Solar contractors who participate in the Solar City program are selected by the property owner and reimbursed by the municipality.
As a contractor, your involvement in the program will follow the steps below.
Step 1: Selection and eligibility
- Contractors will receive a request for a quote and assessment from the property owner.
- Property owners are encouraged to seek at least three quotes to ensure they receive a fair estimate.
- The municipality does not recommend individual service providers for the program.
- Contractors have the option of contacting the Solar City office to confirm that the property owner has been approved for financing and is eligible to participate.
Step 2: Quotation and assessment
- Contractor provides the property owner with a quote and solar energy assessment, which should include detailed energy savings and costs similar to the one shown here.
- Contractors receive confirmation from the property owner to proceed with the proposed solar installation.
- Contractors provide the Solar City office with the following documents for review:
- proof of valid general liability insurance with a minimum of $1,000,000 in coverage
- clearance letter from the Workers Compensation Board
- an active registry ID with the Nova Scotia Registry of Joint Stock Companies
- an accepted quote that has been signed by the property owner
- full equipment specifications
- proof that equipment specified is CSA certified (or equivalent)
- solar energy assessment (which includes the number of solar modules, module wattage, azimuth, roof slope and shading as a percentage)
- Halifax Regional Municipality Solar building permit application
- Self-Generation documentation (if applicable):
- Completed Plans Review Submission Form
- Electric single line diagram
- Site plan
- Manufacturers equipment specification
- Only portions of a solar system that have a total solar resource fraction (TSRF) of at least 70% will be approved for rebates and financing. This means that north-facing or heavily shaded solar panels may not be approved, depending on azimuth, slope and shading factors.
Step 3: System installation
- Solar City sends confirmation to contractor to proceed with system installation.
- Contractor applies for relevant permits and completes installation of the solar energy system.
- An Energy Efficiency Equipment Participant Agreement is signed by all legal property owners and executed by the municipality before the installation begins to approve financing.
Step 4: Project close out
- To close out the project, contractors must forward the following documents to the Solar City office for approval:
- completed Certification of Completion signed by all legal property owners
- the final invoice, which cannot be more than 105% of the approved system cost (HST included)
- a copy of the passed municipal building inspection
- a copy of the passed electrical inspection (if applicable)
- access to system monitoring (if applicable)
- the municipality requires a monitoring system be installed with all solar electric systems for data collection purposes
Step 5: Payment
- Upon approval of the Certification of Completion, the municipality reimburses the solar contractor for work completed
- The Solar City office will review the project completion report and verify the installation as per the original assessment.
- Invoices will be paid by the municipality within 30 days of the approved project completion report.
- The municipality will not reimburse the solar contractor more than 5% of the original quoted price.