Hauptmenü ein- und ausfahren
Choose your country

Community Solar Program

Overview

The Nova Scotia Community Solar program is an initiative of the province to increase the development of solar projects across Nova Scotia. The Community Solar Program helps community groups and organizations set up solar gardens on their properties and sell subscriptions to the electricity they produce from the solar gardens. The Nova Scotia Community Solar Program is a way of sharing the benefits of solar energy among multiple participants while supporting local economies and helping the province reach our renewable energy goals.

For more information on the Community Solar Program, please visit the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables website:

https://energy.novascotia.ca/renewables/community-solar-program.

How Does the Community Solar Garden Concept Work?

  1. Approved project owners build, own, and operate a community solar garden on their land or property. The project owner pays all the costs of the solar garden setup, which includes the equipment, installation, environmental land surveys, and more.
  2. The solar garden generates electricity and feeds it into NSPI’s power grid.
  3. NSPI pays the project owner a power purchase rate every month.
  4. The project owner solicits and registers subscribers to their solar garden.
  5. Subscribers get a credit on their power bill for solar energy produced, lowering the total cost of electricity.

Who is Involved in the Program?

The Department of Natural Resources and Renewables is responsible for the creation and administration of the Community Solar Program. All project applications will be submitted to the Minister for approval.

NSPI is responsible for responding to and analyzing requests to interconnect to the grid, electrical permitting and inspections, and contracting for energy with the Project applicant(s). NSPI will also meter all energy and administer the credits to subscribers and assist in subscription management. Project applicants will need to work with NSPI closely throughout the process. For more details see NSPI’s Generation Interconnection Procedures.