Nova Scotia Power Solar Program Overview
Nova Scotia Power is a privately-owned electric utility company in Canada and has been around for 48 years. Owned by Emera Incorporated, it provides service to about 500,000 people in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Power generates electricity through coal, natural gas, wind, hydroelectric, biomass and solar energy sources.
Nova Scotia Power supports many solar customers (and more every day!) who are connected to the energy grid. In the long run, installing your own home solar system is a money-saving option, saving the average Nova Scotian $1,300 per year. Solar is especially attractive when you take advantage of existing solar rebates and incentives from provincial and federal governments.
How the Nova Scotia Solar Program Works
Solar energy generated from your own solar panel system can be used to power your home, store energy in a home battery, or sell the power back to the electricity grid. To power your home, you need a solar system and sunlight. To store energy for future use (like at night), you need a special home battery. To sell power back to the grid, you need a two-way system and a meter that is hooked up to the utility grid. These function together to send energy back to the grid and offset your electric bill, a program which is called net metering, Net Energy Metering or NEM.
Nova Scotia Power offers Enhanced Net Metering. There is an online tool for checking the validity of your location, and EnergyPal can help you determine if your home is applicable. The energy you sell back to Nova Scotia Power is purchased at the same retail rate you would pay for it. This amount you sell back to Nova Scotia Power lowers your bill. It becomes a credit and goes against the cost of retail electricity you use when you cannot supply yourself with enough solar energy. Note that credits do not apply to monthly base charges.
At the end of a year, if you have credits for producing surplus solar energy from your panels, then Nova Scotia Power compensates you at regular residential rates in cash. Overall, you can offset your electric bill to near zero and maybe even get paid! EnergyPal will help you size and configure your solar and home battery system appropriately to ensure you maximize your financial savings and energy independence.
Becoming a Nova Scotia Power Solar Customer
In addition to reducing fossil fuel consumption and diminishing your carbon footprint, you can reduce your monthly Nova Scotia Power bill, improve the resale value of your home and avoid power loss during outages with your own solar (or solar-battery) system. EnergyPal will help you follow these steps:
- Download your Nova Scotia Power bill information on your annual usage.
- Assess the solar potential for your home, and analyze your roof.
- Compare quotes for solar panel systems and finance options.
- Prepare the interconnection application, and sign documentation.
- Install your solar system using qualified workers.
- Pass inspection with local inspectors and Nova Scotia Power.
- Nova Scotia Power will install a new meter so you can get credit for generating your own power!
Upfront Nova Scotia Power Solar Incentives
You can purchase, lease to own or sometimes enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). In a PPA, a company installs a home solar system on your property, and you purchase the solar energy it produces at a fixed rate. You do not own the panels themselves. There are multiple incentive programs available to reduce the upfront costs:
- SolarHomes Program. This program provides a per watt rebate for installation of solar systems, up to the lesser of 25% of the project cost or $6000.
- Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing programs. These programs provide low-cost loans. Your municipality may or may not offer them.
EnergyPal is available to help you navigate Nova Scotia Power bills and the Nova Scotia Power solar program requirements and steps for installing solar. Start by requesting a quote, and we’ll help you through the whole process so you get the right system at the right price and offset your Nova Scotia Power electric bill.