The number of residential solar systems in New Brunswick has more than quadrupled in the past three years, but that rapid growth could slow down if two proposed changes from N.B. Power go ahead.
The utility announced an end to financial incentives of up to $3,000 toward residential solar systems and has asked the Energy and Utilities Board to approve a new charge that will make it more costly to sell excess power back to the grid.
The two changes combined could make investing in solar panels less attractive in New Brunswick.
“It’s going to have serious negative implications,” said Chris Meechan, spokesperson for Solar NB Solaire, an industry group representing installers, manufacturers and solar customers in the province.
“Making technology uneconomical, I’m sorry, it’s backwards thinking, right?”
According to N.B. Power data, the number of customers with solar systems connected to the utility grew from 465 in spring 2023 to 2,138 three years later.
Feeding extra power to grid
Josh Goguen was part of that growth.
The Sackville resident installed his first system in his backyard in the fall of 2023 and expanded to his rooftop in May 2025.
He uses the power he produces during the day, and whatever is not used on site goes to the N.B. Power grid. When he’s not producing power, he pulls it from the grid.
WATCH | ‘It’s backwards thinking’:
N.B.
This story was brought to Nouzie by RSS. The original post can be found on https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/changes-negative-implications-solar-growth-9.7211051?cmp=rss
