Solar incentives in Nova Scotia (2026 guide)

This is a Nova Scotia guide. Rates, utilities and programs differ in other provinces; your advisor confirms what applies to your home and your province.

Search for "solar rebate Nova Scotia" and you will find plenty of pages promising grants and interest-free loans. Many of them are out of date. Several programs that shaped the market in recent years have closed to homeowners. This guide sets out what we could confirm on official pages as of October 22, 2026, and how to check for yourself.

1. Net metering is still the foundation

The most important arrangement for solar in Nova Scotia is not a rebate at all. NS Power's Self-Generating Option lets a home connect a solar system or battery of 27 kW or less behind its existing meter. Surplus production is banked as kilowatt-hours and applied against energy you buy later. On January 1 each year, any banked surplus is credited against energy you were billed for during the year; surplus beyond that is not paid out.

There is no fee for the option, and NS Power installs a bi-directional meter at no cost if needed. In 2022, the province stopped a proposed monthly charge on net metering customers and then amended the law to protect them from new special charges.

2. The SolarHomes rebate has closed to homeowners

For several years, Efficiency Nova Scotia's SolarHomes program was the main provincial solar rebate. According to Efficiency Nova Scotia, it stopped accepting new applications on April 17, 2025, and approved projects had to be completed by March 31, 2026, to receive incentives. It remains open to registered non-profits and charities, but not to homeowners. As of today, we found no provincial per-watt solar rebate for homeowners.

3. The Canada Greener Homes Loan and Grant are closed

The federal Canada Greener Homes Loan, which offered interest-free financing for retrofits including solar, is closed to new applications, according to Natural Resources Canada. Loans already approved are not affected. The Canada Greener Homes Grant accepted applications from May 2021 to February 2024 and is fully closed.

4. Halifax: Solar City financing

If you own property in the Halifax Regional Municipality, the municipality's Solar City program may finance a solar system for eligible owners, repaid over 10 years through a charge on the property. Check the municipality's page for current terms and eligibility. Outside Halifax, Efficiency Nova Scotia notes that some municipalities offer low-cost financing for energy upgrades; ask your town or county office.

5. If you are adding a heat pump at the same time

Many solar projects in Nova Scotia go together with a heat pump. On the heat pump side, Efficiency Nova Scotia support runs through the Home Energy Assessment, which must happen before renovations begin, and the Moderate Income Rebate for income-qualified homeowners. HomeWarming offers no-cost upgrades to income-qualified households. In October 2026, the Government of Canada also announced a National Heat Pump Rebate, expected to open through an online portal in early 2027 for eligible installations from November 1, 2026. Detailed rules had not been published at the time of writing.

The separate Efficiency NS Home Heating System Rebates closed on December 31, 2025, and the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability program stopped accepting new applications in Nova Scotia on July 2, 2026.

6. What this means for your decision

With the main solar rebates closed, a solar decision in Nova Scotia today rests mostly on three things: how much your roof can produce, how much electricity you use and what you pay for it. Natural Resources Canada estimates roughly 930 to 1,070 kWh a year per installed kilowatt in Halifax, depending on tilt. NS Power's residential energy charge has been 19.128 cents per kWh since May 1, 2026. Your installer can turn those into an estimate for your own home.

How to check before you sign

1. Ask the installer which programs they believe apply to you, and for the official link to each.
2. Open the link yourself and check the status and the date on the page.
3. If a program requires an assessment or pre-approval, make sure it happens before any work starts.
4. Be wary of anyone who quotes a "government grant" without naming the program.
5. Keep every invoice, permit and inspection record.

For a dated table of open and closed programs, see our incentives page, which starts with Nova Scotia and also covers the federal programs that matter in other provinces.