Ontario rebate scheme to subsidize rooftop solar, heat pumps, battery storage

The government of Ontario, Canada, is launching a new rebate scheme for home energy efficiency renovations and improvements. 

The Home Renovation Savings Program, set to open on Jan. 28, will cover up to 30% of the costs of new heat pumps, rooftop solar panels and battery storage, as well as new windows, doors and insulation.

Later this year, the program will expand to include rebates for energy-efficient appliances including refrigerators and freezers.

The program is part of a CAD 10.9 billion ($7.6 billion), 12-year investment package in energy efficiency, which the provincial government said is the largest in Canadian history.

Among other measures included are the expansion of the Peak Perks program, which gives small businesses a virtual prepaid credit card for each eligible smart thermostat connected to a central air conditioning system or heat pump unit, alongside another sum for each additional year in the program.

A Retrofit Program for businesses, which offers incentives to upgrade energy efficiency equipment, is also being continued, as well as other programs geared to low-income households, businesses, municipalities, institutions, the agricultural sector, industry and on-reserve First Nations communities.

The Ontario government is forecasting that by 2036, the expansion of its energy efficiency programs will reduce the province’s peak demand by 3 GW, the equivalent of taking three million homes off the grid.

In September, Ontario announced plans for a large-scale competitive energy procurement exercise consisting of new solar, bioenergy and wind projects.

The provincial government directed the area’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), which has recommended approximately 5 GW of new electricity resources be procured by 2034, to finalize a design framework.

From pv magazine global