The BC government will now provide rebates to help cover the costs of whole-building retrofits to install heat pumps, LED lights, better windows, and ventilation to make apartments, condos and co-op homes more energy efficient.
The program is designed to encourage energy-efficiency measures in gas-heated and electrically heated apartments and condos.
As of September 17, the CleanBC Multi-Unit Residential Building Retrofit Program, a joint initiative with BC Hydro, can provide rebates and energy coaching to building owners, strata councils and equity co-op boards to make help them make the switch to cleaner alternatives, and also provide funding to help with the cost of electrical upgrades that may be required.
The province says a typical 65-unit rental building could switch from central gas heating to in-suite heat pumps, saving as much as $16,250 per year for the whole building or $250 per year per suite. An average-size 130-suite condo building could replace electric baseboards with heat pumps, saving $18,000 on an average per year for the whole building or $140 per year per suite.
The CleanBC Multi-Unit Residential Building Retrofit Program is receiving $26-million from the province, and $35 million from BC Hydro as part of the Energy Efficiency Plan.
The province says that in addition to the new program, the funding also supports the CleanBC Social Housing Incentive Program, providing energy-study funding, project implementation support and rebates for social-housing buildings, such as those owned by not-for-profit organizations. That program is raising rebates levels to cover a maximum of 90 per cent of costs, an increase from 75 per cent.
The government also says the Clean BC Multi-Unit Residential Building Retrofit Program will be expanded next year to include owners and renters of individual units who want to do upgrades to lower energy bills.
