Power outages in Ontario are becoming a more frequent and consequential issue. Since 2019, the frequency of outages across the country has trended upwards. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) tracks reliability metrics and notes that both the frequency and duration of outages remain important indicators of system resilience.
Outage maps indicate that northern regions, rural, forest-bordered, and tree-lined distribution corridors tend to face longer restoration times.
A recent example: In March 2025, a severe ice storm knocked out power to over 350,000 customers across parts of Ontario, including regions such as Barrie and Orillia.
Preparing for Outages: What Homes & Businesses are Doing — and the Role of Battery Storage
Because outages are becoming more of a real operational risk, many homes and businesses are stepping up their preparedness efforts. Some common strategies include installing back up generators and creating continuity plans.
However a more recently heralded solution can be found in the form of battery storage systems (BESS). With incentives and price drops, a growing number of homeowners and businesses across Ontario are welcoming batteries onto their property. Here’s why:
- Automatic supply during an outage: Unlike a manual generator startup, a battery system can switch to backup mode almost instantly.
- Integration with solar or DERs: Homes or businesses that combine solar generation with battery storage can continue operating even when the grid is down — and reduce grid demand in normal times.
- Reduced downtime and cost impacts: For businesses especially, the cost of being offline (lost production, data centre risk, spoilage) can outweigh the investment in resilience.
- Incentive alignment: In Ontario, the province’s new rebate programs support this transition. For example, under the Home Renovation Savings Program homeowners can receive up to $5,000 for a battery-storage system (when paired with new solar) and up to $10,000 total for solar + storage. We also have an in-house battery incentive of up to $48,000 that works with the SaveOnEnergy solar commercial rebate.
At Polaron, our mission is to create a micro-generation future by giving homes and businesses the opportunity to own reliable energy generation systems at home. Keep your important appliances running and your lights on during the next power outage by signing up for a free battery quote now.
