Rayleigh Solar Tech is on the cusp of a turning point, both for itself and the solar industry.

The Halifax, N.S.-based company has partnered with an international automotive manufacturer to test their perovskite technology for use with electric vehicles (EV). Perovskite solar cells are printed on a slot-die coated plastic film that can transform any surface into a solar generator. The test results have CEO Paul Pynn and his team excited for 2022. Describing EVs as their “beachhead market”, he said they’re “out of the lab and testing at scale.”

Dr. Sam March, Rayleigh’s founder and chief technology officer, is grateful for the support he’s received. Noting that Nova Scotia has nurtured his startup from seed, he said his first three years of research were facilitated by Dalhousie University. “The province and the university have been critical to our development.”

Rayleigh Solar isn’t alone. The green revolution is led by a fleet of technology startups and engineering firms, armed with innovations that are changing the economics of clean energy.

Nova Scotia has the most ambitious plan in the country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It has committed, in legislation, to being coal free and generating 80 per cent renewable energy by 2030. In the first stage of its plan, the province has focused on operational inefficiencies and suitable sources of sustainable energy. Peter Craig, manager of electricity policy and programs at the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, expects solar will play a larger part after the province finishes the first layer of infrastructure. Northern latitude and Maritime climate make wind and hydro more attractive investment options, while tidal testing continues in the Bay of Fundy. That’s why solar will only account for five to 10 per cent of energy production in the first phase of the transition. “After 2030, those lines start to cross,” said Craig.

 

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