Solar Thermal Water Heating Incentives
More than $1,300 in provincial and federal incentives is available to homeowners that install a solar water heater.
Homes must undergo a residential energy efficiency assessment by a licensed
energy auditor to be eligible for grants.
Ontario currently offers $150 toward the cost of a home energy audit.
The auditor completes the paperwork to apply for the grants and submits it on behalf of the homeowner.
For installations recommended by the audit, homeowners can receive up
to $5,000 in grants from the Province, which match federal grants. In the case of a solar water heater, Ontario offers a grant
of $500, which matches the $500 federal grant.
The Province also provides a rebate of the provincial sales tax on qualifying
solar (and other renewable) energy systems.
Ontario’s program is based on eligibility for the federal ecoENERGY
Retrofit program managed by Natural Resources Canada. To find out more about the ecoENERGY Retrofit program, including incentives,
qualified energy auditors, and how to apply, visit the Natural Resources Canada Web site.
To review a list of Frequently Asked Questions about home energy
retrofits and incentives, visit the Ministry of Energy Web site.
If you have had an energy audit of your home in the past, through the
EnerGuide program or other, you need to have another audit to qualify for this incentive, and all incentives associated with
the new ecoENERGY Retrofit program.
Total estimated costs and rebates of over $1,300 are summarized below.
| Estimated Costs |
| |
Solar water heater: $5,000 - $6,000 |
| Home energy audit: $300 |
| Building permit: varies by municipality |
| Rebates |
| |
Ontario home energy audit rebate: $150 (Ontario pays 50 per cent of cost, up to $150) |
| Ontario PST rebate: $170 - $204 |
| Ontario rebate: $500 |
| Federal rebate: $500 |
| Total rebates: $1320 to $1354 |
How to Get Money Back
To access the available
provincial and federal incentives, follow these steps:
- Book a Home Energy Retrofit audit. A list of approved auditors is available
at the Natural Resources Canada Web site. The Ontario government will automatically
reimburse you for 50% of the cost, up to $150, following your audit.
- Select and install your solar water heater. The Ontario Government has extended
the retail sales tax rebate on qualifying solar equipment, saving you approximately $200.
- Complete your verification audit. The auditor completes your application
to receive your federal and provincial grants.
For more details, visit the Ontario Ministry of Energy Web site.
Energy and Greenhouse Gas Savings
A typical
family of four will also save approximately 2700 kWh or $325 per year by supplementing their electric water heater
with a solar water heater. If the solar water heater is supplementing a gas water heater, the savings would be $200 per year.
Annual estimated GHG reductions would be 600 kg if supplementing
an electric water heater, or 760 kg if supplementing a gas water heater.
Solar Photovoltaic System Incentives
Sales Tax Rebate
The Ontario Government
has extended the rebate on the provincial sales tax for PV systems.
The Ontario Power Authority’s Standard Offer
Program
The Ontario Power Authority’s Standard Offer Program offers generators of PV electricity that
are connected to Ontario’s distribution system 42 cents per kilowatt hour – more than three times the offered
price for other renewable technologies. There are costs and fees associated with connecting your system to the grid. This
is more suitable to larger systems. Contact your local electrical distribution company for details.
Net Metering
Residents who install smaller
micro-generation PV systems who do not wish to participate in the Standard Offer Program can choose to use the electricity
generated for their own consumption. Ontario's net metering regulation allows you to send electricity generated from renewable
sources to the electrical grid for a credit toward your energy costs. Your utility will subtract the value of electricity
you supply to the grid from the value of what you take from the grid. What you'll see on your bill is the "net" difference
between those two amounts. If you supply power that is worth more than what you take from the grid over the billing period,
you'll receive a credit that can help lower future energy bills.
For more details, visit the Ontario Ministry of Energy Web site.
