Council may warm to solar plan

Marlborough homeowners may soon be able to install solar heating systems funded by a loan from the Marlborough District Council.

The scheme would see home owners loaned money for solar heating, which would then be paid back through their rates bill, plus interest.

The scheme will be put before the council's community and financial planning committee on November 23.

After the meeting, a full report will be completed before the council's annual plan process in May 2010. If approved by councillors, the scheme would start July 2010 at the earliest.

It follows a $9 million solar saving scheme announced last week by the Nelson City Council, aimed at helping 1700 Nelson residents install solar water heating systems during the next four years.

The Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (ECCA) contributes $1000 towards every individual scheme.

Marlborough District Council support service manager Dean Heiford is preparing a report for the council meeting on how the Nelson scheme, a first in New Zealand, will work and whether it was suitable for Marlborough.

Mr Heiford said it was hard to say whether the scheme would go ahead, but said it was "worth investigating". "We will wait and see how council react to it."

He said the council had been contacted by Solar City New Zealand in late September about implementing the scheme in the region.

Solar advocate Nikki Marshall, co-owner of Marlborough Plumbing and Heating, believed implementation of the plan would be a positive step for Marlborough.

She said the main obstacles with solar was the high upfront cost and people not knowing how long they would stay in their house.

"It will inspire a lot more people who have been thinking about it. It just doesn't make sense not to be utilising the sunshine hours  it's a free resource."

She also hoped the council would look at other energy-saving initiatives, such as water tanks.

Blenheim Fire and Tile Centre owner Dean Parkes, who sold solar hot-water systems, said he hoped efficient and quality systems would be promoted if the scheme went ahead. He was concerned that when the council selected suppliers, many could miss out.

But overall, it was a "brilliant idea".

"I think it's great that the council are looking at ways of helping people like that."

- The Marlborough Express