More incentives for solar installations

The Central Okanagan’s Solar Steering Committee partnership wants everyone to learn more about a hot new financing option for solar hot water installations. SolarBC has announced a special $1,000 point-of-sale grant for solar hot water systems, on top of its existing $1,000 grant. The special grant is only available until March 31.

The Central Okanagan’s Solar Steering Committee partnership wants everyone to learn more about a hot new financing option for solar hot water installations.

SolarBC has announced a special $1,000 point-of-sale grant for solar hot water systems, on top of its existing $1,000 grant. The special grant is only available until March 31.

Along with this $2,000 in grants to homeowners, an additional $1,250 is available through the federal ecoEnergy program, plus another $300 from FortisBC for customers with electrically heated hot water. Together, these rebates reduce the cost of a solar-powered system by about half.

SolarBC also offers a zero-interest loan program through its partnership with the TD Bank.

The Solar Steering Committee consists of the City of Kelowna, FortisBC, Terasen Gas and the Okanagan Environmental Industry Alliance. The 50th solar hot water system was recently installed in Kelowna, bringing the number to 70 for the Central Okanagan – accounting for 40 per cent of all new systems in the province in the past year.

Heating hot water accounts for about 30 per cent of the energy used in a typical B.C. household. A solar hot water system can provide up to half of that energy (and all of it during the summer months), cutting energy costs by about $300 per year.

Thermal panels can be mounted on a roof, a wall facing the sun or on the ground to collect the sun’s rays to heat homes, businesses, domestic water or outdoor pools.

Kelowna enjoys one of the driest and mildest climates in Canada — on average, more than 2,000 hours of sunshine every year — making solar heating a practical option. Kelowna was awarded the Solar Community of the Year award from SolarBC in 2008.

The City of Kelowna has several solar projects underway, including solar-powered street lights, solar-powered parking kiosks and solar-powered pedestrian signals. It will also soon retrofit the Athans Aquatic Centre with solar hot water panels.