Switch MOPC is Now Live
Announcing Switch MOPC! Nova Scotia’s Newest Switch Program.
SwitchPACE – SwitchPACE CIC is thrilled to announce the launch of our newest PACE program, Switch MOPC (Municipality of Pictou County). Switch MOPC was created with the goal of addressing the climate crisis, all while helping homeowners live more affordably and efficiently.
The launch Switch MOPC follows the success of other Switch Programs throughout the Maritimes which have grown to be the fastest PACE programs ever in Canada. In Pictou County, the municipality will pay contractors, on behalf of homeowners, who can then pay back the investment through energy savings. Homeowners will have access to a team of SwitchPACE Energy Concierges, who will help guide homeowners through contractor selection, accessing rebates and overcoming obstacles to make upgrades easy.
SwitchPACE CIC has been designing and administrating the fastest growing PACE programs within Canada. Over 1,000 home energy retrofit projects have been enabled over the last 16 months through their signature “Switch Programs”. “The Switch programs,” Said Julian Boyle, President, “make it easy for homeowners to invest in energy efficiency and solar. In all our programs 2-5% of the housing stock is being retrofitted annually in each market – this is an unprecedented level of community uptake. “It’s exciting and meaningful to empower homeowners to save energy, save money and reduce carbon.”
Through Switch MOPC, participants are offered fixed interest rates, with financing for up to 10 years. The municipality pays the contractor and homeowners pay back with the savings. Homeowners can finance up to $40,000 or 15 percent of their property’s assessed value.
Municipality of Pictou County Warden Robert Parker said the council recognizes the need of doing their part to limit the release of greenhouse gases.
“Our residents can each play a part in this effort, but oftentimes the capital dollars needed to make necessary changes in their own home are insurmountable, even though it would lead to significant savings in the long run,” Warden Parker said. “For that reason, the Municipality of Pictou County is initiating the Switch MOPC program that will allow County residents to borrow the capital costs from their local government for improvements to their personal home that will lead to energy savings, including solar installations and pay back over several years. Together, we can all do our part to reverse the negative effects of climate change and save money at the same time.”
Interested homeowners can contact the Switch MOPC program directly by phone (902-334-4227), email ([email protected]) or by visiting the program website www.switchmopc.ca .
Media Contacts:
Julian Boyle, P. Eng., President
SwitchPACE CIC
(902) 802-0924
Brian Cullen, CAO
Municipality of Pictou County
(902) 485-4311
About SwitchPACE CIC…
SwitchPACE is a community interest corporation (CIC) with a mandate to reduce carbon through energy efficiency programming in partnership with municipalities. CIC’s are a unique corporation structure in Canada, with only British Columbia and Nova Scotia having enabled these forms of quasi-for-profit social enterprises.
SwitchPACE CIC (www.switchpace.org ), based in Halifax, are the leaders of PACE programming in Canada. SwitchPACE CIC has active programs in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and have been recognized nationally for transforming the carbon reduction marketplace through sustainable financing and programming partnerships with municipalities. In the last year over 1,000 homes have been retrofitted with solar, heat pumps, EV chargers, insulation and other carbon reduction technologies saving residents over $1.5M annually. In the last 14 months, over 330 jobs have been created in programming while reducing 4 million kg of CO2 reductions.
About MOPC
The Municipality of Pictou County is a largely rural municipality in central Nova Scotia with a population of 21,000. In the Fall of 2022, it was at the center of the strongest hurricane to landfall ever in Canada – hurricane Fiona. It has an active community/council Climate Change committee, who have spearheaded the launch of the Switch MOPC program.