Commercial or Institutional Incentives & Grants

There are several sources of funding available to help commercial and institutional organizations purchase and install solar thermal systems. Together these grants and incentives can add up to tens of thousands of dollars of savings for your organization , so it is worth pursuing them. Navigating the funding opportunities for businesses and institutions can be more complicated than for homeowners. Remember that we are available to help you and we recommend that you contact us directly for more support. Below is a brief outline of each of the 3 main sources of funding . For more detailed information on each program you can follow the respective links to their main web pages.

***Please note that these grants are administered by various government departments, not Scotian WindFields Inc.. Scotian WindFields makes no guarantee as to the availability of these grants. Programs and grants can be changed or cancelled at any time without notice. The sooner you apply, the more likely you are to receive them.

The federal offers hundreds of dollars per panel for our solar thermal systems installed on new and existing buildings through its ecoEnergy for Renewable Heat program. Qualifying buildings include commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings (including those owned by not-for-profit and religious organizations), as well as Multi-unit residential buildings which have a common entrance and have either at least four above-ground storeys or a building footprint of at least 600 m² .

An Energy Audit is not required, but you must submit an application form and be approved for funding prior to the installation of your solar system.

More detailed information on the ecoEnergy for Renewable Heat program can be found at:

The NS provincial government offers a 15% rebate on the cost of an installed Solar Thermal system through its Conserve NS –Solar Water Heating Rebate Program . An Energy Audit is not required, but you must submit an application form after your solar system is installed in order to qualify.

More detailed information on the Solar Water Heating Rebate program can be found at:

If your building does not qualify for the ecoEnergy for Renewable Heat program because it is too small , it might qualify for up to $1250 in rebates for solar thermal systems through the federal ecoEnergy Retrofit – Homes program. Although designed primarily for homeowners, some smaller businesses can successfully qualify for this grant. In order to qualify for this rebate, you must hire an Energy Auditor to perform an Energy Audit on your building. The cost for an Energy Audit starts at $150 + tax and goes up depending on the size and scope of the building.

More detailed information on the federal ecoEnergy Retrofit – Homes program can be found at : http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca/ECOENERGY-ECOENERGIE/retrofithomes-renovationmaisons-eng.cfm

Attention! You must have the ecoEnergy Audit performed BEFORE your solar system is installed in order to qualify for the Eco Energy Retrofit-Homes rebate. This program is increasing in popularity and energy auditors are sometimes booked several weeks or even several months in advance. The sooner you book your audit, the sooner you qualify and the sooner we can come install your system.

Here is a list of companies that perform the Energy Audits . You can search the ecoEnergy website for a more detailed list (http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca/ECOENERGY-ECOENERGIE/retrofithomes-renovationmaisons-eng.cfm) .

 S.H.E. consultants (877-722-2842) www.sustainablehousing.ca

Clean Nova Scotia (902) 420-3474 or 1-800-665-5377 toll free.

Ridge Energy Consultants Inc (902) 576-3079 or 1-877-505-6363

ACAP Cape Breton (902) 567-1628