Surprised by your high electricity bills? Increasing costs are motivating residents in the Canadian city of Saskatoon to find ways to lower their energy expenses.
Homeowners in Saskatoon now have access to a residential solar potential map called MyHEAT SOLAR. The new software shows whether residents’ homes are suitable for solar panel installation. Users simply enter their address into the website solar.myheat.ca/saskatoon/.
MyHEAT SOLAR analyzes factors such as usable sunlight hours and available space for solar panels on the structure. Installing a solar energy system can have both financial and environmental benefits.
Making use of data from Google Maps, MyHEAT SOLAR has the capability to assess the potential financial advantages of solar panel installation. MyHEAT SOLAR incorporates factors like installation expenses, upfront costs post-incentives, and payback duration. It then summarizes this data to calculate the cumulative savings for homeowners over a span of 25 years.
Moreover, MyHEAT SOLAR examines the environmental perks of adopting solar energy. MyHEAT SOLAR estimates the amount of carbon dioxide emissions saved over the lifetime of a solar power system. It then expresses these emissions reductions in terms of the equivalent number of trees grown and the equivalent number of cars removed from the road.
MyHEAT SOLAR is one of many resources that Saskatoon is providing to residents to help them switch to solar energy. Amber Weckworth, the City of Saskatoon’s climate manager, noted that many grants, loans, and resources are listed on the City of Saskatoon’s Home Energy Renovation Resources webpage.
In addition to local incentives, residents should also take note of the federal Canada Greener Homes program.
The Canada Greener Homes program offers grants and loans to support eligible retrofits such as home insulation, windows and doors, heat pumps, and solar panels. Homeowners can also access interest-free financing through a Canada Greener Homes loan to complete major energy efficiency retrofits recommended by an energy advisor. This loan can be combined with the Canada Greener Homes grant.
