Manitoba Hydro offers solar energy incentive program

Manitoba Hydro wants to make it easier for customers to harness the power of the sun by offering incentives to those who want to generate their own solar energy.

The provincial power utility has launched the Power Smart Solar Energy Program, which allows home and business owners to generate their own electricity with solar panels and sell excess energy back to Manitoba Hydro.

The program will cover the installation of solar photovoltaic systems, which use solar cells to convert solar energy into electricity, at a rate of $1 per watt installed. That would cover roughly 25 per cent of the upfront capital costs of new installations.

A typical single rooftop photovoltaic module takes up about 1.5 square metres and produces about 250 watts of power enough electricity to run kitchen lights, according to Hydro.

A special "bi-directional meter" that would be installed with the panels allow customers to use the electricity generated from solar panels when they need it, or sell energy they don't need to Manitoba Hydro.