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By Tyler Marr

GOING GREEN

Federal incentive looks to help Sask. businesses go green

Aug 27, 2019 | 9:01 AM

An incentive from the federal government will help some businesses in Saskatchewan that want to make their operations a little bit more green.

The Climate Action Incentive Fund is available for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick — the four provinces where the federal carbon tax applies.

The fund allows SMEs in these jurisdictions to be eligible for a rebate of up to 25 per cent between $20,000 and $250,000, on the cost of an energy efficiency improvement project. This can include building retrofits, improved industrial processes, fuel switching and solar energy projects.

Businesses with less than 500 employees can apply up to 90 days from the starting date of July 17, or until the first phase of funding is allocated. Around $21.3 million is on offer for Saskatchewan.

Devon Ambros with SolarCor Energy said the incentive, partnered with the SaskPower net metering rebate and a federal tax incentive, could provide significant cost savings for an enterprise looking to go green.

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Further, solar projects under SaskPpower’s net metering program allows an opportunity for companies to establish a solar power system that is connected to the utility grid. The power produced feeds local demand and anytime the solar power production exceeds this demand, power is exported to the grid and the metre measures the amount of power going back and provides credits to a bill that can be used at a later date.

“From a business perspective if you can reduce or eliminate your annual cost of electricity, you are going to be much more competitive in the market place,” he said, adding going green can be used as a marketing and public relations tool as well.

Some fear solar projects are not worthwhile in this province as short days grip the province and nation for much of the year. However, Ambros said, according to photovoltaic potential maps, Saskatchewan is one of the best provinces in Canada because of the high yielding light available.

“Most places are going to have great production,” he said. “You can build up a significant amount of credits in the sunny days in the summer to be consumed in the low light periods in the winter.”

He said net metering is a real benefit for solar power production as one can essentially store the credits incurred in the summer and use them at night and during the winter.

The application process operates on a first-come-first-served basis and once the money is earmarked for projects or depleted, the application window will close.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr