Increased funding is now available for homeowners wanting to install solar heating systems, following recent reviews of quality standards, installation guidelines, training and performance modeling of systems.
The new funding applied covers:
- Solar water heating grants for homeowners have increased from $500 to $1000, for the purchase of packages systems that meet requirements for energy performance, cost effectiveness and installation. The size of the grant will be reviewed after a year to ensure it keeps within the available funding.
- Grants will be paid direct to the homeowner who has purchased solar water heating systems rather than via suppliers as it has been; a move that will reduce the paperwork for suppliers and installers. A well designed and installed solar system can provide up to 75 per cent of annual hot water needs, providing good savings for home owners.
Home owners can apply for a grant direct from EECA. To be eligible, a home owner must buy a packaged system that has been energy performance modeled and the results published by the EECA. More than 100 systems are already published on the the EECA website and the list is growing.
The threshold for finance assistance (TFA) is one of the eligibility criteria for a solar water heating grant. It is the maximum cost for which an individual solar water heating system can be purchased and installed in order to qualify for a grant. Factors used to calculate the TFA include the expected energy performance of that system and electricity price forecasts.
Where a solar water heating system is purchased and installed for a total price (including installation and the building consent costs) that is less than the TFA, then the system may be eligible for the grant. If the cost of the fully installed system is higher than the TFA, then the system will not qualify for finance assistance.