HRM council OKs Solar City tender

Halifax Regional Council has approved a tender for a project that could see hundreds of homeowners get solar heating.

Council agreed Tuesday to award the Solar City tender to Thermo Dynamics Ltd., which will install panels at up to 1,000 homes. The vote by council was unanimous.

Under the proposal, the panels go up first and then homeowners pay it off over time through their property tax bills.

The project was delayed while HRM waited for funding. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities ended up providing a grant to kickstart it.

Coun. Jennifer Watts called it a good news story, given the public interest and the fact that the FCM grant is revenue neutral.

Coun. Linda Mosher voiced her worries Tuesday, saying she wanted to make sure no taxpayers' money was involved.

Another councillor, Bill Karsten, said he supports the pilot project despite the hiccups and bumps along the way. However, he still has concerns about any administrative costs.

Municipal staff noted that it is a new pilot project, but said they have taken steps to protect city coffers.

Homeowners should receive more information in the next four to six weeks about when and how the solar panels will be installed.