Geothermal losing its heat in Manitoba
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/01/2011 (5363 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Manitoba’s enthusiasm for geothermal energy could be waning, just two years after a provincial incentive program took effect to get more people installing the systems.
The number of residential geothermal installations in the province fell to 511 in 2009-2010, according to statistics provided by Manitoba Hydro. That’s compared to 756 installations the year before, and 721 in 2007-2008.
Commercial installations also dropped: 38 were tallied in the last fiscal year, compared to 47 in 2008-2009, and 52 the year before that.
“The economy faltered a bit in the last year,” said Manitoba Hydro spokesman Glenn Schneider, noting installations were reportedly down across the country. “There’s a large capital cost associated with it. It’s harder to raise those funds or make a decision along those lines in an economy that’s uncertain.”
The numbers come from data collected from installers and others in the industry, Schneider said. Preliminary numbers for 2010-2011 are not available.
Chris Godlein, quality manager for the Manitoba Geothermal Energy Alliance (MGEA), couldn’t peg a reason for the decline. He has noticed the drop, estimating around 300 to 325 systems were installed in the 2010 calendar year.
“I feel it’s still moving along strongly and will continue to in the future, but there does seem to be kind of a dip there.”
Godlein said he thinks geothermal installers are diverting more of their energy toward the commercial market. “They’re just not marketing homes as diligently as they have in the past.”
Customers applying for a provincial incentive or low-interest loan from Manitoba Hydro must have their systems installed by MGEA members.
Manitobans are eligible for up to $3,000 in provincial incentives for geothermal systems in new homes — a $2,000 refundable tax credit for green energy equipment and a $1,000 grant for homes in areas serviced by natural gas. Existing home conversions are eligible for tax credits worth about $2,000.
Owners of commercial buildings or apartments can get up to 10 per cent of the value of their installed systems back. Those who opt for district geothermal systems are eligible for up to $150,000.
The provincial program took effect in January 2009 and is retroactive to April 2007.
A federal retrofit grant that extended to geothermal systems wrapped up last year, and only homeowners who booked their pre-retrofit evaluations by March 31, 2010, will be eligible.
Manitoba had around 6,000 geothermal systems in operation at the end of 2010, according to Hydro.
lindsey.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca