Monday, June 8, 2015 (Halifax, NS) – The Halifax Regional Municipality was awarded the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Green Champion Award in Edmonton this weekend for its popular Solar City program.
“Solar City is a real success story that reinforces Halifax’s status as a national leader in sustainable development,” said Mayor Mike Savage. “This program is recognized across the country for its innovative approach and appeal for residents.
I am extremely proud of Council for its support of Solar City and the work our employees have done on this project; together, they deserve credit for its continued success.”
Solar City offers homeowners in the Halifax region innovative solar energy options, which can be financed through a low-interest loan with the municipality. The program began as a two-year pilot project in 2013 and due to its great success, was recently extended for another three years.
Solar City originally offered property owners solar thermal (hot water) as the only solar technology option; the expanded program will also include solar photovoltaic and solar air. The new program aims to:
- Complete 450 installations of a variety of solar technologies annually;
- Increase the opportunities for residents and businesses to save money and reduce their environmental footprint; and
- Continue to administer the program on a cost neutral basis for the municipality.
Development of the new program is underway now and registration is expected to open this fall. For more information on the program and how to apply, residents can visit http://www.halifax.ca/solarcity.
The FCM Green Champions Awards are presented annually to an individual and a municipality that have demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to implementing sustainable development initiatives within their organization and their communities.
These awards were developed to promote and reward municipal champions, inspire municipal governments and showcase and encourage the exchange of best practices among Canadian communities. Candidates for the Green Champions Awards come from the same year’s roster of winners and honourable mentions in the FCM Sustainable Communities Awards (SCA) competition. Solar City was the recipient of the 2015 Sustainable Communities Award in the Energy Program category.
Source: Release