Calgary 
Get ready to apply for Calgary’s Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) when it reopens in July, as it will only take 150 applications.
The Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) is set to reopen for two more rounds of applications in 2023. The program was temporarily closed for new applications following the overwhelming volume of submissions from Calgary homeowners during its January 2023 launch.
The City of Calgary will now stagger its application intake by offering several smaller rounds to give CEIP participants the best possible experience. The first round will open at 9 a.m. on July 26, with another round offered in November.
Credit: Calgary.ca
The program offers financing for eligible energy efficiency or renewable energy home improvements of up to 100% of the project costs, up to a maximum of $50,000 per property.
The program follows eight steps, starting with pre-qualification and EnerGuide Home Evaluation, project application, and agreements. The next steps include project installation, upgrade completion, post-project EnerGuide Home Evaluation, and repayment of the project’s cost through your property tax bill based on the terms of your Clean Energy Improvement Agreement.
The program offers competitive interest rates, long repayment terms of up to 20 years, and the option to repay the full amount at any time without penalty.
CEIP financing is attached to the property, not the property owner, and offers flexibility when selling the property by allowing the option to either repay the balance or transfer the balance to prospective buyers who will take on the repayment and enjoy the improvements’ benefits.
The city says the CEIP helps homeowners expand Calgary’s efforts on climate action towards net-zero emissions by 2050. The program has received 240 pre-qualifications so far, with an estimated $370,000 of financing committed to participants. Nine solar PV projects, 11 HVAC and water heating improvements, eight window, door, or insulation improvements, and the program’s first air source heat pump are currently under construction.
The average financing requested per home through the program is just over $21,500. CEIP can be stacked with other financing and rebate programs, such as Canada Greener Homes, but it does not apply retroactively.
The program is offered by the City of Calgary in partnership with Alberta Municipalities and has been launched in a total of nine municipalities across Alberta. CEIP is first being launched for residential properties, but expansion of the program to commercial offerings is expected in the coming years. The City received $15 million from the Government of Canada’s Green Municipal Fund to support the implementation of CEIP for residential properties.
Interested applicants are encouraged to visit calgary.ca/ceip to sign up for email updates and learn how to prepare for their application.
