Half of Ontarians don't believe that putting solar panels on their house is affordable despite it being no cost to the homeowners: Grasshopper Solar

With Ontario's microFIT Program ending this year, Ontario homeowners have limited time to take advantage of the long-term investment of solar panel installation at no cost; Scott McGillivray and Grasshopper Solar partner on awareness campaign

TORONTO, Aug. 29, 2017 /CNW/ - For those contemplating solar panels, now is the time to take advantage of the Grasshopper Solar's no cost* Guaranteed Funding Program before it expires at the end of December 2017. Canada's largest solar company is offering homeowners in Ontario solar panel systems and will cover the cost of design, installation, maintenance, after care, insurance and warranty. Applications will be accepted until December 28, but with nearly half of the capacity already gone, spots are expected to be filled by November.

"Renewable energy sources like solar can reduce your home's carbon footprint and help the environment, while adding value as a long-term profitable asset," says Jason Hibbard, VP, Residential Solar Division, Grasshopper Solar. "Housing accounts for 17% of secondary energy use in Canada and 16% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. Our goal with this program is to offset as much of those power needs as possible, while putting more money into homeowners' pockets. With Ontario's microFIT Program coming to an end this year, along with the Guaranteed Funding Program, those who qualify should certainly be looking to take advantage of this no cost opportunity."

In a recent poll conducted by Leger on renewable energy habits, half of Ontarians (49%) do not believe switching to solar energy is affordable, yet more than three in five (62%) understand that switching to solar energy can be profitable. Further, three-quarters of Ontarians (76%) admit that they would be more inclined to use solar energy if they had monetary support.  

To help educate Ontario residents on the smart home investment of solar panels and the no cost benefits of the Guaranteed Funding Program, the company has teamed up with real estate and renovation expert Scott McGillivray.

"Your home is one of the most expensive assets you own, but it can also reward you financially — and you don't have to spend money to make money," says Scott McGillivray, Real Estate and Renovation Expert. "A piece of advice I often tell my clients, is to find a way to make money from an otherwise unused asset in your home, like your basement or roof. The Guaranteed Funding Program offers solar panels at no cost for qualified roofs and gives you cheques to bring to the bank."  

Ontario's microFIT Program launched in October 2009 to increase the amount of renewable energy produced in the province and is part of the largest clean energy programs in North America. Under microFIT, homeowners who go solar are currently guaranteed a fixed rate of 28.8 cents per kWh for 20 years from the province, earning them up to $3,600 per year based on annual solar production of 12,500 kWh. Under the Guaranteed Funding Program, qualified homeowner's can participate in Ontario's microFIT Program and have Grasshopper finance the entire solar panel system from design to connection and finally to ownership by the end of your lease, including insurance and maintenance of the LG Electronics panels.

"In keeping a close eye on capacity, we want our customers to know that we will do all we can to ensure applications are accepted," explains Jason. "We are hoping to guarantee spots for those who apply by end of October."

To see if your property qualifies for Grasshopper Solar's Guaranteed Funding Program, please visit: http://www.grasshoppersolar.com/solarprograms/guaranteed-funding-program/. You can also follow Grasshopper Solar on Facebook and Twitter.

Additional Poll Results:

• More than eight-in-ten (84%) Ontarians see solar energy becoming more common in the future, and 79% agree that using solar energy today is an investment for future generations.
• The vast majority (92%) of people do not currently use renewable/solar energy in their residence.
• Price, knowledge, and not giving the idea too much thought are the main reasons Canadians are not currently using renewable/solar energy.
• 72% of Ontarians feel that they can impact the environment in a positive direction by using solar energy.
• Half of Canadians do not believe they are knowledgeable about solar energy (50%), do not believe they can make an environmental impact (52%) and do not believe that solar energy is affordable (49%).

About Guaranteed Funding:

The Guaranteed Funding Program offers up to $30,000 to homeowners towards owning a new solar panel system. With a qualified roof, Grasshopper Solar takes care of the entire cost of installing a solar panel system from design to connection, including insurance, warranty, maintenance and after care to help homeowners take advantage of Ontario's microFIT Program.

About Grasshopper Solar:

Grasshopper was founded in 2007 by Azeem M. Qureshi to address the need for efficient deployment of solar energy generation, energy efficiency & related services by creating a vertically integrated platform to deliver end to end solutions. Through the last 10 years the company has grown to become the largest solar provider and asset owner with $250M of solar assets in Canada with a team of 300+ people and projects under development in countries like US and Japan. Grasshopper Solar has been the recipient of multiple national industry awards including Solar Innovator of the Year, Project Finance Innovator of the Year and Solar Developer of the Year for continued industry leadership.

www.grasshoppersolar.com/

Poll Methodology:

A survey of 1,004 Ontarians was completed online between August 7 to 10, 2017 using Leger's online panel, LegerWeb. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

*Grasshopper Solar provides funding to qualifying homeowners including solar equipment, installation, maintenance and commercial liability insurance during the term of the Guaranteed Funding Agreement.  For certainty, Grasshopper shall not be responsible for any realty taxes, home insurance premiums, cost of maintenance, repairs or replacements of or to any part of the Lands or Building

SOURCE Grasshopper Solar

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