Partners

Participation Process

Step 1

Potential customers are encouraged to reach out to solar partner installers and seek 3 quotes for projects. Once a partner has been selected for the project, the partner will be responsible for completing required SolarHomes applications and supporting documents.

Step 2

Once approval has been given to the customer to proceed with the project, solar equipment can then be purchased and installed.

Step 3

Once installation and final electrical inspection have been completed, the solar partner will be responsible for submitting the SolarHomes Rebate Application as well as all required documents. Once Efficiency Nova Scotia receives these documents, the customer’s rebate cheque will be mailed within 6 – 8.

Rebates

Efficiency Nova Scotia will post current rebate levels at www.efficiencyns.ca/solarhomes
Rebates are based on the nameplate wattage of the solar panels (DC).
Rebates are capped at $10,000 per home, or up to 40% of the total system cost (excluding HST).
Efficiency Nova Scotia reserves the right to decline pre-approval where it is determined that the system will not meet appropriate performance potential for the projected expense.
Efficiency Nova Scotia acknowledges the importance of equal access to affordable renewable energy (including solar PV systems) to all Nova Scotians, regardless of income, geographical location, or housing type. On this basis, Efficiency Nova Scotia reserves the right to change incentive levels, amend the eligibility criteria, or end this program to achieve this objective at any time.
The rebate is conditional upon the participant operating the equipment for a minimum period of 36 months following payment of the rebate. In the event that the participant ceases to use the equipment prior to the expiry of the 36-month period, the participant shall repay to Efficiency Nova Scotia a pro rata payment equivalent to 1/36th of the total rebate, multiplied by the number of months or partial months remaining in the 36-month period.

Participant Eligibility

Single family homes (including detached, semi-detached, townhouses and rowhouses) located in Nova Scotia are eligible.
Seasonal properties may be eligible; however, rebates may be reduced. If a grid-connected residential property is not used year-round but the system is net metered year-round, the rebate level will be not change, but will be subject to net metering sizing requirements. For off-grid seasonal residential properties, the rebate is 50% of the standard rebate.
First Nations Band-owned homes and Co-operative Housing are eligible.
The program participant must own the home and the equipment (financed and lease-to-own systems are eligible).
For electrical grid-connected homes, the participating home must have a residential utility account and the utility must allow net metering.
Expansions to existing systems are permitted as long as the expansion meets the minimum size requirement of 1 kW.
Participants receiving pre-approval from Efficiency Nova Scotia will be given a specified period under which the rebates will be available. This is 6 months for existing homes and 12 months for homes under construction. If this timeline expires without the system being installed and all final documentation received by Efficiency Nova Scotia, the participant will need to re-apply for pre-approval. Rebate levels are subject to change following expiry of this timeline.
Participants must be willing to participate in site visits from Efficiency Nova Scotia and/or their third-party representatives for quality assurance and evaluation purposes.
Where system performance data is collected, participants agree to share with Efficiency Nova Scotia and/or their third-party representatives.
Multi-unit residential, non-profit (non-residential use), commercial, institutional or industrial buildings are not eligible for rebates.
This rebate is designed to be a stand-alone rebate and not combined with other forms of direct government incentives. It is the responsibility of the participant to ensure they are not combining (i.e. stacking) multiple financial government incentives.

Solar Photovoltaic System Eligibility

Equipment must be new and include a permanently affixed nameplate that states the manufacturer and model number.
The minimum system size needed to qualify for a rebate is 1 kW.
While there is no set maximum system size, the maximum rebate will be the lesser of $10,000 or 40% of total eligible system costs. Eligible system costs include:
- expenses (excluding HST) for the purchase of the solar PV equipment for the project (i.e. solar PV modules, racking, inverters, transformer (if any), cabling, conduit, fittings, disconnects and monitoring interface);
- expenses (excluding HST) for the installation of the project;
Solar PV systems can be net-metered (connected to the grid), or they can also be independent of, and not connected to the grid (also known as off-grid).
If the system is net-metered, there must be compliance with net metering procedures, including completion of the Interconnection Request and Equipment Information Form.
All Equipment must meet applicable provincial, federal and municipal licenses, permits and approvals. Approved Solar Installers will work with participants to ensure these requirements are met, including adherence to the equipment criteria outlined below.
All solar PV equipment installed, including array and ancillary equipment, and all installation work must be in compliance with the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) and have a CSA or other internationally recognized standards agency symbol. This includes compliance with CEC CSA 22.2 No. 107.1 and be inspected prior to being energized.
Applicable Solar PV system equipment standards for Nova Scotia include:
- CSA – C61215 (revised 2013) – Crystalline Silicon Terrestrial PV Modules;
- CSA – C61646.10 – Thin Film PV Modules;
- CSA – C62817.15 – Design Qualifications for Solar Trackers (only applicable for ground mounted systems using solar tracking systems);
- CSA – C61730 – PV Module Safety Qualifications;
- UL1741 Standard for Inverters, Converters, Controllers and Interconnection System Equipment for Use with Distributed Energy Resources;
- UL 2703 Standard for Mounting Systems, Mounting Devices, Clamping/Retention Devices, and Ground Lugs for Use with Flat Plate PV Modules and Panels;
- IEC 62109 – Central Inverter Safety Qualifications; and
- UL 1703 – PV System Safety Qualifications. (UL 1703 and IEC 61730 are being merged to create one international standard for PV system safety that will become the recognized standard for all future equipment).
- Note: UL certification indicates compliance with the National Electrical Code in the United States. Any supplier displaying only a UL symbol should be asked to prove compliance with CEC.
Ancillary equipment for a solar PV system includes the following: AC and DC cabling, combiner boxes, switches, meters, panels, and transformers required to allow the array to feed AC power to the customer’s building or to the grid. Installations must follow CSA SPE-900-13 Solar PV rooftop installation best practices guideline (2013).
Grid connected installations must comply with CEC section 64 as well as Nova Scotia Power interconnection guide, corresponding with section 84 of CEC.
Off-grid connected systems should follow all generally accepted industry best practices including CSA SPE – 900-13, as well as be in compliance with the CEC Section 64 for renewable energy systems.
Modules must carry a minimum warranty of 20-year power performance and 10-year manufacturing. Inverter(s) and/or micro-inverter(s) must carry a minimum 10-year manufacturing warranty.

Solar Photovoltaic System Installation Requirements

Systems must be designed and installed by an Efficiency Nova Scotia Approved Solar Installer. Residents are not permitted to install the system themselves.
Equipment must be installed on a rooftop or ground-mounted. Systems installed on portable or temporary structures are not eligible. This would include, for example, recreational vehicles and trailers.
Equipment must be either installed or connected on or after June 25, 2018 to be eligible for a rebate. The date on the signed final electrical inspection will be used to verify the equipment installation date and the date(s) on the Net Metering Interconnection Agreement will be used to verify the connected date.

Contact information
1. Efficiency Trade Network – network@efficiencyns.ca
2. SolarHomes Team – solarpV@efficiencyns.ca
3. Other Inquiries – info@efficiencyns.ca or 1-877-999-6035
Forms
1. Pre-Approval Form
2. Rebate Application Form
3. Direction to Pay Form
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