We're working towards achieving 80% of our electricity from clean energy sources such as solar and wind. Nova Scotia is one of the best places in North America to harness the power of wind. But because both wind and solar are intermittent, they require reliable back-up energy. That’s where battery storage comes in.
Investing in new technology is key to modernizing our power grid, helping to keep rates stable, and growing our use of renewables. To better learn how home batteries can be a part of this solution, we invited eligible Nova Scotians to purchase and install a new home battery system at a reduced cost.
Participants in our pilot program will benefit their home and the entire power system.
This pilot program is dedicated to investigating innovative ways that battery storage can benefit both Nova Scotians’ homes and the power system as a whole. It’s based on efforts to lower power use during peak times, shift demand to off-peak times (like overnight), and transition to using more clean energy.
We’ll be testing how the grid can use energy that’s stored in home batteries to manage the overall electric load and reduce demand on the system. Ultimately, this can help reduce costs for all Nova Scotians.
We’ll also be investigating how home batteries can store clean energy, like wind and solar, for later use.
In order to operate the grid with the help of home batteries, participants will provide us with remote access to their battery. This will allow us to manage the charging and discharging cycles. We are also collecting feedback throughout the program to get a better understanding on how the battery is working for customers taking part in the pilot program.
We’ve already been successfully testing battery storage at a community level with 10 customers in Elmsdale. This test phase of the pilot helped us understand how batteries can allow us to store and use renewable energy more efficiently and it demonstrated the reliability of this back-up energy technology. We've expanded our pilot to explore how we can bring more renewable energy to the grid using battery storage.
Our application process is closed and all customers have been selected for the pilot. Join our mailing list to be informed of future product offerings.
You can learn more about the battery storage options in this pilot here.
No. Batteries must be installed by our network of authorized contractors.
We will review your application and get back to you within 14 days of your submission. If you are approved, you will be contacted to schedule a home assessment with an authorized contractor.
If you need to move during the program, you will be responsible for all costs associated with moving the equipment to a new location or ensuring the new homeowner takes over any and all responsibilities relating to the equipment for the remainder of the term, including executing a new agreement. For details, please review the “Battery Storage Participation Agreement”.
You can choose to leave the program before the pilot ends however, there will be fees associated with this option which are outlined in the “Battery Storage Participation Agreement”.
Yes. Customers living in apartments or condos can take part if they meet eligibility requirements.
20% of your battery’s capacity will always be guaranteed for home backup. However, we will make it a priority to top up the batteries when there is impending bad weather that could case outages.
Yes. The cost depends on your choice of battery, either:
- Tesla Powerwall 2 (13.5 kWh) $3,000 or $25/month at 0% for 10 years.
- Sunverge Infinity with LG ESS (19.4 kWh) $4,200 or $35/month at 0% for 10 years.
You can learn more about both battery options, and the costs associated, here.
Yes. Time-of-day customers are able to participate in the program provided they meet other program eligibility requirements, however, charging cycles may take place during peak pricing times as we work to reduce the overall demand on the grid.
A reliable connection is required for the duration of the pilot program. To receive software updates and communicate with the mobile app for energy monitoring, the system needs an Internet connection over your home Ethernet, Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. If the connection is temporarily lost, the system can continue to operate with its most recent settings, but it should not be installed in a location without internet or cellular service.
The battery storage options offered as part of our pilot program will only be installed indoors.
Customers can work with our team to choose specific essentials in your home to backup in the event of an outage. To backup a whole home, it would require up to 3 batteries. Visit our battery storage calculator to learn more about how a battery can keep your essentials running.
The power of battery storage is to unlock the potential of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Wind generation is intermittent and uncontrollable; the wind blows when the wind blow. The sun is more predictable, but solar generation does not necessarily coincide with then the grid requires the most energy. Battery storage will allow these intermittent sources of energy to be stored for used exactly when the grid needs it the most.
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Learn about the basics of battery storage.
Everything you need to know about the batteries used in our pilot project.
Learn more about our contractors and the project timeline.
Calculate your home back-up time using our new battery storage calculator tool.
