Canada's Nova Scotia wants solar-and-storage on brownfield sites

• The province's Alternative Energy Resource Authority is seeking proposals for three utility scale PV projects varying in generation capacity from 800 kW to 4 MW. Two of these must be combined with large scale batteries with a total storage capacity of around 2.4 MWh

The Alternative Energy Resource Authority (AREA) of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia has issued a tender for the installation of around 6.5 MW of community solar projects together with utility scale storage.

The authority wants to construct three solar energy projects on brownfield sites in Berwick – with a generation capacity of 1-2 MW; Mahone Bay (800 kW-1 MW); and Antigonish (3-4 MW).

The projected size of the battery storage capacity will range from 1-2.4 MWh and is being considered for the Antigonish and Mahone Bay sites, AREA said. The cities of Berwick, Mahone Bay and Antigonish possess the local supply system within their respective service territories so there are no regulatory barriers to the interconnection of the proposed community storage and solar systems, added the authority.

Developers have until January 10 to submit proposals.

Community projects

The government of Nova Scotia established a two-year schedule for the development of community solar – the Community Buildings Pilot Program – in November 2017.

The program is aimed at Mi'kmaq native communities, registered non-profit or charitable organizations, municipalities and associations owned by municipalities, universities or community colleges in the province, allowing them to create electricity that may be sold back into the grid.

The Economics of Solar Power in Canada report, published last year by the Canadian National Energy Board, said the financial break-even point for commercial solar and community projects was lower in Nova Scotia, Ontario and Prince Edward Island than that of the commercial power price in different places. This implies that many communities there might hope to save money by installing solar, the report stated.