Both need a permit
An EV charger and a solar system are both permanent electrical installations, so both need an electrical permit under the Alberta Safety Codes Act. In Edmonton that permit comes from the City; elsewhere from your local accredited municipality or an accredited agency.
The Canadian Electrical Code has dedicated sections for both: Section 86 for electric vehicle charging systems and Section 64 for renewable energy systems such as solar. Your electrician designs to the edition in force in Alberta and any Alberta STANDATA that applies.
Solar adds another layer, because it connects generation to the grid. That brings in your wire owner (EPCOR in Edmonton, or the local distribution company elsewhere) and Alberta's Micro-generation Regulation.
EV chargers: capacity comes first
A Level 2 charger is one of the largest continuous loads in a house. Before the permit, your electrician will do a load calculation to see whether your service can carry it.
- It fits. A dedicated circuit is run from the panel to the charger location.
- It does not fit. Options include a service upgrade or an EV energy management system, which the code recognizes as a way to share capacity safely.
- Condos and townhouses. Common property and the building's electrical capacity are involved, so board approval usually comes before any permit.
Location matters too. Garage installs are simplest. Outdoor chargers in Edmonton need equipment rated for the location and for cold, and a cable route that will not be damaged by snow clearing.
Load management can avoid or delay a service upgrade in many older Edmonton homes with 100 A services. Whether it suits your home depends on your loads and driving habits. See EV load management.
Chargers sold online without a recognized Canadian certification mark may not pass inspection. Check with your electrician before you buy.
Solar: the Micro-generation Regulation
Alberta's Micro-generation Regulation lets homes and businesses generate electricity from renewable or alternative sources, primarily to meet their own needs, and receive credit for what they export to the grid. The rules are overseen by the Alberta Utilities Commission.
In broad terms, a micro-generation system is sized to meet all or part of your own annual energy use, not to run as a power plant. Before connecting, you notify your wire owner through their micro-generation application process, and they confirm the connection and arrange metering.
Size limits, application forms and timelines are set by the regulation, the AUC and your wire owner, and they do change. We confirm the current requirements at the start of every project rather than relying on old numbers.
The usual order of approvals for solar
- Design. Review a year of bills, roof orientation and shading, and size the system to your use.
- Wire owner application. Submit the micro-generation application before installation.
- Permits. The electrical permit is always needed. Some municipalities also require a building permit for roof-mounted arrays; check yours.
- Installation. Modules, racking, inverter, disconnects and labelling.
- Inspection. A Safety Codes Officer inspects the electrical installation.
- Metering and credits. The wire owner installs or programs a bi-directional meter, and your retailer handles export credits.
Solar modules produce voltage whenever light hits them, even with the main breaker off. Never open combiner boxes, inverters or disconnect enclosures. Leave all work to a licensed journeyperson electrician.
Batteries and backup
Adding battery storage brings its own requirements for location, ventilation, separation and disconnects, and it may also need a building permit. If you want the system to keep running during an outage, it needs equipment that safely isolates your home from the grid, so it cannot back-feed utility lines.
Businesses follow the same principles at a larger scale. Commercial solar and fleet charging projects often need engineered drawings, utility studies and more detailed plan review, so start the approvals conversation as early as the design.
Thinking about a generator instead? Our transfer switches page covers the safe way to connect one.
How we handle it
For home EV chargers and residential solar, Alberta Electrical does the load calculation, pulls the electrical permit, coordinates with your wire owner on solar applications and books the inspections. You can follow every step through our online job reporting.
Planning both? Do the load calculation once with both in mind. It is easier to plan panel space and conduit for a future charger or array now. Our renovation planning checklist has more on future-proofing.
Common questions
Do I need a permit for a plug-in Level 1 charger?
Plugging a cord set into an existing standard receptacle usually does not need a permit. Adding a new receptacle or circuit for it does.
Can I install solar without telling the utility?
No. A grid-connected system must go through your wire owner's micro-generation process before it is connected. It also needs an electrical permit and inspection.
Will solar panels power my home during an outage?
A standard grid-tied system shuts down during an outage for line worker safety. Backup requires batteries or other equipment designed to isolate your home from the grid.
How big a solar system am I allowed?
Micro-generation systems are generally sized to your own annual consumption. Limits and details are set by the regulation and your wire owner, so confirm them at the design stage.
Codes and permit rules change and every building is different. For work on your system, talk to a licensed electrician and your local permit authority.