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New City program allows builders to ‘go green’ with solar energy. Builders installing solar hot water systems in new houses in Vancouver will get a financial break - but they'll have to move quickly.

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Vancouver (December 15, 2009) - Builders installing solar hot water systems in new houses in Vancouver will get a financial break - but they'll have to move quickly.

Today, Vancouver City Council approved the Solar Homes Strategy, which will finance up to 50 per cent, about $3500, of the cost of installing a solar hot water system. The incentive will be available for 15 months to 50 new houses on a first-come, first-served basis.

It begins next month and is a partnership between the City of Vancouver, SolarBC, Terasen Gas and Offsetters, a carbon asset management company and supplier of carbon offsets. SolarBC, which provides incentives, training and facilitates the installation of solar hot water systems, will distribute the funding.

Water heating accounts for a quarter of residential energy use and, in Vancouver's climate, solar hot water systems can provide up to 60 per cent of the energy required for water heating. By replacing the energy needed to heat water in a house with solar energy, up to two tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions can be eliminated annually.Vancouver already has the greenest building code for new houses in North America.

The City demonstrated leadership in green buildings through its commitment in 2004 to achieving LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold for new municipal facilities. The development and installation of on-site renewable energy is critical towards achieving Vancouver's future target of carbon neutral new construction.

Mayor Gregor Robertson announced last week that GHG emissions have been reduced in Vancouver by 11 per cent from their peak in 2000 to 2.7 million tonnes per year - despite a population increase of 27 per cent. The City is also on track to meet Kyoto targets for 2012 of six per cent below 1990 levels. Mayor Robertson is currently in Copenhagen attending the Climate Summit for Mayors.

The solar program follows on the heels of Vancouver's 2008 Green Homes Program which requires all new houses to be 'solar ready' by installing a pipe connection between their roof and their water heater, facilitating the solar installation process.

In addition to offering the incentive, the program will monitor the performance of the systems and the annual energy savings in each home, establishing the viability of solar hot water systems and the value of energy savings for the homeowner.

Vancouver greenhouse gas emissions
back to 1990 levels

The new program follows on the heels of the release of statistics showing the development of energy efficient buildings, increased use of public transit, walking and cycling as well as innovative projects such as creating heat and electricity from methane gas captured from the City's landfill, have all contributed to Vancouver having greenhouse gas (GHG) levels that were last seen in 1990.

Vancouver has the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions of any major city in North America and is on target to meet or exceed Kyoto Agreement targets - proof that cities can be vibrant, growing and prosperous while also taking meaningful action on climate change.

Vancouver has set a number of climate protection targets*:

•2010 - Reduce municipal operations emissions by 20% (achieved)
•2012 - Carbon neutral operations
•2012 - Reduce community emissions by 6% (on track to achieving)
•2020 - Reduce community emissions by 33%
•2020 - All new buildings are carbon neutral
•2050 - Reduce community emissions by 80%

Read the full 2008 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Summary and Methodologies

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