Government Incentive Programs
There are several incentive programs that can help finance green renovations and construction on your home.
EcoENERGY/Energuide for Houses (April 1, 2007 to present)
This program allows homeowners to find out how they can save on their heating bills, and also how they can benefit from government rebate programs. To be eligible for any rebates, an EnerGuide evaluation must be booked before any upgrades are made (the rebates are not retroactive). The purpose of the evaluation is to determine the areas of inefficiencies relating to heating in the home. A report is provided based on the evaluation with suggestions on how to improve the energy efficiency of the house. The maximum potential rebate is $6,500 ($5,000 from Federal Government and matching potential rebate from Province of NS of $1,500)
The cost for both home evaluations is $150 for a home under 2,500 square feet (of heated area – including basements and crawlspaces). If your home is over 2,500 square feet there will be an additional surcharge of $25 per 500 ft2, up to $250. In addition to receiving a "before" and an "after" evaluation you will also receive an energy savings kit (valued at $50) that can help save you up to $100 per year in energy bills. For any low to modest income Nova Scotians (i.e. single net income less than $25,000 or family net income less than $40,000), the Province will refund the cost of the visit to you. For more information on Energuide for Houses evaluation, please go to:
- Clean Nova Scotia Phone: (902) 420-3474 (Dartmouth) or 1-800-665-5377 (toll-free)
- Sustainable Housing Phone: (902) 435-3637 (Halifax) or 1-877-722-2842 (toll-free)
Construction
Nova Scotia Home Builders’ Association
15A Oland Crescent
Halifax, NS B3S 1C6
1-800-668-2001
Nova Scotia residents planning the construction of a new house can get their building plans examined by a certified energy evaluator to receive recommendations on upgrades to improve energy efficiency. The initial cost is $250+ HST, however, If your new house receives an EnerGuide rating of 77 or higher once it is built, you will be eligible for a $250 rebate and a 10% reduction on CMHC Mortgage Loan Insurance and be eligible for a 35-year mortgage plan at participating financial institutions. Starting January 16, 2007, if your new house receives an EnerGuide rating of 80, you are eligible for a further incentive of $500. When building to R-2000 standards, you can get a $1,000 refund. For more information on building to R-2000, contact the Nova Scotia Homebuilders' Association.
ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive for Buildings
1 877 360-5500
On April 1, 2007, the ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive program for commercial and institutional buildings was launched. If you have not yet started a new energy efficiency project, you could receive $10 per gigajoule of energy saved, up to 25 percent of eligible project costs to a maximum of $50,000 per project. More information on this incentive can be found here. Clean Nova Scotia can provide assistance in applying for these types of incentives.
ecoENERGY Retrofit Incentive for Industry
This ecoENERGY Retrofit program is designed to help industrial facilities overcome financial barriers to improving the energy efficiency of their operations. NRCan will provide a financial incentive of up to 25 percent of project costs to a maximum of $50,000 per application and $250,000 per corporate entity to help small- and medium-sized industrial facilities implement energy-saving projects. Clean Nova Scotia can provide assistance in applying for these types of incentives.
Industrial Programs Division
Office of Energy Efficiency
Natural Resources Canada
580 Booth Street, 18th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4
(613) 992-3161 (fax)
Eligible industrial companies can access a variety of incentive programs by becoming members of Industrial Energy Innovators. These incentive programs include: up to $80,000 for designing and constructing energy-efficiency facilities, 50% of the cost of an energy audit (up to $5,000), customized on-site workshops and discounts for NRCan's Dollars to $ense Energy Management workshops. Participating corporations also receive public recognition for their work and access to a wealth of information about energy efficiency.
Accessibility
Community ACCESS-ability Program
Community ACCESS-ability Program
c/o Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
P.O. Box 216
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2M4
Tel. (902) 424-7798
Non-profit community organizations, groups and municipalities are eligible to receive funding for up to two-thirds of the cost of building upgrades (up to $10,000) that enhance universal public access according to Barrier Free Design Guidelines.
Renewable Energy
Solar Water Heating Rebate Program
Households and commercial businesses in Nova Scotia are eligible for a 10% rebate off the installation cost (up to $5,000) of a year round solar system.
Heating
Built Environment Committee
Phone: (902) 442-0300
Fax: (902) 405-3716
The Built Environment Committee meets the second Thursday of every month at 5:30pm at the EAC. All are welcome at our monthly meeting.
