$15m deal to boost solar power use (NZ)

[jpak]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3876986a7693,00.html

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons hopes a new solar water heating programme will allow 20,000 more households to use the environmentally friendly system by 2010.

Ms Fitzsimons, the Government spokeswoman on energy efficiency and conservation, announced yesterday that there would be $15.5 million in funding during the next 31/2 years to increase the use of solar water heating. About half will go to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, to boost from $300 to $500 its funding to pay interest on loans taken out to install a solar water heating system. The system costs up to $8000.

The rest will be spent on information provision, promotion including websites and 0800 numbers, industry training and standards, solar heating of government buildings and an innovation fund.

The programme will run for five years, with funding for the final two years decided after a review in 2009.

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