As of April 1, 2012 there is one solar rebate available via the stand-alone Efficiency Nova Scotia solar rebate program. The solar rebates under Performance Plus and ecoENERGY/EnerGuide for Houses will no longer be available. The Current Solar Rebate is the same stand-alone solar rebate that has existed for years and will continue with the following rebates province wide: $1250 for residential solar domestic water heating; $500 for residential solar air heating; and a 15 per cent rebate for commercial solar water and solar air systems. Although the rebates under this program are the same, there are changes to the program. As of April 1, 2012 homeowners and businesses must be pre-approved for a solar rebate in advance of purchasing and installing their system. Commercial projects must now provide estimated savings. Previously, the maximum rebate for commercial systems was capped at a $20 000 rebate. Under the new program structure there is no maximum, rather, the program will continue to approve all solar applications as received, budget permitting. At the same time, Efficiency’s EnerGuide for Houses program has been changed to the Home Energy Assessment program. This program will still involve home energy assessments; however, rebates will now focus exclusively on the building envelope, including improvements made to insulation, air sealing, windows and doors.
