If you are thinking about solar PV panels or a rooftop wind turbine for your home, Ontario’s microFIT Program provides a streamlined way for you to connect and receive payment for the electricity you produce and send to the province’s electricity distribution system (i.e., "the grid").

Projects eligible for the microFIT Program will receive a long-term contract for the payment of electricity produced from the renewable energy project, and a fixed price for the full term of the contract. Solar panels will receive 80.2 cents for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) sold to the grid, while wind turbines receive 13.5 cents for every kWh sold to the grid.

For more information, visit the London Hydro and the Ontario Power Authority websites
 

ecoENERGY Retrofit and Ontario Home Energy Retrofit Program Incentives

On Natural Resources Canada's ecoENERGY Retrofit website, you will find a list of improvements covered under ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes and the corresponding grant amounts. Under the Ontario Home Energy Retrofit Program, these grants are matched dollar for dollar. The maximum grant you can receive for a home or rental property is $10,000. Property owners of multiple residential buildings are eligible for up to $500,000 over the life of the program ending March 31, 2011. The list includes around 30 different actions under the following categories:

•  Upgrading your heating system with high-efficiency furnaces, boilers, air-             sourced heat pumps, ground- or water-sourced heat pumps, and/or certified    clean-burning wood stoves or fireplaces;

•  Installing a heat recovery ventilator;

•  Upgrading your room or central air conditioner with ENERGY STAR models;

•  Upgrading your hot water heating system with tankless systems, condensing boilers, solar heating systems, and/or drain pipe heat recovery units;

•  Adding more insulation to your attic or cathedral ceiling;

•  Adding more insulation to your exterior walls;

•  Adding more insulation to your basement walls;

•  Sealing and insulating your basement header area;

•  Adding more insulation to your crawl space;

•  Air sealing and draft-proofing your home;

•  Upgrading your doors and windows with ENERGY STAR models; and

•  Upgrading your toilets with certified low flow or dual-flush toilets

In order to be eligible for the grants, you must have an ecoEnergy Retrofit audit performed by a NRCan-licenced energy auditor. Up to $150 of the cost of the audit is covered by the Province of Ontario.

Note that these rebates can be combined with the rebates offered in Ontario’s Cool Savings Rebate program.

Date posted: 13/04/07

Cool Savings Rebate

The Ontario Conservation Bureau is running its Cool Savings Rebate program until December 31, 2008. This program offers rebates for the following actions:

• $25 rebate when you purchase and have a programmable thermostat installed by a program registered contractor.

• $125 rebate when you have an existing furnace replaced with the purchase and installation of a mid or high-efficiency furnace with an Electrically Commutated Motor (ECM). This includes all gas, propane, oil and electric furnaces, as well as air handlers included on the ECM eligibility list.

• $250 rebate when you have an existing central air conditioner system replaced with the purchase of an ENERGY STAR^® qualified central air conditioning system, heat pump or ductless split system (NOTE: ENERGY STAR qualified criteria = minimum 14 SEER and 11.5 EER).

• $400 rebate when you have an existing central air conditioner replaced with the purchase of a stand-alone "Tier 2" level central air conditioning system (CAC) (NOTE: Tier 2 criteria = minimum 15 SEER and 12.5 EER).

Note that these rebates can be combined with the rebates offered in Canada’s ecoENERGY Retrofit program.

Date posted: 11/04/08

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Mortgage Loan
Insurance Refund

CMHC offers a 10% premium refund on its mortgage loan insurance premiums, as well as extended amortization to a maximum of 35 years, to individuals who use CMHC-insured financing to purchase an energy efficient new home, purchase a home and make energy-saving renovations, or renovate their existing home to make it more energy efficient.

For home buyers, the refund and extended amortization are available

• when the house is R-2000-certified;
• when the house is an ENERGY STAR^® New Home;
• when the house has an EnerGuide for Houses rating of 77 or above; or
• when houses with a rating of less than 77 are renovated to increase the house’s EnerGuide for Houses rating by at least five points and to a rating of at least 40.

The refund is also available for mortgages refinanced for the purpose of making energy-saving renovations to houses with an EnerGuide for Houses rating of less than 77. The renovations must increase the house’s rating by at least five points and to a rating of at least 40.

EnerGuide for Houses ratings are obtained through the EnerGuide for Houses evaluation program. For those planning to build a new home, it is recommended that an EnerGuide for Houses Energy Advisor evaluate the building plans before the house is built.

Extended amortization will be available through participating lenders for new CMHC mortgage insurance applications approved as of January 2005.

Date Posted: 02/08/05
 

ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentives

Cool Savings Rebate

CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance

Eligible systems include solar photovoltaic systems that convert solar energy into electricity, or solar thermal systems that convert energy into heat. Systems include wiring, controllers, devices that convert direct current into alternate current, the first battery used to store the energy produced, thermal collector panels, pumps, tubing, heat exchangers and insulated energy storage tanks.

Eligible systems, expansions and upgrades must be purchased and incorporated into residential premises before January 1, 2010.

In the case of a new building that incorporates a solar energy system, the tax rebate can be claimed by the builder, but not the owner.

For more information, visit:
http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/refund/sesr/

Date Posted: 11/04/08

Owners of residential premises, including multi-residential buildings, can already claim a refund of the 8% RST (provincial sales tax) paid on new solar energy systems and on any expansions or upgrades to existing systems installed on their premises. This rebate will now be extended to wind, micro-hydro and geothermal systems.

The rebate will be available for purchases made before January 1, 2010.

For more information, visit:

http:www.rev.gov.on.ca/english/refund/windgeo

Date Posted: 11/04/08

Buy any Programmable Thermostat and you will receive a $15 credit on your Union Gas bill. Offer valid to December 15, 2008.

Date Posted: 11/04/08