis.ca+1

These agreements spell out:

  • Final financed amount

  • Interest rate and term

  • Repayment schedule on your property tax bill

  • Program rules and conditions

Step 7: Permits & Installation

Once agreements are signed, your contractor can proceed with:

  • Pulling required electrical and building permits through the municipality

  • Scheduling installation

  • Completing the upgrades according to CEIP rules and your approved design.

You generally don’t pay the contractor directly (beyond any allowed deposit). CEIP pays them after project completion and paperwork.

Step 8: Post-Project Evaluation & Repayment

To close out the project:

  1. Your advisor completes a post-project EnerGuide evaluation.

  2. Your contractor and you submit Upgrade Completion Forms plus final documentation. ceip.abmunis.ca+1

  3. Alberta Municipalities pays your contractor once everything is approved.

  4. The financed amount is added as a line item on your property tax bill, and you repay it over the agreed term.

Intake Paused / At Capacity (Residential)

These are the municipalities most relevant to “watch for 2026 funding”:

City of Calgary – Paused

Status: Pre-qualification intake is paused after receiving high demand; program is not closed, but not accepting new applications at this time. https://www.calgary.ca+1

Outlook: No official reopening date has been announced. Given CEIP’s ongoing funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the City’s climate goals, future intake rounds are expected, but timing depends on funding and council decisions. greenmunicipalfund.ca+1

City of Grande Prairie (Residential) – Paused

City of Leduc – Paused

City of Spruce Grove – At Capacity / Paused

Status: Program is currently at capacity and not accepting new applications.

Outlook: The City explicitly states the program may re-open sometime in 2026, depending on remaining funding.

Because CEIP is funded in part by the Green Municipal Fund and has expanded from a handful to more than a dozen communities already, it’s reasonable to expect additional funding rounds and new intakes through 2026 and beyond, but exact dates are set municipality-by-municipality and can change quickly.Always check the official CEIP site or your city’s CEIP page for the latest status before applying.

Why Most Homeowners Use a Contractor/Third Party

Technically, you can manage CEIP on your own. In practice, most homeowners find it easier to work with a contractor who:

  • Designs a code-compliant solar system that meets CEIP rules

  • Coordinates the EnerGuide evaluations

  • Prepares the CEIP-compatible quote and documentation

  • Handles permits, inspections, and installation

  • Keeps track of CEIP-specific forms, deadlines, and rules

That’s what we do every day.

Get “CEIP-Ready” Now (Even If Your City Is Paused)

If your city’s CEIP intake is currently paused, you can still do the most important part ahead of time:

  1. Send us a recent power bill (ideally 12 months of usage if you have it).

  2. We’ll size a solar system for your home and provide a detailed design.

  3. We’ll walk you through the CEIP steps for your municipality and help organize the paperwork so you’re ready to go when funding re-opens.

That way, when new CEIP funding or intake opens (especially in places like Calgary, Spruce Grove, Leduc, and Grande Prairie), you’re not starting from scratch—you’re submitting a well-prepared, CEIP-ready project and can move faster than the crowd.

Let Us Apply for the CEIP for You!

Over the next decade, you’ll spend about $30,000 on electricity whether you choose solar or not. The difference? With solar, you’re investing in your own power system instead of endlessly paying your utility company. The CEIP is an amzing program that eats up the upfront cost to go solar. Get ahead of the masses and get the process started today!

Get a Solar Quote & Apply for CEIP Loan

Your home without solar energy

  • $250 average monthly electricity bill
  • 10-Year Cost: $30,000 (assuming no rate increases)
  • Continued dependence on utility companies
  • No long-term savings or added home value

Your home with solar net billing

  • Get MicroGen Credits from Net Billing
  • No upfront cost solar loan (CEIP)
  • Ownership of your power generation system
  • 20+ years of low cost electricity after loan payoff
  • Protection against future rate hikes
  • Energy independence and savings

Maximize your energy savings in three simple steps

Request your free solar savings estimate

An energy consultant will help design the perfect system for your home’s unique energy needs.

Create your personalized solar investment plan

We offer a variety of financing options to make solar more affordable to fit your budget.

Let our expert solar team handle the rest

From incentives applications, installation to activation, our experts are with you every step of the way.

Explore your home’s solar savings potential

Energy costs are expected to keep rising, but yours don’t have to. Take the first step towards energy independence by getting your free, personalized solar savings estimate before it’s too late.

  • Save upwards $45,000 in lifetime electricity costs
  • Protect your monthly finances from energy price increases
  • Eliminate up to 100% of your monthly payment
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The future of the CEIP Loan and net billing solar program is uncertain. Fill out our form today to receive a transparent solar quote that’s personalized to your home and energy costs.

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