Over 700 more Edmontonians will be getting into the power business generating their own electricity this year thanks to Edmonton's Change Homes for Climate Solar program. The program, which reopened on May 8, was so successful that in just six weeks $1.96 million in funding was committed, resulting in the program closing early due to being fully subscribed.
The Change Homes for Climate Solar program has provided $6 million in rebates since its inception in 2019. The program has now helped over 1,900 households in Edmonton with the cost of installing solar arrays to generate local renewable energy at home, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and move Edmonton towards a net-zero future.
"We are excited at the response of Edmontonians for this program, and the impact these new installations will have in helping us move one step closer to meeting our goal to become a net-zero city by 2050," said Kim Petrin, Acting Deputy City Manager for Urban Planning and Economy. "We understand that some homeowners will be disappointed with the sudden closure and are working hard to ensure that we can launch the Edmonton Clean Energy Improvement Program (E-CEIP), which will replace this program, as soon as possible."
The E-CEIP program will allow home and building owners to undertake building energy retrofits (including solar array installation) through low interest rate loans paid back through their property taxes over a term of up to 20 years. This program is expected to launch in early 2024.
An Interest List has been opened for residents wishing to receive information regarding participation in any future solar rebate programs. Edmontonians are also encouraged to participate in the Canada Greener Homes Initiative, a federal program that offers up to $5,000 in grants and up to $40,000 in interest-free loans for home energy retrofits and for installing renewable energy systems.
City Council declared a climate emergency on August 27, 2019 to reaffirm its commitment to making Edmonton a climate resilient city, and to accelerate Edmonton's actions to do our part to contribute to limiting average global warming to 1.5°C, in alignment with the Paris Agreement targets.
The City of Edmonton has set an aggressive target in the Community Energy Transition Strategy to be carbon neutral in its corporate operations by 2040 and for the entire community to produce net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Programs like the Change Homes for Climate Solar program help Edmonton move toward those aggressive targets.
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