UPDATE: GreenON program is closed as of June 19th, 2018. Stay tuned for further updates…
May 2, 2018
Ontario Minister of Environment and Climate Change Chris Ballard has announced the launch of a highly anticipated new solar energy and energy storage program.
The GreenON Solar Rebates Program, which is an offshoot of the Green Ontario Fund, is designed to make solar energy and storage systems more affordable for home and business owners, thus encouraging them to make the switch to solar to power their properties while reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, helping combat climate change and transitioning Ontario toward a clean-energy economy.
Buildings generate almost a quarter of Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Green Ontario Fund will offer rebates for solar PV and energy storage systems to help encourage Ontario home and business owners make the switch to renewable electricity and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
What Are the Benefits?
- The program provides homeowners $1 per watt for residential solar panels, with a cap at 10kW (AC). It adds $0.50 per watt for a total of $1.50 when homeowners couple solar panels with an energy storage installation.
- Those who wish to go completely off-grid get $3 per watt for a solar panel plus energy storage installation.
- The program provides businesses $0.75 per watt for commercial solar panel installations, with a cap at 500 kW (AC).
Here’s another snapshot at the residential and commercial solar incentives available to homeowners and businesses in Ontario under the GreenON Solar Rebates Program:
Who Is Eligible?
Here’s who is qualified to participate in the GreenON Solar Rebates Program:
- All Ontario homeowners who live in an existing detached home, townhome or semi-detached home can part. There are also other options for homeowners with new custom-built homes.
- All businesses with facilities in Ontario qualify for the program as long as they continue to maintain a property in Ontario.
The rebate program builds on the success of the Green Ontario Fund’s initial program, GreenON Installations, which offers a smart thermostat with installation and in-home energy audit at no cost.
Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan
The Green Ontario Fund has designated approximately $90 million toward the GreenON program, which is expected to launch sometime this summer. The program, a pillar in Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan, is funded entirely through proceeds from Ontario’s carbon market.
It will further build upon the province’s climate leadership and its solar success story, which has not only created over 5,000 local jobs, but also continues to make the province a global leader in renewable energy solutions.
Ontario’s renewables industry is thriving. More than 23,329 microFIT small rooftop solar projects have been installed, with 2,356 megawatts of solar PV. Ontario also has also installed 3,498 megawatts of wind, and another 2,228 megawatts are under development, making it the biggest producer of wind energy in Canada.
The Climate Change Action Plan and carbon market form the backbone of Ontario’s strategy to cut greenhouse gas pollution to 15 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, 37 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050. Other action plan measures funded by carbon market proceeds include new electric vehicle incentives, charging stations and infrastructure; an enlarged province-wide cycling commuter network; energy retrofits for homes and multi-family housing; targeted greenhouse gas emission reduction programs for businesses; and support for Indigenous communities to fight climate change.
