"We're thrilled to celebrate Earth Day(R) by adding Canadian Standards Association (CSA) approved solar panels to our list of eligible products for the Green Mortgage rebate. This provides an additional financial incentive to our customers who have made the decision to move towards sustainable energy to power their homes," says Chris Wisniewski, AVP, Real Estate Secured Lending, TD Canada Trust. "Our recent TD Canada Trust Green Home Poll showed that more than one quarter of Canadians have undergone a green home renovation and the majority (88%) are happy with the results."

Karen Clarke-Whistler, Chief Environment Officer, TD, predicts that solar panels will be standard on homes in 10 years. "Energy prices are only going to go one way, and that is up, so homeowners will be looking for ways to reduce costs," said Clarke-Whistler. "With an increasing number of provincial government-backed incentive programs being rolled out across the country, we expect the solar products market to evolve rapidly. We can expect product innovation, a wider choice of products and increased affordability as more manufacturers enter the market."

The TD Canada Trust Green Home Poll also revealed that 66% of Canadians say that tax credits would make them more likely to make energy efficient upgrades to their homes. "This shows that financial incentives really work when it comes to encouraging energy efficient home upgrades, so we hope that our Green Mortgage rebate will encourage our customers to consider renewable energy sources for their homes," says Wisniewski.

How the Green Mortgage rebate works:

Customers receive 1% off the posted interest rate on a five-year fixed rate mortgage or on a five-year fixed rate portion of a Green Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). As well, TD Canada Trust will rebate up to 1% of the amount of the mortgage or the fixed rate portion of the HELOC when you purchase CSA approved solar panels or make ENERGY STAR(R) qualified purchases. And, for a limited time until June 30, 2010, TD Canada Trust will rebate up to 1.5% of the amount of the mortgage or the fixed rate portion of the HELOC (http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/greenhome/index.jsp).