Friday, May 16, 2025
The future of clean energy in West Petpeswick is looking bright with a new solar garden scheduled to be installed on Halifax Regional Municipality’s eastern shore.
Petpeswick Solar will be built as part of the Province’s Community Solar Program. The program allows people to subscribe to solar gardens for clean electricity at a reduced cost.
“The sun and the wind are among Nova Scotia’s many natural resources for greening our grid and powering our green economy,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith, MLA for Eastern Shore, on behalf of Energy Minister Trevor Boudreau. “This new community solar garden in West Petpeswick will generate clean electricity, create green jobs and attract more investment to Nova Scotia. It’s also a way for Nova Scotians to be part of the solution for clean energy.”
AI Renewables and the Chabad Lubavitch Society of Atlantic Canada are partnering on the Petpeswick Solar project. The Province is contributing $440,000 to help build the solar garden, which will produce 2.2 megawatts.
The company is also partnering with other organizations to build solar gardens in Brooklyn, Annapolis County, and Sydney.
The first solar garden in the program launched in the fall at Pine Tree Park Estates in Sydney. It is supplying 555 kilowatts of solar energy to 29 residential and commercial subscribers in facilities owned by New Dawn Entreprises.
The Province created the Community Solar Program to provide people who cannot install their own solar panels the option to buy solar power from a community provider. The reasons why people cannot generate solar power vary, including lack of roof space, too much shade, living in an apartment, condo or other shared housing arrangement, or cost.
The Community Solar Program advances Action 18 in the Our Climate, Our Future: Nova Scotia’s Climate Change Plan for Clean Growth. The government is committed to introducing at least 500 megawatts of new local, renewable energy by 2026 and an additional 50 megawatts of new community solar to be built over five years.
The plan aims to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all Nova Scotians. It includes initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, switch to clean energy, create a clean economy, make homes and buildings energy efficient and able to stand up to the impacts of climate change, and help Nova Scotians adapt to the changing climate.
“We’re honoured to be selected to contribute to Nova Scotia’s community solar initiative. In collaboration with SolarBank and Trimac Engineering, we’re proud to play this important role in delivering clean, affordable energy to communities across Nova Scotia,” said Aaron Rotenberg, CEO, AI Renewables. “With these community solar projects, we are transforming the vision of accessible clean energy into tangible reality – empowering communities through solar power while fostering lasting partnerships grounded in sustainability and shared purpose.”
The Department is updating the program based on experience from the first year; proponents should hold new applications until June when updates are done.
For further information, visit: https://energy.novascotia.ca/renewables/community-solar-program
Featured image credit: Getty Images
