Halifax delays home solar program
Posted Jul 13, 2011 01:17:18 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A program to make it easier for Halifax-area homeowners to install solar panels has been delayed due to a lack of funding.
The $5 million promised for the program hasn’t come together yet, which means a delay for the 1,600 people signed up for the pilot project.
Richard MacLellan, HRM’s Manager of Sustainable Environment Management, says the problem is the energy file has been extremely hot over the past several months.
“With natural gas stuff going on, LED street lights, for a variety of reason for a variety of partners there’s been competing priorities for resources,” he says.
MacLellan says that’s put them behind schedule.
“But all indications remain positive on support for the program,” he explains. “We may have been a little over-optimistic on or original timeline in retrospect.”
Dan Roscoe with Solar Nova Scotia says funding issues aren’t limited to this project.
“This is a problem we’re seeing industry-wide, not just with this program, waiting for that funding to be engaged and the program to be launched,” say Roscoe.
He adds you should go ahead on your own if you don’t want to wait for the municipality.
“All those 1,600 people who are interested in saving money using solar energy don’t have to wait for that program,” he says. “They can start now and start saving money now.”
Solar City, as it’s called, is now expected to start next spring instead of this fall.
