Welcome to the official webpage of the proposed Apoqnmuet na’ku’set Community Solar Project!
This webpage has been designed to share project information about the proposed Apoqnmuet na’ku’set Community Solar Project with the community and stakeholders.
The Mi’kmaw phrase Apoqnmuet na’ku’set, which means “The sun helps us”, is pronounced as:
Ah-boh-qn-mu-et Nah-goo-set
Mailing List
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About The Proposed Project
The proposed Apoqnmuet na’ku’set Community Solar Project is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Both project partners acknowledge that working on these lands is a privilege that comes with a great deal of responsibility. A partnership between Pictou Landing First Nation and Natural Forces is developing the project. The project will have an installed capacity of approximately 14.5 MW-DC / 10 MW-AC, provided by approximately 24,000 solar panels. It is proposed to be located on West Mountain Road, in the community of Newton Mills.
This site was chosen because it has limited alternate potential usage and will create minimal environmental impacts.
Who is proposing this project?
Pictou Landing First Nation
Pictou Landing First Nation is a Mi’kmaq community located north of Trenton on the south shore of the Northumberland Strait in Nova Scotia. Pictou Landing First Nation has a vision of excellence in governance and leadership; through its people and resources they achieve strong leadership of services and programs that enables them to be a healthy prosperous Mi’kmaq community.
Natural Forces
Natural Forces is an independent power producer that develops, owns, and operates wind, solar, hydro and storage projects. With an extensive portfolio of nearly 300 MW of operational renewable energy projects across Canada and with several ongoing projects at various stages in France and Ireland, the company remains committed to advancing sustainable energy solutions.
Established in 2001, Natural Forces is headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia with regional offices in France and Ireland. The company places a strong emphasis on partnership by working closely with local and Indigenous communities to develop clean energy projects that drive long-term economic and environmental benefits.
As a fully integrated developer and operator of renewable energy assets, Natural Forces manages every stage of project development in-house. This includes site selection, planning, financing, construction, operations, and long-term asset management across various international markets, including Canada, Ireland, and France.
Project Benefits?
- Generate approximately 16,000,000 kWh per year of clean renewable energy, powering up to 1,600 homes.
- Create local employment and contracting opportunities during the development, construction, operation, and decommissioning phases of the Project.
- Produce emission-free electricity that will increase energy security, displace generation from fossil fuels, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Assist the Province in meeting its renewable energy target of achieving 80% net zero energy by 2030.
Why here?
- Limited alternative uses
- Minimal environmental impacts
- High distribution grid hosting capacity
Public & Stakeholder Engagement
Natural Forces is committed to engaging with the public, stakeholders, and special interest groups throughout the lifetime of the project. Below is information about the major public and stakeholder engagement activities that have taken place to date, including summaries of the information that has been shared at our information session.
- Summary: Engagement Session I – August 27 & September 4, 2025
What is the Process?
1
Development
(Current Stage)
- Assess the solar resource
- Survey for environmentally sensitive features and archaeological features
- Consult with rightsholders, regulators and community stakeholders
- Summarize the results from the environmental surveys and consultation in a technical proposal for provincial review
- Optimize the project design to capture the sun efficiently and minimize impact on sensitive features
- Complete Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study
- Secure necessary financing
- Apply for remaining permits
2
Construction
- Prepare lands for construction
- Build and/or upgrade access roads
- Install foundations and assemble solar panel racks
- Install the solar panels & additional electrical equipment
- Connect system to the grid
- Commission & energize the system
3
Operation
- Conduct periodic in-person site visits
- Monitor remotely for real time alerts when additional maintenance is needed
- Operate for 25+ years
4
Decommission or Retrofit
- Assess the solar panels, electrical circuits and equipment after 25 years
- Decommission project components and reclaim the site to its former state OR
- Receive approvals and permits to continue producing clean energy
Environmental Studies
The Project Partners recognize that environmentally and socially responsible development is the cornerstone of a successful project. A Species at Risk (SAR) assessment has been completed. No SAR or their habitat was identified in the project area. Additionally, a Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study will be undertaken for the project.
Project partners engaged Fundy Engineering & Consulting to complete a watercourse and wetland delineation review of the project site. Based on the assessment, two portions of unnamed watercourses believed to be non-fish bearing have been discovered. These will be acknowledged and avoided during project construction; if that is not possible, then the impacts will be compensated: In Nova Scotia, there must be compensation at a ratio of 2:1 through the restoration, creation, and/or enhancement of wetland habitat.
Fundy Engineering & Consulting also conducted an environmental due-diligence survey, including a Rare Plant Survey and a Bird Survey. Throughout both surveys it was identified that no species are at risk on the proposed site. During the assessment, no active nests were identified, and no plants or birds were deemed at risk, making the site a suitable area for a solar project.
Topics of Study
- Wetland & Watercourse Delineations
- Species at Risk (SAR)
Frequently Asked Questions
Solar projects do not create a lot of noise; the loudest noise would be the inverter fans which is not very loud at all at less than 80 decibels. The project is not expected to create significant noise levels. We estimate that the sound of the inverters at the nearest house will be between 30 dB and 37 dB, which is comparable to a loudness between a whisper and a quiet library.
The average size of each solar panel is approximately 2.4 meters by 1.1 meters. This solar system is comprised of over 24,000 solar panels across 50 acres of land.
The wetlands and watercourses on the sites have not been deemed to be wetlands of special significance (WSS). The solar system design incorporates buffers and stormwater management best practices to minimize impacts.
Pictou Landing First Nation is the majority owner of the project, retaining 60% ownership. Natural Forces is the minority owner of the project, retaining 40% ownership.
Electricity is regulated by provincial law. This project will be applying to the Nova Scotia Community Solar program.
The manufacturer of the solar panels to be used for this project provide a 15-year product quality & process guarantee, and 30-year power guarantee; they predict that after 30 years, the modules will still be producing 87.4% of their rated energy capacity. After modules are decommissioned, they are recycled. Each module is approximately 90% recyclable1.
Solar panels are not toxic. The chemical composition of a solar module depends on the technology type, but mainly consists of aluminum and silicon, with components made of silver, copper, and other metals. These metals and materials will, of course, be managed responsibly at decommissioning.
Solar farms are significantly more environmentally friendly, “green”, than other energy sources, even when considering the environmental impacts of the resource extraction. The lifecycle emissions of a coal power plant, where most of Nova Scotia’s power currently comes from, is 675 gCO2e/kWh to 1689 gCO2/kWh2. The lifecycle emissions of a solar farm, including resource extraction and manufacturing of the module, is 23 gCO2e/kWh to 85 gCO2/kWh3. Solar farms therefore create a 87% to 99% greenhouse gas savings on a lifecycle basis.
Solar farms do require maintenance:
- A farm of this size requires bi-annual visits from a maintenance provider to conduct quality control testing, ensuring the system and all its components are working correctly.
- Vegetation will be actively managed, either by machine (mowers & trimmers) or by sheep, to keep the site & soil in good condition. Chemicals will not be used for vegetation control at the site. Any vegetation control activities will be mechanical or biological (i.e. sheep) in nature.
- The system is monitored remotely 24/7, so any faults can be detected quickly and rectified. As there are no moving parts in a solar farm, they are very low maintenance.
The solar farm will be thoroughly bonded and grounded; these lightning protection systems reduce the risks posed to the farm from a lightning strike. As the solar farm will be lower than the surrounding trees, there will be no increased risk from a lightning strike at the project site.
In some climates and under some conditions, solar modules can benefit from being periodically washed to remove dirt. However, based on our local experience, the amount of precipitation Nova Scotia receives year-round has proved more than sufficient to keep modules clean. The site is not anticipated to produce much dust during construction due to the soil composition and presence of vegetation.
Chemicals will not be used for vegetation control at the site. Any vegetation control activities will be mechanical or biological (i.e. sheep) in nature.
The solar farm is not expected to affect the local erosion patterns. Vegetation will be grown under all the solar modules to ensure the site’s soil is maintained and is not negatively affected by project construction.
For more information contact:
Mitch Van Oosten
communitysolar@naturalforces.ca
