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Incentives Bring Sun-Warmed Water to Dawson Creek Homes

Many people in British Columbia flock south to splash in sun-warmed waters off the coast of Mexico.

But dozens in Dawson Creek will be able to stay home and still enjoy sun-warmed waters.

No less adventurous, these farsighted homeowners will be among the first in the province to install solar hot-water systems on their rooftops and, in doing so, earn cash incentives from Natural Resources Canada.

"Solar hot water systems make use of simple, proven technologies to harness the sun's energy and can save the average household an estimated $300 on energy costs per year," says Jeff Knapp, Senior Market Development Officer for the department's Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative (REDI).

The rebate program, called SolarBC, was launched in Dawson Creek, Victoria and Vancouver as a pilot project to demonstrate that the technology works and is reliable and affordable.

With support from Natural Resources Canada's REDI program and the British Columbia government, SolarBC has been able to provide 50 homeowners with $900 each toward the purchase and installation costs of a qualifying solar domestic hot water system.

SolarBC is led by the BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA) and supported by - in addition to Natural Resources Canada - the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, VanCity Credit Union, Western Economic Diversification Canada, BC Hydro and the provincial ministries of Environment; and Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources as well as the City of Dawson Creek and the City of Vancouver.

The success of this federal, provincial, municipal and industry partnership has already been recognized nationally with a prestigious accolade from the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CANSIA).

At its recent annual conference in Ottawa, CANSIA highlighted to delegates the importance of the multi-level collaboration and, in particular, the role of the BC Sustainable Energy Association in promoting solar energy, naming it 2005 Solar Advocate of the Year.

SolarBC Project leader Nitya Harris was at the conference to receive the honour.

"Our goal now is to see 100,000 systems installed on BC rooftops by 2025," she says.

More about REDI at nrcan.gc.ca/redi and SolarBC at SolarBC.org