Cape Breton Pioneers Canada's First Community Solar Garden

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia is set to host Canada's inaugural subscription-based community solar garden, a pioneering initiative aimed at providing affordable, renewable electricity to residents. This project, spearheaded by New Dawn Enterprises at its Pine Tree Park Estates in Sydney, marks a significant step towards accessible clean energy for Nova Scotians.

A Groundbreaking Initiative

The community solar garden, a first for Canada, will supply clean electricity to housing units and other buildings within the Pine Tree Park Estates. Residents can subscribe to this solar energy and will receive a credit on their Nova Scotia Power bills for the energy generated. This model is designed to benefit those who cannot install solar panels on their own properties due to various constraints such as lack of roof space, shading, or living in apartments or condos.

Key Takeaways

• Canada's first subscription-based community solar garden is launching in Cape Breton.

• The project aims to provide affordable, renewable electricity to residents.

• New Dawn Enterprises is the community developer behind the initiative.

• Subscribers will receive credits on their electricity bills.

Expanding Access to Renewable Energy

Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables, Tory Rushton, highlighted the project's importance in reducing emissions and making clean energy accessible, particularly for vulnerable Nova Scotians. The solar garden features 29 residential and commercial subscribers and will have an output of 555 kilowatts, expected to be operational by the end of the month.

Provincial Support and Climate Goals

The Community Solar Program is a key component of Nova Scotia's climate change plan, "Our Climate, Our Future." The province is committed to developing 500 megawatts of local, renewable energy by 2026, including an additional 50 megawatts of community solar over the next five years. The provincial government has provided significant financial support, contributing $475,000 in 2023-24 and an additional $5.2 million in 2024-25 to facilitate the installation of community solar gardens across the province. This investment is expected to attract over $200 million in capital investments.

Community Impact and Future Outlook

Erika Shea, CEO of New Dawn Enterprises, emphasized the project's role in addressing energy poverty within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. "Mechanisms like community solar enable communities and community organizations, like New Dawn in partnership with the Verschuren Centre, to take actions that help to ease some of this difficulty," Shea stated. The initiative is projected to lower utility costs for participants and reduce the collective environmental impact.

Each community solar garden can generate between 0.5 to 10 megawatts of power, with one megawatt capable of powering over 100 homes annually. Subscribers to this program will receive a solar energy credit of $0.02 per kilowatt hour on their power bills.

Sources

• Canada’s First Project in Subscription-Based Community Solar Garden Program to Launch in Cape Breton |Government of Nova Scotia News Releases, Government of Nova Scotia.