Going solar may get easier

Property owners aiming to go solar under a city council plan to make Nelson the country's first Solar City could be helped with the cost through a council loan which is repaid through rates.

City councillors agreed yesterday wednesday to a recommendation, to be included in the council's draft community plan, to establish a Solar City targeted rates scheme.that would help with the installation of a solar hot water system on their property.

Council environmental policy man  Martin Workman said the proposed scheme would allow homeowners toenter intotake out a loan agreement with the council and pay it back the loan through their rates.

A similar scheme operates through the council's Clean Heat Warm Homes programme, which encourages updates in home heating systems.

Mr Workman said the council aimed to provide the solar heating service to homeowners through a plan to tender out the roles of supply and installation.

Councillors also agreed to include in the draft plan a move to seek changes to the building code, which would mean all new homes would need to have solar hot water systems.

Cr Ali Boswijk said that 10 years from now, solar heating systems would be included in standard building plans. She believed there would be heavy demand for the systems under the proposed scheme, but people were being held back by a lack of knowledge.

Cr Rachel Reese said the project was about "can do'', and Nelson could do this.

"Where else would you do it? Nelson  is the place and I think our building industry will come in right behind us,'' she said.

Concern by Cr Ian Barker that the project might compete with the Clean Heat Warm Homes scheme was allayed by Cr Derek Shaw, who said  the cost of servicing a loan on the solar scheme would be covered by savings in power bills.

The council also plans to ask the Government for operational funding assistance for the Solar City scheme.

Mr Workman said in his report to  councillors yesterday that debt on the project, designed to be phased in over four years, was calculated to be limited to just over $9 million but it was unlikely to reach that.

The council aims to have 200 systems installed in 2009-10, increasing to 500 each year through to 2012-13. The scheme would be re-assessed in the 2012-13 review of the community plan, to see if it should continue and at what level of debt.

There was $10,000 in the current budget to counter the effects of waiving building consent fees, when the amount was likely to be closer to $20,000 this year, and $50,000 per year through to 2013.

A separate solar power   project, Energyshift, in which the council is a partner, in, aims to have solar hot water heating systems installed in 1000 homes in Nelson.
In just over a week, it has received 110 registrations from homeowners wanting to take part in thefor a pilot which scheme that called for 25 home owners and businesses, Mr Workman said.

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