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Solar credits in Nova Scotia, plainly explained.

How NS Power's net-metering program turns your extra solar production into real bill credits, and where the catches are.

  1. Generate

    Generate

    Panels produce DC; inverter converts to AC.

  2. Use

    Use

    Power runs your home directly when you need it.

  3. Export

    Export

    Excess flows back through your bidirectional meter.

  4. Track

    Track

    NS Power tracks each surplus kWh as a credit on your account.

  5. Apply

    Apply

    Credits are applied in low-production months. Net out across the year.

The seasonal reality

Most credits are earned May–September. Most credits are spent October–April. Net-metering's whole point is making that math work.

Winter (Nov–Mar)

~25%

Of annual production. Short days + lower sun angle. NS Power applies summer credits to reduce billed kWh.

Shoulder (Apr–May, Oct)

25–30%

Production roughly matches usage, so billed kWh drop.

Summer (Jun–Sep)

42–48%

Peak production. Surplus builds a credit balance for the winter months.

What people get wrong

Three things to keep straight.

Common mistake

Solar pays you cash every month.

Reality

It offsets your bill via credits: kilowatt-hours banked when you over-produce and applied against later bills, not a cash payment.

Common mistake

More panels = more money.

Reality

Credits offset your usage at full retail rate. Building well beyond what you actually use adds little. Size the system to your usage.

Common mistake

Credits last forever.

Reality

They carry from bill to bill. On January 1, what is left is applied to energy billed earlier that year, and anything beyond the year's use isn't paid out.

An example NS home, by the numbers

An 8.4 kW system on a Bedford home using ~9,800 kWh / year.

Annual usage
9,800 kWh
Annual production
9,640 kWh
Bill offset
~92%
Year-end surplus
~0 kWh
Pre-solar bill
$1,750 / yr
Post-solar bill
~$140 / yr

Numbers are illustrative. Your home will differ: usage, roof, and shade all matter. The full math is in your assessment, with assumptions stated.

Important caveats

A few things every homeowner should know.

  • If grid power goes out, your solar shuts off (safety requirement), unless you have a battery configured for backup.
  • The 1:1 retail credit is protected: 2022 amendments to Nova Scotia's Electricity Act bar NS Power from adding a system-access charge or fee that discourages net metering.
  • As of 2026 the 1:1 retail credit is still in effect. The NS Utility & Review Board has been directed to study a longer-term compensation model (a net-billing / buy-all-sell-all approach is one option discussed). Any change would go through the UARB, and existing customers are typically grandfathered for the term of their agreement.
  • Residential net metering covers systems up to 100 kW; commercial systems above that use a separate Enhanced/Embedded Net Metering agreement with different economics.
  • If you sell your home, the system + net-metering agreement transfer to the new owner (subject to NS Power approval).

For systems of 27 kW or less there is no NS Power application. As the installer, we send the electrical plans to NS Power for review and arrange the inspections.

Want to see what your home would actually generate?

Free assessment with real numbers: built from your roof, your NS Power bill, and local Nova Scotia production data.

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