Solar Nova Scotia’s Mission
Solar Nova Scotia is a volunteer, non-profit solar industry association committed to enabling the widespread adoption of solar energy and battery storage in Nova Scotia.
We unite the solar industry through networking and educational events, empower the public and professionals with training opportunities, promote our corporate members, conduct vital research, and advocate for solar-friendly legislation. Our mission is to foster a collaborative and informed community that advances solar energy and battery solutions to meet provincial climate goals.
What We Do:
- We Bring the Solar Industry Together: for networking and community-building events like the Atlantic Canada Solar Summit and through partnerships with aligned goals.
- We Educate the Public and Build Industry Capacity: through initiatives like our “Discover Solar” presentation series, our popular Facebook Discussion Group, industry training events, and knowledge sharing with partners to bring solar training to Nova Scotia.
- We Promote our Corporate Members: through social media, our NS Solar Directory, and sponsorship opportunities.
- We Conduct Solar Research: to identify solutions and remove barriers to the adoption of solar energy and battery storage in Nova Scotia.
- We Advocate on Behalf of the Solar Industry: engaging members and advocating to create a regulatory environment that encourages the adoption of solar.
What We Believe:
- Solar Energy has a vital role to play in helping Nova Scotia reach its goal of Net-Zero Electricity by 2035 and a Net-Zero Economy by 2050.
- The Solar Industry is a community of many stakeholders that needs a voice and a seat at the table when it comes to planning for the energy future of Nova Scotia.
- The industry provides widespread benefits to Nova Scotians, including economic growth, jobs, and environmental benefits.
- Nova Scotia can be a Canadian leader in Distributed Energy Resources.
- Collaboration and innovation are key to achieving sustainable energy solutions.
A Growing Solar Industry in Nova Scotia
The past 12 months have been transformative, here’s how:
Record Installations
- Nova Scotia achieved a record with 2,133 new net-metered installations in 2023. This marks the 10th straight record year for solar installations.
- New large-scale Community Solar Gardens opened in Mahone Bay and Berwick. The 4.8 MW facility in Berwick is currently the largest solar installation in Nova Scotia.
Related info:
Regulatory Improvements
- Nova Scotia released its Clean Power Plan, which details how it will reach its 2030 Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act Goals (EGCCRA) of phasing out coal and 80% renewable energy generation. The plan marks an important shift away from the Atlantic Loop mega-project and has a stronger focus on local distributed energy resources. This new plan includes a much stronger role for the NS solar industry. It calls for 300 MW of commercial solar and 300-400 MW of battery storage by 2030. It also calls for 150 MW of Demand Response, for which batteries can play a key role.
- Nova Scotia passed the Energy Reform Act which created a new NS Energy Board to regulate energy and an Independent System Operator, removing this function from Nova Scotia Power. The Energy Board will be required to consider the EGCCRA in its decision-making. The independent system operator should increase transparency and accountability to Nova Scotians and the energy sector.
- Solar Nova Scotia’s Industry Committee, along with our consultant, was actively engaged in multiple NS Utility and Review Board hearings providing representation to the industry that now employs hundreds of Nova Scotians. This included the following matters: M10872 Commercial Net-Metering, M10904 Interconnection Processes, MM11475 Cost of Service Study, M11626 Commercial Net Metering Report M11621 Smart Grid Atlantic. The Industry Committee is actively engaged with our Corporate Members, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources & Renewables, Nova Scotia Power, and other key stakeholders, bringing key issues to light and ensuring the solar industry can continue to grow and thrive.
- Nova Scotia Power released an interactive Solar Grid Hosting Capacity Map which provides greater transparency in solar project development.
New Programs and Incentives
- New Federal Tax Credits, the Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit and the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit are making commercial solar and energy storage more cost-effective than ever.
- Efficiency Nova Scotia launched its Smart Synergy Demand Response Program which can now incentivize battery storage for customer contributions to system peak load reductions.
- The new Commercial Net-Metering Program opened allowing commercial solar installations up to 1 MW, a significant increase from the previous cap of 100 kW.
- The new Community Solar Program launched, allowing large scale community solar gardens (up to 10 MW each.) The program will allow more Nova Scotians to benefit from solar.
Related info:
Other Solar NS News
- Solar Nova Scotia hosted the sold-out 2023 Atlantic Canada Solar Summit at the Halifax Convention Centre. We welcomed over 350 delegates for the event, including a trade show, industry training day, presentations, and great networking opportunities. We are gearing up for the 2024 Atlantic Canada Solar Summit. A call for sponsorships and presentations will be going out in mid-June. Contact info@solarns.ca for more information.
- Solar Nova Scotia worked with an external consultant to develop new by-laws which were subsequently adopted by our members. The new by-laws help with our transformation to better represent the industry as an industry association.
- Our popular Solar Nova Scotia Facebook Discussion Group is approaching 6000 members and is the go-to place for the public to discuss solar in NS!
Board Of Directors
Our Board of Directors are experts in renewable energy and education, helping us empower people to go solar.
David Brushett
Efficiency NS
Mark Shelley
Sun Kissed Energy Inc
Sheena Parris
Government of Nova Scotia
John Jennex
Solar Ascent
Julian Boyle
Switch PACE CIC
Roby Douglas
Natural Forces Solar
Thomas Baltzer
EastPoint Engineering
Jamie Rendle
Watts Up Solar ltd.
Steven Vezina
TreeTop Solar
William Morris
Guillevin International
Dave Corning
Efficiency NS
David Brushett
Efficiency NS
Mark Shelley
Sun Kissed Energy Inc
Sheena Parris
Government of Nova Scotia
Roby Douglas
Natural Forces Solar
Steven Vezina
TreeTop Solar
FAQ
Your Questions Answered
Explore our frequently asked questions to find answers to common queries about solar energy.
What is solar energy?
Solar energy is radiation from the Sun that is capable of producing heat, causing chemical reactions, or generating electricity. There are a variety of ways in which the sun’s energy can be harnessed including;
Solar Photovoltaics (PV) generates electricity. Solar panels produce DC (Direct Current) power which then needs to be inverted to AC (Alternating Current) to be used by your house and the grid, or fed directly to a battery bank in the case of an off-grid system. Solar PV is the dominant form of solar technology and most of these questions are geared towards Solar PV.
Solar Hot Water uses heat from the sun to heat up and circulate water.
Passive Solar is a building practice that utilizes the sun in passive ways. Skylights and sun tunnels are examples of passive solar design. Another example would be large south-facing windows with an overhanging roof such that the house is heated by the sun when it’s lower in the sky in the winter and cooled by the overhang when the sun is higher in the sky in the summer.
Why use solar energy?
Is the design process for an on-grid system the same as that for an off-grid system?
The design process for an on-grid system differs greatly from that of an off-grid system. An on-grid system typically does not have batteries and does not require batteries except in a grid outage.
An off-grid system requires an in-depth knowledge of the electrical loads and battery maintenance by both the installer and the customer. In general, off-grid systems require more planning, consultation, and industry knowledge; they are also more expensive (mainly due to the cost of the batteries) and often require more existing infrastructure, such as non-electric heat sources or hot water sources.
The design process for a grid-tied system is relatively simple, as the installer does not need to know what the electricity is used for.
A grid-tied system also does not need to meet the entire electrical demand of the property. Most installers use satellite imagery and your historical annual kWh usage (commonly found at the bottom right-hand side of your NSP bill) to determine how many panels can fit on the roof or ground and what the production will be for that system size.
Can I install my own solar energy system?
Will a grid-tied solar system power my home during a power outage?
A solar PV system can produce more power than your property uses in a day, and this excess goes back to the grid. During a power outage, you cannot export power to the grid as it could injure line-workers, so all grid-tied Solar PV systems are designed and required to shut down automatically as soon as they stop detecting the grid. This is called “anti-islanding”.
Additional components can be installed that allow a part or all of a grid-tied solar PV system to operate during an outage. However, this typically requires a significant investment and is not trivial.
Is my home a good site for solar?
How do I get professional design and installation help?
Solar Nova Scotia suggests you check out our Solar NS Corporate Directory
