Solar for Your Home
Investing in energy-efficient upgrades for your home can result in long-term savings. With a variety of financing options available that help you be more energy efficient, improve your comfort, and ensure you have a positive impact on the environment.
- Nova Scotians have the unique right to install a solar system up to 27kW to offset their annual electricity usage without signing a net-metering program. Self-Generating Option (nspower.ca)
- In Nova Scotia, a government rebate on installed Photovoltaic, the Provincial SolarHomes Rebate from Efficiency Nova Scotia.
- Canada Greener Homes Loan offers interest-free financing to help Canadians make their homes more energy efficient and comfortable. The loan can help you finance eligible retrofits that are recommended by an energy advisor and that have not yet been started. Maximum: $40,000 Minimum: $5,000 Repayment term: 10 years, interest-free.
- Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing (PACE) : These are municipal finance programs - that is, loans. Halifax's PACE offering is called Solar City.
- Net metering: that is, Nova Scotia Power buying back power from you at the same rate you pay for it.
Solar for Your Business
Businesses across Nova Scotia are increasingly seeking inventive methods to diminish their carbon emissions and decrease energy expenditures. A trending option gaining traction is solar power.
Generate up to 75kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity on their roofs or properties and sell it to their utility under a 20-year contract.
- The Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit is a refundable credit equal to 30% of the capital cost of eligible clean technology equipment that became available for use after March 27, 2023. As a refundable credit, this credit does not need a company to pay tax to receive it. The Clean Technology Investment Tax Credit is claimed by filing a prescribed form with the claimant’s income tax return for the year in which the eligible property is acquired. Contact your Accountant.
- It is recommended that you contact your utility to understand the cost of interconnecting your solar project before applying. Interconnection costs can vary widely.
- The Commercial Net Metering Program from Nova Scotia Power is available to customers looking to net-meter up to 1 MW, and offset up to 100% of their annual electricity usage.
- Contact Efficiency Nova Scotia for more information about solar PV rebates.
Solar for Your Community
- A community solar garden is a large area with many solar panels on it (like the rooftop of a large industrial building or land could become a community solar garden). A 1-megawatt community solar garden requires about 4 to 6 acres of land.
- The electricity generated from a community solar garden goes into the province’s main electricity grid to help power buildings, homes and appliances of participating subscribers.
- Community solar gardens make renewable energy more accessible (even for people who wouldn’t be able to install solar panels, like renters, condos and people with shaded roofs). Subscribers get a credit on their electricity bill for the power generated by their share of the solar garden.
Resources
- Application Form and Documents
- Toolkit for potential project owners (community solar garden owners), subscribers, and the general public
- Sign up to the Community Solar Program email list to get notified about program updates. To subscribe to the email list, send an email to sharedsolar@novascotia.ca
FAQ
Your Questions Answered
Explore our frequently asked questions to find answers to common queries about solar energy.
How long will my solar system last?
A Solar PV system will last as long as its component parts do. Solar PV Systems can broadly be divided into 3 categories, each with varying warranty lengths.
Solar Panels Solar Panels have two types of warranty. Linear Output (a.k.a production warranty) and Product Warranty.
Solar Panels degrade over time as they get damaged by the sun, and as they degrade, their output decreases. A typical degradation rate is 15% over 25 years. A linear output warranty allows for a replacement panel if the panel starts producing less than it’s expected to – most linear output warranties are 25 years. Although rare, a panel ceasing to function entirely would be covered by a product warranty, which is typically 10+ years. Although panels degrade over time, a system’s performance should not noticeably decrease over 25 years if the panels are a higher wattage than the inverter(s) which is a fairly standard practice.
Inverters Inverters take DC power produced by solar panels and convert it to AC power to be used by your house and the grid. There are different types (string or central inverters and micro-inverters), each with their pros and cons, and varying costs and warranty lengths. Efficiency Nova Scotia recommends an inverter warranty of at least 10 years.
Racking
Roof Mounted racking is typically aluminum, and most types carry at least a 20-year warranty. Ground-mounted frames are normally galvanized steel or concrete ballast. Generally speaking, roof-mounted racking is rated for higher wind loads than ground-mounted frames because most roof-mounted racking is not tilted up at an angle away from the roof.
Generally, a solar PV system is expected to last 25 years and potentially much longer.
How do I get professional design and installation help?
Solar Nova Scotia would suggest you search our directory for a reputable solar provider.
My building's roof needs replacing soon. Does it make sense to combine the installations?
What is a Solar Energy System Design Brief?
A Solar System Design Brief, or solar proposal/quote is what a solar installer will provide a potential client. Typically, a proposal will include the number of panels that can fit on a roof in a viable configuration, either done through satellite imagery, drone photos, or physical measuring of the roof.
It will have a calculation for the annual kWh production of the system often compared against an existing power bill. It should list the brands/model numbers of the equipment, particularly panels and inverters.
Solar proposals are often presented as a long-term investment. The idea is that the amount of power produced should remain roughly the same year to year, but the “escalation rate,” or the rate of power you pay for, will increase over time. Historically, the escalation rate has been 3-3.5% per year over the past 10 years. However, an installer is free to set whatever escalation rate they think is best for their proposals.
What are the effects of snow on panels?
Snow on the panels will partially or completely shut down PV power production until the snow comes off. When the snow comes off, it does so exactly like a metal roof (it slumps), so if you’re filling the roof all the way to the edge with solar panels, a good consideration would be to ensure that there’s nothing below that could be damaged/injured by falling snow or avoid placing panels too close to the edge.
In terms of production, solar power is heavily skewed towards the summer months, so anything you’re able to get out of the panels in the winter is great but not expected.
Is Nova Scotia a good place for solar energy?
Like most of North America, Nova Scotia is a good place for solar energy. However, some unique aspects make solar here an excellent investment. Nova Scotia has a culture of environmentalism and strong backing from the provincial government.
It is also one of the only places where kWh for kWh* (the rate you pay for power is the same rate the utility must pay you for your power)* is provincial law instead of a contract with a utility. We also have some of the highest utility rates in Canada, which means the value of a kWh produced in Nova Scotia is higher than elsewhere.
Do I have to clean my solar panels?
I'd like to be a solar contractor/carpenter/technician. What is my first step?
There are several different approaches to solar contractors/installers. Still, in general, it’s a labour-intensive career requiring heavy lifting (panels can weigh up to 70 lbs) and is comfortable working on a roof.
Getting fall arrest training and equipment would be the recommended first step.
Other suggestions might be reaching out to existing companies in our directory or taking an educational course like NSCC’s Introduction to Solar Photovoltaic Systems Design
