July 12, 2018 — The Nova Scotia government recently announced the new SolarHomes Program, which will help Nova Scotians save money on their electricity bills by installing solar panels.

On average, a solar electricity system can save homeowners about $1,300 per year, the Nova Scotian government reports.

Under the program, which will be administered by Efficiency Nova Scotia, homeowners will receive a $1 per watt rebate, or roughly 30% of the installation cost of a solar electricity system. The average rebate will be about $7,000 and the maximum rebate will be $10,000.

Dartmouth, N.S.-based Thermo Dynamics expects to expand its solar manufacturing and installation business to help meet demand created by the program.

“We are going to start manufacturing solar electricity equipment, in addition to our solar thermal operations,” said Paul Sajko, general manager, Thermo Dynamics. “It’s a multi-million-dollar investment that will create dozens of jobs, but now is the right time to go for it.”

Program funding comes from the Government of Canada’s commitment of $14 million per year for four years to Nova Scotia from the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund. The province is investing $3 million a year for four years to support the fund.