Questions inspectors settle
Everything contractors ask before they order — including the ones where the honest answer costs us the “code requires it” sales line.
Does the Canadian Electrical Code require lamacoid labels on a solar install?
No — not by name. ESA Bulletin 64-5-4 Q7/A7 says labels must withstand the elements and be permanent and legible, and gives lamacoid, engraved metal plate, or equivalent as examples. Lamacoid is an accepted example, not a mandate. Manitoba Hydro is the one utility that names the product outright: its Informative Bulletin 64-0 states that all solar photovoltaic labels are required to be engraved lamacoids, red background with white lettering.
How many labels does a residential solar install actually need?
A grid-tied Ontario house with microinverters and no storage typically needs about 15 distinct labels across 22 pieces — roughly 228 square inches. A string inverter with battery storage takes that to about 26 labels across 38 pieces. Four plates is not a code-complete install.
What colour do solar labels have to be in Canada?
CEC Rule 64-200 specifies white lettering on a red background for the photovoltaic warning sign, with a minimum capital height of 9.5 mm. That is the only Section 64 rule that fixes both a colour and a letter height. Utility standards override it in places: BC Hydro fixes its DG System Disconnect identifiers at black on white, and Toronto Hydro wants meter plates white on black.
How much does a Canadian solar label kit cost?
Engraved labels are priced at $1.14 per square inch. A typical Ontario residential microinverter kit works out to $259.92. A string inverter job with battery storage is about $405.84, and a commercial rooftop about $679.44.
How fast can I get solar labels?
One to three business days from approved artwork, shipping Canada-wide from Burlington, Ontario. No minimum order and no account required.
How big do the letters have to be on a solar warning label?
CEC Rule 64-200 sets a minimum capital height of 9.5 mm for the photovoltaic warning sign. ESA Bulletin 64-5-4 Q7/A7 confirms there is no general letter-size specification for the other Section 64 labels — they only have to be permanent and legible. We measure the engraved result rather than trusting a point size: where a rule mandates a height, the label is promoted to a larger plate until it complies.
Why is the kit different for microinverters?
Because the DC circuit disappears. A string or central inverter means there is an accessible DC circuit, so you need the 64-200(1) DC disconnect ratings plate — a 6 by 8 inch, the most expensive single tag in the kit — plus the ungrounded-conductor warnings, and above 750 Vdc a DANGER plate on every enclosure carrying those circuits. Microinverters or AC modules remove all of that and add one AC-module system ratings plate. Same house, same array: roughly 228 sq-in versus 356.
Do BC Hydro solar labels have to be red?
No — the opposite. BC Hydro fixes its DG System Disconnect identifiers at black lettering on white, 3.5 by 1 inch, under DGTIR-100. A red and white tag fails in BC Hydro territory. The CEC base tags stay white on red, so a British Columbia kit is cut on two different core stocks.
Are Quebec solar labels different?
Yes, in two ways. Hydro-Québec E.12-01 labels are in French, and several of them are grommeted hang tags in black on white — lockout tags under CSA Z462 — rather than engraved plates. Read the installation location before cutting phenolic. E.12-05 and E.12-06 were withdrawn into E.12-01 Annexe E on 2025-11-17.
Can you do the whole job cheaper?
Only honestly, and only so far. On an Ontario micro job the minimum tier takes $259.92 down to $205.20, and to $155.04 where metering is co-located with the service equipment, using consolidations the rule text permits. Below that the lever is the rate, not the label count — you cannot shrink 14 required labels into a $59 kit at a custom engraving rate.
Do you ship outside Ontario?
Yes — Canada-wide from Burlington, Ontario. The catalogue covers every province and territory, including the BC Hydro black-on-white rows and the French Hydro-Québec set.
Is there a minimum order?
No. No minimum, no setup fee and no account required. A single 4 by 1 inch disconnect tag is a $4.56 order and it still gets cut.
What material are the labels?
Two-ply engraved phenolic — commonly called lamacoid. A coloured cap layer over a contrasting core; the engraver cuts through the cap so the legend is the material underneath. There is no ink or adhesive layer to fade, curl or wash off, which is why it survives on a south-facing wall.