Apricus Solar Hot Water Equipment Ideal for Nelson Solar Saver Scheme

With climate change about to become a hot topic once again as the world gears up for the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen, 200 Nelson homeowners will be doing their bit by signing up for the Nelson City Council Solar Saver scheme.

According to Dougal Ferguson, national operations manager for Switch (NZ distributors of Apricus solar water heating equipment), the Nelson initiative is a great step forward.

“We are very happy to have been selected as one of the four suppliers for this scheme as we believe it has great potential to act as a model for other councils around New Zealand,” Ferguson said.

Highly efficient Apricus Solar products use free energy from the sun to supplement domestic hot water requirements and save money on water heating bills – which can comprise up to 40% of a home’s monthly power cost.

Nelson City Council used a ballot this week to select the first 200 households to take part in the innovative Solar Saver Scheme. The City Council meets the cost of installing a homeowner’s solar system and the loan is repaid as part of their rates over a period of up to 10 years, while reaping the benefits of lower power bills. Late last month, the council said that 387 Nelson households had applied to be part of the first round of installations. The Council plans to underwrite solar installations in 1700 homes over four years, saving up to $500,000 in electricity charges a year and further underlining the region’s reputation as New Zealand’s leading solar centre.

Apricus and Switch are strong supporters of the scheme and are pleased that it is being supported by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), which provides a $1000 subsidy for each solar installation.

● To enquire about the Nelson Solar Saver Scheme and Apricus solar hot water heating equipment, visit http://www.switchenergy.co.nz or call 0800 APRICUS (0800 277 4287).