The Canadian government is funding a $40,000 pilot project in St. Thomas, Ontario, that involves building approximately 100 homes that are ready to have solar energy installed.
Over the next 18 months, Doug Tarry Homes Ltd., a St. Thomas-based home builder, will construct approximately 100 solar-ready homes. Home buyers can choose to have the panels installed immediately or wait and install them at a later date at a reduced retrofit cost.
‘Canada's new government is proud to be a partner in this project, which will showcase how progressive builders can promote renewable energy technology in the homes they build,’ says Joe Preston, a member of parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London. ‘Its success will raise interest in the home building industry and will hopefully lead many other builders to promote renewable energy.’
According to Doug Tarry Jr., director of marketing and co-owner of Doug Tarry Homes, ‘this project will allow home buyers to save from 40 to 50 percent on their home heating and hot-water energy bills, when compared with homes built to conventional codes in Ontario.’
