AS TEMPERATURE DROP INSTALLS ARE ON THE RISE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VANCOUVER B.C., October 20, 2009 — We’ve now seen well over 100 solar hot water systems installed in residential homes throughout BC, and with several systems currently being installed each week it’s never been more apparent that solar hot water is growing, along with the number of exceptional SolarBC installers. Happy participants are providing excellent feedback:

"We purchased an EnerWorks solar hot water heater from Elk Valley Sustainability. They were fantastic to work with. The installation went very well and we are enjoying the savings! Would recommend EVS anytime."
-Esther, Cranbrook BC

Excellent experience throughout. Roger was prompt with his quote and showing us what it entailed. Susan was great with getting our rebates and helping us complete the forms. The installer, Richard, who did the pipes etc. was so neat and left everything in pristine condition. All the pipes are properly secured. The demonstration was easy and I don't have much to do. Roger will come by annually to check levels and if anything goes wrong I have no doubt he will come back promptly.
I can recommend Solar BC without hesitation.
-Shane Jamieson, Kelowna BC

Even as we head into our fall and winter season people are acting now to take advantage of the savings currently available.

Time is running out to take advantage of the Provincial Sales Tax Exemption and the Home Renovation Tax Credit. Currently, through the Home Reno Tax Credit who pay between $1,000 and $10,000 to renovate their homes will receive a 15 per cent income tax credit, up to $1,350. Homeowners are credited after the first $1,000 of money spent, which means a person who spends $10,000 renovating a house will receive a 15 per cent tax credit on $9,000 (equaling $1,350). All expenses incurred for the renovations, including payments for the proper permits, are eligible for the tax credit.

The Provincial Sales Tax Exemption will change in July 2010, when the new Harmonized Sales Tax will replace the PST and GST with one tax of 12 %. Currently, homeowners are paying 5 % GST and 0 % PST on the cost of a solar hot water system.

For more information on solar hot water costs and incentives visit Incentives & Costs.

Even with our beautiful fall weather, we can’t avoid the rainy season for much longer – but that doesn’t mean the upcoming months aren’t solar hot water friendly. Direct sunlight is not the only factor in accessing solar heat for hot water. The supply of solar energy comes from light generated by the sun, rather than from direct sunlight, so even cloudy days will contribute solar energy towards providing up to 60% of your annual hot water needs. On a sunny day in the middle of winter you'd be amazed how hot you can heat your water. Read about the solar hot water system on the Quesnel Recreation Centre, for more information.

Our province actually gets quite a lot of sunshine, with most people in BC enjoying an average of 2,000 hours of sunshine per year, according to the Environment Canada Climate Weather Office.

• In Northern regions of BC such as Bella Coola, the sun shines for around 1,500 hours a year.
• Folks in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek bask in almost 2,200 sunshine hours.
• In Southern regions such as Victoria and Vancouver the sunshine provides roughly 2,100 hours per year.
• In Vancouver, the solar potential is only slightly less than that of Miami, Florida. While Miami shows greater consistency of solar potential from month to month, Vancouver has greater seasonal extremes. Taken across a whole year Vancouver’s annual daily average solar energy production is only eight percent less than Miami.

We encourage all homeowners who have installed solar hot water to share your experience with us and Rate Your Installer. Currently you can view the list of 20 Registered Installers and read ratings from customers. For more information you can also call SolarBC directly at: 1-866-650-6527.

For more information on this or other SolarBC communities and programs, call the toll free hotline: 1-866-650-8126, email info@solarbc.ca