New grants for the purchase of solar water heaters and air-water heat pumps were launched by the Energy Ministry on Saturday.
The €1 million investment is aimed at incentivising residents to choose more energy-efficient alternatives to standard water geysers, by offering them three grants covering part of the cost of energy-saving and solar-powered water heaters.
What are the grants?
The first scheme is for air-water heat pumps, which can be used in apartments where residents don’t have access to a roof, and which will save the consumer between 50-75% of the electricity they normally consume using a standard geyser.
Beneficiaries will receive up to 50% of its total cost, capped at €1,000.
Residents with access to their roof can take advantage of the second and third schemes.
The thermal basic scheme offers a grant of up to €700 for a solar water heater with a five-year guarantee.
The thermal premium scheme offers a grant covering up to 75% of the costs of a stainless steel solar water heater, capped at €1,400. Another supplementary grant of €500 will cover the maintenance of these stainless steel water heaters for 10 years.
A household will recuperate their initial investment on this solar heater after around four years and stands to save more than €2,000 euros in utility bill expenses over a period of 10 years, Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said.
“These grants are the strongest yet regarding solar water heaters and heat pumps, and this investment will mean lower bills, improved efficiency and cleaner air,” Dalli said at a press conference.
She pointed out that Malta is ideally suited to take advantage of this type of renewable energy.
“With 3,000 hours of sun and 300 sunny days a year, solar water heaters can meet around 80% of a household’s water heating needs,” she said.
She also added the water heaters have a 20-year lifespan, and can be used alongside solar panels for the generation of a household’s general energy needs.
In February, Dalli announced “the biggest investment in renewables to date" when she launched new grants for residents installing photovoltaic panels and storage batteries.
Applications for the grants open on April 26. More information is available online or by calling freephone 8000 2400.