A Framework for Resilient Neighbourhoods — Building Low-Carbon Energy Resilience One Community at a Time
Grant Award: $75,000
When major storms hit Nova Scotia, the impact is felt long after the wind and rain have passed. Power outages can last for days, leaving residents without heat, refrigeration, communications, and other essential services. These disruptions can be especially difficult for residents and communities already facing barriers related to income, energy poverty, mobility, health, or access to transportation. They also raise an important question: how can neighbourhoods be better prepared to support one another when the grid goes down, while reducing reliance on fossil-fuel backup power?
That question is at the heart of A Framework for Resilient Neighbourhoods, a project led by the Ecology Action Centre in partnership with Volta Research. Together, the two organizations are exploring how renewable energy, battery storage, and electric vehicles (EVs) can help communities stay powered, connected, and safe during emergencies while supporting lower-carbon approaches to backup power and resilience planning.
At the centre of the project is the role of community comfort centres, such as community halls, recreation centres, and fire halls, that become lifelines during power outages. These buildings can provide warmth, cooling, charging stations, food, information, and a place for neighbours to gather. The project is examining how comfort centres can become more resilient and lower carbon by using solutions such as solar panels, battery storage, and vehicle-to-grid technology instead of relying primarily on diesel generators for backup power.
For Allison Medeiros, Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at Volta Research, the work is about creating a framework that communities can actually use before, during, and after emergencies. “The framework we’re developing is meant to inform well-powered and safe neighbourhoods during emergency events through the lens of resilience,” Allison explains.
The team is also interested in how support can be extended to people who cannot access comfort centres because of mobility challenges, health concerns, distance, or transportation barriers. This led to the exploration of ideas such as “battery libraries,” where portable batteries could be shared with households that need to shelter in place. Early survey results suggest that many Nova Scotians are open to sharing energy resources with their neighbours during emergencies, including power stored in solar systems or EVs.
To shape the framework, the team is listening closely to communities across the province. Through surveys, interviews, and case studies, they are gathering insights into how people experience outages and what resources matter most when the power is out. Since launching in early 2026, the project has collected 300 survey responses, identified more than 100 potential comfort centres in HRM and surrounding areas, and engaged municipalities, emergency management professionals, health experts, and community organizations.
These conversations have reinforced an important lesson: resilience looks different in every community. Transportation, accessibility, communications, medical needs, and local infrastructure all influence what people require to feel safe and supported. “The communities know what they need better than anyone else,” Allison says. “If we want this framework to be useful, we need their input.”
The collaboration between the Ecology Action Centre and Volta Research brings together two complementary strengths. The Ecology Action Centre contributes longstanding relationships with municipalities and community organizations throughout Nova Scotia, along with deep experience in climate policy, energy, and community engagement. Volta Research brings technical expertise in energy systems, electric mobility, resilience planning, and applied research. Together, they are combining community knowledge with technical analysis to create a framework that is both practical and adaptable.
Among the most promising ideas is the use of EVs as mobile sources of backup power. Municipal EV fleets, for example, could serve as flexible batteries that deliver electricity where it is needed most during an outage. For Abby Lefebvre, Energy Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre, this is one of the most exciting parts of the project because it shows how existing clean energy assets could support emergency preparedness. By adding technologies such as bidirectional chargers, municipalities may be able to strengthen local resilience without needing to rebuild entire backup power systems from scratch.
The project also responds to the growing reality of climate anxiety. Abby notes that many Nova Scotians are already feeling the impacts of storms, fires, and extreme weather. “There is so much climate anxiety in the world,” she says. “I hope this framework brings people hope that communities are investing in resilient futures and creating solutions that actually support the people who live there.”
As the project moves forward, the team hopes the framework will become a practical guide that municipalities and communities can use to design resilient, low-carbon energy systems. More than a research report, it is intended to help communities plan for outages, reduce emissions from backup power, and support one another when it matters most.
By bringing together local knowledge, technical expertise, and low-carbon technologies, A Framework for Resilient Neighbourhoods is exploring how Nova Scotia can build safer, more resilient, and more connected communities in the face of a changing climate.