News
Tap into Savings - Tap into the Future - Tap into
the Sun!
Solar hot water project offers generous incentives
Dawson Creek, BC-Relief from the high cost of energy
is on everyone's minds these days. A solar energy program launched
in Dawson Creek this week offers local residents a chance save
up to 50% on their annual hot water heating costs.
SolarBC, an initiative of the BC Sustainable Energy
Association, launched a two-year pilot project on Thursday, September
22. The project offers financial incentives for the installation
of solar thermal systems for residential hot water.
"Household hot water is the second most expensive
energy cost in most homes," said Dawson Creek mayor Wayne Dahlen. "SolarBC's
project means energy and cost savings for Dawson Creek residents.
The benefits of clean, renewable, solar energy are clear."
Roof-mounted solar collectors capture the sun's
energy and transfer heat to water, reducing the use of conventional
energy, such as natural gas or electricity. Energy-savvy homeowners
will be further rewarded by taking advantage of up to $900 in government
subsidies.
The project will be a boon for local plumbing and
energy system contractors who will be trained by suppliers to install
these systems. The program will be offered in other selected BC
communities throughout the fall and winter. Dawson Creek residents
will be the first to tap into savings and tap into the future,
by tapping into the sun.
"Our project will help overcome the barriers to
wider adoption of solar hot water systems across BC by increasing
public awareness and providing financial incentives," said Nitya
Harris, SolarBC project leader. "Sustainable energy solutions
are the way of the future, and that future is here now."
Solar Hot Water Project Offers Generous Incentives
Relief from the high cost of energy is on everyone’s minds
these days. On September 22, 2005, SolarBC launched a two-year
pilot project in Dawson Creek that offers local residents a
chance to save up to 50% on their annual hot water heating costs.
The
program will be expanded to include Vancouver and Victoria
by the end of 2005.
SolarBC is an initiative of the BC Sustainable Energy Association.
The project offers financial incentives for the installation
of solar thermal systems for residential hot water. Roof-mounted
solar
collectors capture the sun’s energy and transfer heat
to water, reducing the use of conventional energy, such as
natural
gas or electricity. Energy-savvy homeowners will be further
rewarded by taking advantage of up to $900 in government subsidies.
The
project will help overcome the barriers to wider adoption of
solar hot water systems across BC by increasing public awareness
and
providing financial incentives. Sustainable energy solutions
are the way of the future, and that future is here now.
The project will also be a boon for local plumbing and energy
system contractors who will be trained by suppliers to install
these systems.
Solar Summit 2006
BCSEA is planning to host the BC Solar Summit to be held in
Vancouver from March 31 – April 2, 2006. The summit will
promote solar hot water heating. The summit will also travel
to Victoria and
Dawson Creek, although the Homeowners Workshop (coordinated
by CANSIA) will be held in Vancouver only.
This event will happen on the weekend following Globe 2006, and
will be a combination of a one-day homeowners workshop, a guided
tour of different existing solar hot water installations, presentations
from experts on solar water heating uptake in other regions (Europe,
California), and a decision makers' seminar on policy. The event
will help home and business owners learn how to implement solar
hot water systems and will link interested customers with installers
and equipment distributors.
Schedule Now Posted!
New homes in Northern Ireland
must have solar panels
By Robin Morton
Belfast Telegraph, 24 July 2006
Solar roof panels are to become compulsory on all new houses
in Northern Ireland from April 2008, the Secretary of State announced
today.
Peter Hain - who disclosed that he had cut his own energy bill
in half by installing panels on his home in Wales - said he was
committed to "green energy".
Mr Hain announced the proposed change to building regulations
in Northern Ireland as he launched an £8m renewable energy
household programme.
The grant aid, part of the Government's £59m renewable energy
fund, will help 4,000 householders to install renewable energy
systems in their homes.
The change to building regulations will make the use of solar
panels obligatory in all new homes, office blocks and public sector
buildings.
Solar panels heat water while solar photo-voltaic (PV) panels,
such as those used by Mr Hain, generate electricity.
Another form of so-called "micro-generation" is the
use of a domestic-sized wind turbine designed for houses.
Mr Hain said 100% grant assistance was being made available to
install solar hot water systems in private-sector fuel-poor households.
In the public sector, the Housing Executive is to install solar
water-heating panels in 600 of its 90,000 properties.
Mr Hain said: "Northern Ireland is leading the rest of the
UK in renewable energy and the household programme is another important
milestone.
"I am fully committed to the use of renewable energy and
know how effective it can be. In my home in Wales, I have installed
PV panels on my roof and this has resulted in my energy bill being
halved."
The Secretary of State announced the new initiative during a visit
to Comber during which he inspected a house which has benefited
from renewable energy measures.
He said the aim was to reduce electricity, oil and gas usage by
persuading householders to switch to renewable energy.
The Government's target is to generate 12% of electricity in Northern
Ireland from indigenous renewable sources by 2012.
But there is some way to go. In 2005/06 5.8% of consumption was
from renewables with just 3% of that coming from indigenous sources.
Indigenous wind power capacity in Northern Ireland now stands
at 106 megawatts (MW) against a maximum demand for electricity
of 1,700MW per day.
Meanwhile, a Government- backed experimental £8.5m tidal
energy scheme, which was approved last December, is expected to
be up and running in Strangford Lough this autumn. |
