TD Canada Trust is doing what it can for Canada’s green economy. The bank recently commissioned a poll of Canadian house owners to determine Canadians’ awareness of and attitudes toward green energy. The survey, conducted at the end of July and into August, looked in particular at attitudes toward solar panels and found, among other things, that although a third of Canadian homeowners have considered installing solar panels, only 5% have actually done so. The main reasons for the disparity are peoples’ perceptions of the costs and ignorance of the financial benefits of solar.
Fewer than half of the 1,000 people surveyed reported being aware that solar installations reduced home energy costs, and less than 5% knew that some provinces allow homeowners to tie their renewable energy systems into the power grid to make money. Despite this, over 90% knew of the environmental advantages, and 40% said that they would install photovoltaic systems if financing was available.
TD Helps Ontarians Take Advantage of MicroFIT
TD is an environmental leader in the banking industry. The company has a mandate to help educate the public on the benefits of green energy installations. For solar, these include reduced energy costs for twenty or more years – a fact that often increases property value. In Ontario and other areas with feed-in tariff (FIT) programs, homeowners can cash in on high prices offered for feeding excess solar power into the electrical grid. Ontario’s microFIT program for installations generating 10kW and less offers the highest prices of the province’s FIT, up to 80.2 cents/ kW-hour. These high prices help stimulate the green economy by bringing investment dollars into the province and creating jobs in areas like solar panel manufacturing and installation.
TD helps Ontarians benefit from the microFIT and the reduced energy costs associated with solar and other green installations by offering financing options to help reduce the financial barrier of up-front investment. As a further sign of TD’s commitment to helping homeowners make the switch to solar, the company has also created a guide that outlines the options available to potential solar customers and the research necessary to develop a successful project that meets Ontario’s regulatory requirements.
TD Canada Trust is among the many businesses helping to make Ontario a greener place to live and do business.
Special Discount: CleanTechies readers get $100 off any course offered by Solar Academy International. Simply use discount code ”CleanTechies100” when registering.
Solar Academy International uses NABCEP learning objectives to quickly advance expertise in solar design and installation. Its 5-Day Solar PV Training includes hands-on workshops that prepare participants for NABCEP’s PV Entry Level Exam.
