Why You Should Verify ESA Certification Before Hiring a Solar Installer in Ontario

Published: April 9, 2026 · By the Solar Calculator Canada editorial team

In Ontario, installing solar panels on a home is electrical work. By provincial law, it can only be performed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) holding a valid ECRA/ESA licence from the Electrical Safety Authority. There is no exception. If a company doesn't hold this licence, they aren't legally allowed to install solar on your roof. Before you sign a contract, verify your installer's licence status for free using the ESA Contractor Locator Tool. As of April 8, 2026, several Ontario solar companies (including Sunly, Polaron, Solify, and Xolar Inc.) did not show valid licences of their own in the ESA database.

Solar is one of the smartest investments an Ontario homeowner can make in 2026. Between the Home Renovation Savings Program offering up to $10,000 in rebates, the federal 30% Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit, and hydro rates that jumped roughly 30% in late 2025, the math works better than it has in years.

But here's something most homeowners don't find out until it's too late: in Ontario, you cannot legally install solar panels without a licence. Not a certificate. Not an endorsement. An actual, active ECRA/ESA electrical contractor licence issued by the Electrical Safety Authority.

Solar work is electrical work. That's not marketing language. It's the legal classification. Installing a grid-tied system means running high-voltage DC wiring, connecting inverters, upgrading your service panel, and tying directly into the grid. Every one of those steps is regulated under the Electricity Act, 1998 and the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. The rule is simple: a company can only perform electrical work on your property if they hold a valid ECRA/ESA licence as a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC). If they don't, the work is illegal, and you're left with a system that can't be legally commissioned, inspected, or connected to the grid.

Here's the catch. Ontario has no rule that forces a company to prove licensing before advertising solar. Any company can build a slick website, run ads, collect deposits, and start knocking on doors without ever showing anyone an ESA licence number. The only way to know if your installer is actually licensed is to check the ESA database yourself. It takes 60 seconds. It's free. And it's the single most valuable thing you can do before signing anything.

This article isn't about naming bad companies. It's about giving you the tools to protect yourself, and being honest about what we found when we actually checked.

For our recent guide to the ESA-certified residential solar installers in Ontario, we ran dozens of Ontario solar companies through the official ESA Contractor Locator Tool. This is the same tool ESA itself recommends homeowners use before hiring any electrical contractor.

What we found was surprising.

A number of companies that market themselves on their websites as "ESA certified," "ESA compliant," or "ESA-licensed" did not show up with valid, active licences in the ESA database. To help Ontario homeowners make informed decisions, we're sharing specific cases where the ESA Contractor Locator Tool returned a non-valid result as of April 8, 2026:

To be fair, these results don't automatically mean any of these companies are doing anything wrong today. An expired licence might be in the middle of renewal. A closed licence could reflect a business that has simply wound down operations. A company that doesn't appear in the ESA database at all may operate under a different legal entity name, or may subcontract their electrical work to a separate Licensed Electrical Contractor who does hold a valid licence. Context matters.

Let's take them one at a time.

Sunly (Sunly Energy). Sunly is a solar integrator based in Eastern Canada with a strong presence in PEI, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, where they've served over 3,500 homeowners. They expanded into Ontario through a franchise model. Their first Ontario franchise is in Hamilton, and their website lists coverage across Brantford, London, Kingston, and the Grey Bruce Huron region. When we searched for "Sunly" and "Sunly Energy" in the ESA Contractor Locator Tool on April 8, 2026, no ECRA/ESA electrical contractor licence was returned under either name. That doesn't automatically mean Sunly is operating unlawfully. Like many solar sales and integration companies, they may be subcontracting the licensed electrical work to a third-party LEC who holds a valid ESA licence. If you're considering Sunly for your Ontario project, ask them directly which Licensed Electrical Contractor will be filing the ESA notification of work on your system, and verify that entity's licence on the ESA Contractor Locator Tool before you sign.

Polaron. Polaron markets itself as Canada's largest residential solar installation company and actively sells solar installations in Ontario. That said, we were unable to locate any ECRA/ESA electrical contractor licence under "Polaron" or "Polaron Solartech" in the ESA database. This may simply mean they subcontract the electrical portion of their installations to a licensed LEC. Homeowners should ask Polaron directly to name the Licensed Electrical Contractor responsible for the electrical work on their project, and verify that contractor independently.

Solify. Solify is the trade name for Axelblac Inc (ECRA/ESA Licence 7017028). When we searched the ESA Contractor Locator Tool on April 8, 2026, the licence returned a status of Expired. An expired licence means the company cannot legally perform electrical work in Ontario until the licence is renewed.

Solify is worth a closer look beyond the ESA database. A 2022 CBC Marketplace hidden-camera investigation documented Axel Hermosa, then a sales manager at Ontario Green Savings, using false claims and scare tactics to push homeowners into overpriced long-term HVAC contracts. Ontario Green Savings and its CEO had already been charged in April 2019 with more than 100 offences under Ontario's Consumer Protection Act for misleading representations and failure to refund, later settled with the province. The shared first name between Axel Hermosa and Axelblac Inc is one more reason to research the individuals behind any solar contractor, not just the trade name, before signing.

Xolar Inc. Xolar Inc. (ECRA/ESA Licence 7016070) returned a status of Closed on the ESA Contractor Locator Tool as of April 8, 2026. A closed licence is more permanent than an expiry. It indicates the contractor is no longer operating as a licensed electrical contractor in Ontario.

So what does all this mean for you as a homeowner? Here's the blunt version: if a company's own ECRA/ESA licence is expired, closed, shows as unlicenced, or isn't in the ESA database at all, they cannot directly file an ESA notification of work, coordinate your ESA inspection, or issue a Certificate of Acceptance under their own credentials. You need to know who is actually doing the licensed electrical work on your home, and you need to verify that person or company independently.

Don't take a marketing claim at face value. Verify. The ESA Contractor Locator Tool is free, public, and takes 60 seconds.

When you search the ESA Contractor Locator Tool, the result will show one of several licence statuses. Here's what each one tells you as a homeowner.

Valid. The company holds an active, current ECRA/ESA electrical contractor licence. They are legally authorized to perform electrical work in Ontario, including solar panel installation. This is the only status you should accept.

Expired. The company previously held a valid licence, but it hasn't been renewed. While the licence is expired, the company cannot legally perform electrical work in Ontario. Any solar installation they complete during that window is unlicensed work. That means no ESA notification of work, no ESA inspection, no Certificate of Acceptance, and real consequences for your home insurance and utility interconnection.

Closed. The licence has been permanently terminated. It's more definitive than an expiry, and it indicates the company is no longer operating as a licensed electrical contractor. A company with a closed licence cannot legally install solar in Ontario.

Suspended. The licence has been temporarily suspended by ESA, typically due to a compliance issue. The company cannot perform electrical work while the suspension is in effect.

Unlicenced. The company appears in the ESA database but does not hold a valid ECRA/ESA electrical contractor licence. The entity is known to ESA, but is not authorized to perform electrical work in Ontario under its own credentials.

No contractors found. The company doesn't appear in the ESA database at all. That means either they never held an ECRA/ESA electrical contractor licence, or they're registered under a completely different legal entity name that you'd have no way of knowing without asking them directly.

This part matters, so we'll be direct.

Under the Electricity Act, 1998 and the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, installing solar panels on a home is legally classified as electrical work. And electrical work on property in Ontario can only be performed by a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) holding a valid ECRA/ESA licence. That's the full rule. No homeowner loophole. No "authorized dealer" workaround. No "certified installer" substitute that replaces the licence. A company is either licensed by ESA as an LEC, or it isn't.

If a company isn't licensed, here's what they cannot legally do on your property:

• File an ESA notification of work (the permit that every grid-tied solar install requires)
• Coordinate the ESA inspection your utility needs before approving interconnection
• Issue a Certificate of Acceptance (the document your insurance and rebate administrator will ask for)
• Perform the high-voltage DC wiring, inverter hookup, or service-panel tie-in

The licensing requirement isn't a nice-to-have. It's the line between a legal installation and one that may never pass inspection, never qualify for HRSP rebates, and never be recognized by your home insurance provider.

Ontario's solar industry has a low barrier to entry for marketing and sales. A company can build a professional website, run Google Ads for "solar installation Ontario," collect deposits, and start knocking on doors without ever proving they hold a licence. There's no provincial rule that forces a company to show its ECRA/ESA number before advertising solar services. The licensing requirement applies to the actual electrical work, not the marketing of it.

That creates a gap. Homeowners naturally assume a professional-looking company with strong reviews and competitive pricing must be licensed. A lot of the time, they are. But not always. And the only way to know is to check the ESA database yourself.

Here's what's at stake when your installer doesn't hold a valid ESA licence:

Your system can't be legally commissioned. Every grid-connected solar system in Ontario requires an ESA inspection before your local utility (Toronto Hydro, Hydro One, Alectra, and the others) will approve interconnection. Without a valid LEC filing the ESA notification of work, there is no inspection. Without the inspection, there is no grid connection. Your panels sit on the roof generating nothing.

Your home insurance could be affected. Insurance providers expect electrical work to be performed by licensed contractors and inspected by ESA. If something happens (a fire, an electrical fault, property damage) and the work was done by an unlicensed contractor without a Certificate of Acceptance, your claim can get complicated fast. In some cases, it gets denied.

Your HRSP rebate application will stall. The Home Renovation Savings Program requires ESA inspection approval as part of the post-installation documentation. If your installer can't file the ESA notification because they don't hold a valid licence, the inspection can't happen. And without the inspection, your rebate sits in limbo.

You lose your recourse. ESA maintains oversight of licensed contractors. If your LEC does substandard work, you can file a complaint with ESA and they'll investigate. With an unlicensed contractor, ESA has no jurisdiction. Your only options become civil court or a Consumer Protection complaint, and neither is fast or cheap.

The work itself may be unsafe. ESA's own data shows that unlicensed electrical work is up to four times more likely to be faulty than work performed by licensed contractors. Solar involves high-voltage DC wiring, inverter connections, panel service upgrades, and grid interconnection. Every one of those carries genuine safety risk when done by someone who isn't trained, certified, or accountable.

There's a bigger pattern Ontario homeowners should be paying attention to. Between 2024 and 2025, more than 100 solar companies across North America filed for bankruptcy, shut down, or simply stopped operating. The list includes names you probably know: SunPower, Titan Solar Power, Sunnova, Solar Mosaic. Most of those were U.S.-based, but the forces behind the closures (rising interest rates, financing headwinds, aggressive competition) don't stop at the border. Canadian installers are subject to the same pressures.

When a solar company goes under, homeowners are often left holding systems with no workmanship warranty, no monitoring support, no service relationship, and in some cases, incomplete installations that can't pass inspection. The equipment warranties (panels, inverters, batteries) are backed by the manufacturer and usually survive the installer. But the labour warranty and the ongoing service relationship? Those walk out the door with the company.

This is where ESA certification becomes your safety net. When your system is installed by a valid LEC and passes ESA inspection, you receive a Certificate of Acceptance. That's a permanent government record confirming the electrical work meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. If your installer closes their doors five years from now, the certificate doesn't disappear with them. Any other ESA-licensed contractor can service your system, because it was installed to code and documented in ESA's records.

Without that certificate, a future service contractor is essentially walking into a system with no verified history. They may require a full inspection or remediation before they'll touch it. This is exactly the situation where ESA-licensed installers who offer system audits and remediations become essential. They bring non-compliant or undocumented installations back up to current Ontario Electrical Safety Code standards, so a system left behind by a closed contractor can still get its Certificate of Acceptance.

Before you sign a contract or hand over a deposit, take 60 seconds and verify the company's ESA licence yourself. Here's exactly how.

Step 1: Visit the ESA Contractor Locator Tool.

Step 2: Toggle the search mode to "Contractor" (not Location).

Step 3: Enter the company name in the "Contractor Name" field.

Step 4: Click Search.

Step 5: Read the result. You're looking for three things: the company name, a 7-digit licence number starting with 7, and the word "Valid" beside it.

If the result shows anything other than Valid (Expired, Closed, Suspended, Unlicenced, or No contractors found), don't proceed until you've clarified the situation directly with ESA. Call 1-877-ESA-SAFE (372-7233) and press option 3 for Contractor Licensing.

One more thing worth knowing. Some companies operate under a legal entity name that differs from their trade name. A company called "ABC Solar" might actually be registered with ESA under "1234567 Ontario Inc." If your first search turns up nothing, ask the company directly for their 7-digit ECRA/ESA licence number, and search by that number instead. A legitimate LEC will give it to you without hesitation. Ontario law requires the number to appear on their vehicles, their estimates, their business cards, and their website.

Sometimes you don't need to check the database to spot a problem. These are the warning signs that show up in the sales conversation itself.

They can't produce their ECRA/ESA licence number on the spot. Licensed contractors are required to display this 7-digit number on every estimate, business card, vehicle, and website. If a company hesitates, deflects, or says they'll "get back to you," treat it as a red flag.

They ask you to file the ESA notification of work in your name. This one is a big deal. Only the Licensed Electrical Contractor performing the work should file the ESA notification. If they're asking you to do it, there's a good chance they don't hold a valid licence.

They call themselves "ESA compliant" instead of "ESA licensed." Those two words sound similar, and they're not the same thing. Compliance may mean they follow safety codes in their work. A licence means they're legally authorized to do the work. Only the licence lets them install solar in Ontario.

They subcontract the electrical work but can't name the LEC. Some solar companies work as project managers and hand the electrical installation off to a third-party LEC. That's legal. But you should know exactly who that LEC is, verify their licence yourself, and confirm that they (not the project manager) will be filing the ESA notification and handing you the Certificate of Acceptance.

Their pricing is dramatically lower than every other quote. Licensed contractors carry $2M+ in insurance, WSIB coverage, and pay Master Electricians. That costs money. A quote that's significantly cheaper than the rest of the market is worth asking hard questions about, because one way to hit an unusually low price is to skip the licensing costs entirely.

They push you to sign before you've had a chance to verify anything. Legitimate installers encourage you to take your time and check their credentials. Companies that create artificial urgency around rebate deadlines or limited-time pricing usually don't want you looking too closely.

Already paid a deposit, or even started the project, without checking the ESA licence? Don't panic. Here's what to do, in order.

Check their licence status right now using the steps in the section above. If it comes back Valid, you're in good shape. Write down the licence number and keep it with your project records.

If the licence shows as expired, closed, unlicenced, or not found, don't jump to conclusions. Contact the company and ask directly for their ECRA/ESA number. There may be a legitimate explanation (the company operates under a different legal entity name, or their licence renewal is in progress). Ask for proof of the active licence and verify it again before any further work continues on your home.

If the company can't produce a valid licence, stop work immediately and document everything. Save your contracts, deposit receipts, photos of any work completed, emails, and text messages. File a complaint with ESA through their anonymous reporting tool or by calling 1-877-ESA-SAFE. You should also contact the Ontario Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery to file a consumer protection complaint.

If work has already been completed without an ESA inspection, you need an ESA-licensed solar contractor to perform a system audit. They'll assess whether the installation meets the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, document what they find, and if anything needs fixing, they'll bring it back into compliance so you can finally get the Certificate of Acceptance you need for insurance, utility interconnection, and your rebate application. Our guide to ESA-certified residential installers in Ontario lists installers who specifically offer these audit and remediation services for non-compliant existing systems.

Here is the rule, one more time, in plain language. In Ontario, you can't legally install solar on a home without an ECRA/ESA licence. It's the law. It applies to every solar company, every project, every roof in the province. The licence isn't optional, it isn't a badge of quality, it's the minimum legal requirement to touch the electrical portion of your system.

Ontario's solar market is full of qualified, honest installers doing excellent work, and the majority operate with valid ESA licences and a genuine commitment to code-compliant installations. But the minority that don't, whether through expired licences, closed credentials, or absence from the ESA database entirely, create real risks for homeowners who don't know to check.

The ESA Contractor Locator Tool exists specifically to help you verify before you sign. It takes 60 seconds. It costs nothing. And it is the single most effective thing you can do to protect your home, your investment, and your family's safety.

Go solar in Ontario. It's a great decision. Just make sure the company on your roof is legally allowed to be there.