MEN – Brisbane Council Rebate Puts Solar Hot Water In Reach

Have you come across MEN – Making Environmental News? MEN is a portal, not a newsletter, and it comes as a 3 minute read, daily email.

Today there are two items of info on solar power rebates.

1. Brisbane City Council is offering to give back $400 to 1500 households who switch their electric hot water systems to solar. The Council set aside $650,000 for the small solar rebate program in 2008-09, but plans to expand it in coming years.

Councillor Newman says:

“Households can get $400 back from Council when they replace or convert their old hot water systems to solar energy, in addition to the money they save each quarter on their electricity bill…

Solar hot water systems represent the single biggest energy saving in the home and that’s why I’m committed to encouraging Brisbane to use them…

Traditional hot water systems chew up 28 per cent of a household’s overall energy consumption..

After rebates from the three levels of government it would cost a family between $1000 and $2500 to install a “middle of the range” solar hot water system.”

Existing Government Rebates For Solar

The Federal Government provides a solar rebate of up to $8000 for households earning less than $100,000, and the Queensland Government pays homes 44 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity generated by solar energy, which goes back into the energy grid. These rebates are not specifically a solar hot water replacement program.

2. Senate inquiry told solar panel rebate applications are up since the introduction of the federal budget means test.

A Senate committee is reviewing the means test which disqualifies households earning more than $100,000 a year from receiving the rebate.

The Labor Senator heading the inquiry says evidence heard in Brisbane today has vindicated the Government.

Opposition senators say those who want to go solar are being discouraged by the test and most people want it scrapped but Committee chairwoman Senator Anne McEwen says the Federal Environment Department told today’s inquiry that applications for the rebate have risen since the means test was announced.

Sounds like the grassroots are doing their bit…