Customer:

Science North and Greater Sudbury Hydro

Status:

Complete

Objective:

To create a functional and educational solar generation and storage-based microgrid that will provide clean back-up power during grid outages and reduce the building’s electricity costs during normal operation.

Solution:

The project utilized GridOS® Microgrid Energy Management System (MEMS) to manage 500kVA/250 kWh of energy storage and 170 kW of PV solar. The GridOS-MEMS solution was also used to coordinate between the solar plant, energy storage system and building loads in addition to providing reliability and resiliency to the Science North Centre. This project served as a public education tool to help the industry and the general public learn about the benefits and applications of microgrid technologies, especially the use of energy storage technologies in helping store and dispatch renewable generation from solar exactly when needed.

Outcomes:

The project reduced the impact of any grid instability on the butterfly conservatory of the Science North Center, especially during the winter months where a power outage would result in heat and humidity loss, harming the flora and fauna. It demonstrated the microgrid’s ability to run independently from the local distribution grid during power outages and provided cost savings for the building loads using energy management functions.