April 22, 2026
Solar energy and battery storage is booming in Nova Scotia. In April, Nova Scotia Power (NSP), the province’s largest energy provider, released figures for new installations in the province, including 99 new commercial solar installations completed in 2025, a 41% increase from 2024. The 2025 installations bring the number of commercial solar nosings to 342 commercial solar installations in the province, not including behind-the-meter installations that are not connected to the grid.
Residential solar is surpassing commercial solar in both numbers and megawatts in Nova Scotia. There are now more than 13,000 solar customers within the Nova Scotia Power grid with the capacity to generate more than 110 MW, the utility estimates.
“There is more work coming in than ever before,” says Michael Rendle, CEO of Watts up solar energylocated in Wilmot, Nova Scotia. Watts Up is a Nova Scotia-grown company that operates nearly 20% of all residential net-metered solar PV systems in the province. With more than 1,500 installations, the company’s customers have generated more than 63 GWh and have 323 kWh of storage. “All services in-house. Our team is local to Nova Scotia and we do not outsource or outsource to third parties,” according to the company’s website.
Ambitious targets in the field of renewable energy
As a province that relies heavily on coal for electricity generation, Nova Scotia has ambitious goals to replace coal with clean energy. Nova Scotia Powerthe main utility in the province, has set a target of having an 80% share of renewable energy sources in its electricity production by 2030. While renewables accounted for about 42% of the utility’s energy base in 2025, solar now provides only about 1% of energy.
The provincial government also has a goal to phase out coal production by achieving 80% renewable energy by 2030, along with a more ambitious state of net zero renewable energy by 2035. By 2030, the provincial Clean Power Plan will add nearly 2,000 MW of wind, solar and battery storage.
One driving force behind the expansion of the province is the new one Community Nova Scotia targeting 100 MW of new capacity. The program increases the size of installations that can carry out net measurements of 1 MW. Solar energy generated is sold to Nova Scotia Power through a power purchase agreement (PPA). Homes or businesses enter into a subscription agreement with the project owner and continue to purchase energy from NSP and receive a $0.02/kWh solar credit on their bill, which represents a bill reduction of 10% to 15%.
Community Nova Scotia projects are 100% privately funded, owned and operated. In turn, project owners can obtain financing from special purpose lenders such as Woodbridge, Ontario-based AI Renewable LP, a flow-through limited partnership created to invest in clean infrastructure and/or renewable energy projects.
More First Nation tribal energy efficiency projects, including solar, will similarly contribute to the provincial renewable energy target. The Mi’kmaw home energy efficiency project for example, supports Nova Scotia’s 13 First Nation communities to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project has already helped around 1,400 homes since it started in 2018.
Rising energy costs, more financing for solar energy
In Nova Scotia, solar energy has become a no-brainer. Aside from the 30% federal tax credit, there are plenty of government incentives. The provincial Efficiency Nova Scotia Solar Homes Program offers a rebate of $0.30 per watt of DC installed, up to a maximum of $3,000. Similarly, the Home Battery Pilot offers up to $2,500 for qualifying battery storage systems; when combined with solar energy, the subsidy is limited to $300/kWh or 40% of the total system cost.
At the municipal level, several municipalities, such as Halifax, offer relatively low-interest, 10-year PACE loans that are tied to property taxes.
Rising energy costs are also driving solar energy adoption. Polaron Solar estimates that energy costs in Nova Scotia have risen between 2.1 and 4.1% recently, and that costs will continue to rise this year.
Polaron has been Canada’s largest solar company since 2013, with more than 13,200 residential and commercial installations across the country, the company claims. Polaron is also the largest solar installer in Nova Scotia, where 1 in 3 solar homes is installed by the company. In addition to Halifax, the provincial capital, Polaron has five other service areas in Nova Scotia. Polaron is also in the market through a presence in several Home Depot stores in the county.
Installer training crucial for growth
One of the challenges of being a large solar installer in Canada is adding enough trained solar installers to keep up with growth. Polaron and WattsUp both run internal training programs, which are partially supported by government programs. The Clean Power Plan, for example, aims to “support training programs that will help workers transition to new opportunities in the green economy,” according to the program’s website.
Government support is key to solar growth, installers say. “The federal government recently announced a massive $48.5 million investment in the Green Jobs Through Youth program, a move that signals a major shift in how Canada prepares its workforce for a low-carbon future,” Polaron says on its website.
“While the funding is a critical step in closing the employment gap for young Canadians, its impact on the renewable energy sector is also a loud statement about how Canada plans to advance its energy sector,” Polaron said.
Tags: commercial and industrial, Solar Builder Canada
