Halifax Solar City Explained

Halifax Solar City is HRM's solar financing program, and it's often misunderstood. The mechanics in plain English:

The structure

• Rate: 4.75% fixed.
• Term: 10 years.
• How you pay: through a Local Improvement Charge (LIC) added to your municipal account, separate from your property tax bill.
• Eligibility: the property has to be in HRM, your municipal account in good standing, and the property has to qualify for the LIC.

What that looks like for an 8 kW system

Take an 8 kW residential install priced at $28,000 as an example. Financed through Solar City at 4.75% over 10 years, the monthly LIC charge is approximately $294 / month.

Compare that LIC charge with the part of your NS Power bill the system would offset. You're effectively shifting part of an electricity bill into a fixed-rate loan that's paid off in 10 years, and the panels keep producing after the LIC ends.

What happens if you sell

The LIC stays with the property. The new owner takes over the remaining payments through their municipal account. There's no balloon payment at closing, no transfer fee on the loan side, and no second mortgage to discharge. For homeowners who might sell within the term, that's a real difference from a traditional bank loan.

What it doesn't cover

• Properties outside HRM (use municipal PACE if your town has one).
• Account holders not in good standing on their municipal charges.
• Some heat-pump-only or storage-only projects (rules change occasionally, check with HRM).

How we help

We complete the LIC application as part of the install package, time it to align with HRM's processing windows, and confirm eligibility upfront. If your address doesn't qualify for any reason, we'll pivot to a private-financing or cash plan and tell you why.

Want to see how Solar City would look for your home? Request a free assessment and we'll model the exact numbers: your roof, your usage, your real LIC payment.