The province is investing $5.2 million on a Community Solar Program.

The aim is to help build solar gardens so that the renewable energy can be sold to subscribers who are unable to install panels of their own.

Businesses, universities, colleges, non-profits, co-operatives and First Nation communities would be permitted to build them.

Tory Rushton, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables says, “This is just one of the many changes we’re making to give Nova Scotians clean, reliable power at affordable rates, while helping us reach our climate change goals.”

The province says there are many reasons why some people can’t have solar panels, like living in an apartment or condo or having too much shade on your roof.

Each garden can produce up to 10 mw of power.  One mw can power about 131 homes for a year.

They are expected to be up and running by spring 2026, at that point you can subscribe to them for power at a slightly lower rate, getting a credit of $0.02 per kw hour on your power bill.

The province says they are committed to introducing at least 500 mw of new, local, renewable energy by 2026, as well as an additional 50 mw of new community solar.