Starting now, Toronto homeowners can get free solar panels installed on their roofs and a $4,000 cheque to boot.
Thanks to
Greensaver and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, 60 homeowners who fit the criteria will be able to sign 20-year agreements to hoist the solar photovoltaic panels atop their houses to reduce carbon production by about 1 tonne a year.
Those criteria include having at least 250 square feet of usable space on the roof, a roof that gets enough sun exposure. The roof itself must also be in good condition.
The other thing is the 20-year commitment. Upon signing up, the new eco-warriors will get a cheque for $4,000, which represents future savings and will be the only financial benefit from installing the panels.
"The next homeowner would have to assume the solar panels, so they wouldn't have any financial benefit from it," says Helen Reed, director of corporate communications and marketing for Greensaver, "other than if they were there at the end of the 20 years, when the system would be theirs."
Reed says that the lifespan of the panels is considerably longer than 20 years. As the program gets going, Reed expects it will be expanded beyond the initial 60 installations.
Writer: Bert Archer
Source: Helen Reed
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