Nova Scotia Launches Canada’s First Community Solar Gardens – Subscribe Without Installing Panels

Nova Scotia has launched Canada’s first subscription-based community solar garden program, allowing residents to buy into locally generated solar power without installing panels on their own property. The first garden launched in Cape Breton in late 2024, and by mid-2025, additional gardens were announced in Sydney, Annapolis County, and rural HRM. The province has committed to building 50 MW of community solar over the next five years as part of a broader target of 500 MW of new local renewable energy by 2026.

How Nova Scotia’s Community Solar Gardens Work

The concept is straightforward: a community group builds a solar installation on their property and sells subscriptions to local residents and businesses. Subscribers receive credits on their Nova Scotia Power bill for the electricity their share of the garden produces.

How subscriptions work:

• You subscribe to a share of a community solar garden’s output
• Your share generates electricity that flows into the Nova Scotia Power grid
• You receive a bill credit of 7.441¢/kWh of solar energy generated (2026 rate, rising 2% annually)
• An additional $0.02/kWh credit remains fixed for the life of your subscription
• Credits appear on your regular electricity bill

Who runs the gardens:

The gardens are owned and operated by community organizations, non-profits, and social enterprises – not utilities or private developers. The first garden at Pine Tree Park Estates in Sydney is operated by New Dawn Enterprises, Cape Breton’s largest social enterprise. The second Sydney garden is a partnership between AI Renewables and the Multicultural Association of Cape Breton, with $340,000 in provincial funding to build a 1.7 MW facility.

Why This Matters for Nova Scotians

The SolarHomes rebate is closed. Efficiency Nova Scotia stopped accepting new applications in April 2025. The previous $0.30/watt rebate (up to $3,000) is no longer available to homeowners. Approved projects must be completed by March 31, 2026 to receive funding.

Community solar fills the gap. With the rebate gone, the community solar program becomes the primary way for Nova Scotians to access solar energy – especially those who couldn’t install panels anyway:

• Renters: Subscribe to a garden and get bill credits without any installation
• Homeowners with shaded or unsuitable roofs: Buy into a garden on better-sited land
• Low-income households: The provincial funding model prioritises community-owned projects that serve underserved populations

Nova Scotia has the highest electricity rates in Atlantic Canada. Nova Scotia Power’s residential rate is approximately 18.2¢/kWh – well above the national average. A community solar subscription generating 5,000 kWh annually would save roughly $470/year on your bill at current credit rates. That’s meaningful savings for Atlantic Canadian households.

Current and Upcoming Solar Gardens

The province is targeting 50 MW of community solar over the next five years. At the scale of the Sydney Solar project (1.7 MW), that’s roughly 30 community gardens across the province.

What Happens Next

• Now: Pine Tree Park Estates garden operational, serving 29 subscribers
• 2026: Sydney Solar (1.7 MW), Annapolis County, and rural HRM gardens expected online
• October 2025 onward: Program application intake resumed after summer review
• By 2026: Province targeting 500 MW of new local renewable energy total

The program guide was updated in August 2025, and applications reopened in October 2025. Community groups interested in hosting a garden can apply for provincial funding support.

What You Can Do Right Now

1. Check if a garden is available near you. Use Nova Scotia Power’s Community Solar Garden Calculator to estimate your bill savings from a subscription.
2. If you can install panels: The SolarHomes rebate is closed, but Nova Scotia still offers net metering and PACE financing through municipalities. Solar at current NS Power rates (18.2¢/kWh) has a payback period of 8-12 years even without rebates.
3. Start a garden. If you’re part of a community organisation, non-profit, or co-op, the Community Solar Program accepts applications for new gardens with provincial funding support.
4. Check our Nova Scotia Solar Guide for the full breakdown of available incentives and installer options.