Granting
The Canadian Government, through the Natural Resources Canada website, offers grants for eligible retrofits that include home insulation, windows and doors, air sealing, and mechanical and renewable energy systems such as solar. These initiatives help us to create a greener, more efficient home environment, thereby saving money on heating and energy costs. An Ener-Guide evaluation is carried out by an energy advisor who is registered with Natural Resources Canada. Your energy advisor will arrive at your home on a per-arranged date and time.
Grants for mechanical systems include ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, cold climate air source heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, furnaces (eligible for northern and off-grid community residents only), and boilers (eligible for northern and off-grid community residents only).
Certain requirements are to be met, such as an energy audit of your home. Auditors will do an Ener-Guide evaluation to ascertain your present energy efficiency, and will return to do a follow-up energy audit to verify savings from the grant program you applied for.
Grants are available from $125-$5,000. Interest-free loans of up to $40,000, with a repayment term of 10 years to help you undertake major home retrofits. There is also a $600 grant available for the energy audit of your energy audit.
Eligible Retrofits include
- Home Insulation Up to $5.000- see website for more details
- Air Sealing Up to $1,000- variable rates- see the website for further details
- Windows and Doors Up to $5,000- variable rates for specific Energy Star rated windows
- Thermostats Up to $50.00- smart or programmable thermostats
- Space and Water Heating Up to $5.000- includes ground source heat pumps, cold climate air source heat pumps, and heat source water heaters.
- Renewable Energy Up to $5.000 -install solar panels (photovoltaic system) with a capacity equal to or greater than 1.0 kW DC at $1000 per Kilowatt installed, to a maximum of $5.000 (5 Kilowatts)
- Resiliency Measures Up to $2,625- the resiliency measures must be used in combination with an energy efficiency retrofit from the Canadian Greener Homes Grant initiative: batteries connected to a solar system, roofing membrane- applied to the entire roof, basement wall water proofing, and moisture proofing crawlspace floors, wall, and headers.
- Multi- Unit Residential Buildings– For the Canada Greener Homes Grant Initiative, a low-rise MURB is defined based on Part 9 of the National Building Code of Canada as having three or fewer storeys in building height above ground and having a building area not exceeding 600 m2. MURBs must either be stacked (up/down) or have a common area. Retirement homes and townhouses are not MURBs.
The EnerGuide rating (found on your label, information sheet, and report) demonstrates the energy performance of your home. It is an estimate of the net amount of energy your house consumes in a year.
How the grant process works
- Step 1. Apply- Select a service organization.
- Step 2A. Pre-retrofit Ener-Guide evaluation- Prioritize your renovations.
- Step 2B. (optional) Interest-free loan- Apply for the Canada Greener Homes Loan.
- Step 3. Retrofit your home, Consult the renovation upgrade report.
- Step 4. Post-retrofit Ene-Guide evaluation- Log in to the grant portal to access the results.
- Step 5. Request and receive your grant- Upload your documents, and confirm your grant.
- Step 6. Complete your retrofit journey- Enjoy the benefits and savings of a greener home.
We have assisted a number of clients through this process and can answer your questions, and help you to avoid any delays, before they happen. Feel free to reach out to us for help. Please visit their website for more comprehensive details about the program.
source: Figures and details are from the NRCan website.
Update to original article
When I originally posted this article I received feedback about hidden costs in the program. Based on the information that was available at the time of my knowledge (September 2022), there were no hidden costs associated with the grant program.
The Natural Resources greener homes grant for solar is designed to provide financial assistance to homeowners who are interested in installing solar panels to reduce their energy consumption and contribute to a cleaner environment. The grant covers up to 40% of the total cost of a residential solar panel system, up to a maximum of $5,000, representing a $1000/kw of solar installed, to a maximum of 5kw.
However, it is important to note that there may be some additional costs associated with the installation of a solar panel system that are not covered by the grant. For example, homeowners may need to pay for an assessment to determine if their home is suitable for solar panels, as well as for any upgrades or modifications to their electrical system that may be required. These costs will vary depending on the individual home and the scope of the installation. To update this further, NrCan includes a grant for up to $600, to cover an energy audit for your home. This will cover the audit and a follow-up audit after the solar (or other) upgrades have been made.
To ensure that there are no hidden costs associated with the Natural Resources greener homes grant for solar, it is important to carefully review the program guidelines and eligibility criteria, as well as to obtain detailed cost estimates from qualified solar panel installers. This can help homeowners make an informed decision about whether or not the grant is a good fit for their specific needs and circumstances. I have assisted many local homeowners through the granting process site surveys, and working directly with the solar system providers and installers, and have not received feedback on any extra hidden costs up to and including today (March 29, 2023)
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