Smart Grid Project Receives $2.9 million from Government of Canada

August 22, 2019

The Government of Canada has announced a $2.9 million investment in a smart grid project in the town of Parry Sound, led by Bracebridge Generation and utility software engineering pioneer Opus One Solutions. The project aims to help the utility reduce system costs and improve the long-term flexibility and reliability of the grid by leveraging a set of grid intelligence tools that monitor and control locally connected renewable energy generation, storage, and residential demand management resources.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Bracebridge Generation to transform Parry Sound into a net-zero smart community,” says Hari Subramaniam, Chief of Strategic Growth at Opus One Solutions. “By adding our grid intelligence solution to their toolset, Bracebridge Generation can take advantage of smarter and cleaner resources like a community microgrid and residential demand management to better balance energy consumption and generation. Projects like these not only boost the reliability of a system that we rely on daily, they also help us achieve savings for customers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We’re thankful for the government’s support in making this happen and for helping open up jobs in the clean-tech economy.”

“Technologies that enable the customer to participate in creating and managing their energy are becoming more affordable, and widespread adoption is around the corner,” says Vince Kulchycki, Chief Operating Officer at Lakeland Holding Ltd. “While these options can give customers new choices and the ability to save energy, they create challenges for our provincial electrical distribution infrastructure. At Bracebridge Generation, we recognize that innovation will be crucial in adapting to these new concepts, and we are pleased to work with Opus One to create solutions that help not just our customers, but can be adapted elsewhere. NRCan’s support of project SPEEDIER makes it possible to expedite the creation of the tools and the roadmap for utilities to equip the distribution system for the future.”

Building on the utility’s net-zero community plan, Opus One Solutions is providing software intelligence that will give Bracebridge Generation full visibility and control of their network to help:

• increase solar and energy storage penetration in Parry Sound
• reduce constraints at the transmission station to improve reliability
• increase adoption of electric vehicles
• automate and integrate residential demand management via controllable hot water tanks, EV chargers, and battery storage
• increase system resiliency with a feeder-level microgrid
• defer unnecessary costly upgrades in poles and wires infrastructure

The funding announcement was made on July 23 by Parliamentary Secretary Paul Lefebvre, on behalf of Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources. The investment comes from the Smart Grid Program, which is part of the Government of Canada’s more than $180 billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure plan.

About Opus One Solutions

Opus One Solutions is a software engineering and solutions company with the vision of a digitalized, decentralized and decarbonized planet. Its intelligent energy networking platform, GridOS®, optimizes complex power flows so that it can deliver real-time energy management and integrated planning to distribution utilities and other managers of distributed energy assets. GridOS is modular, scalable, and integrates seamlessly with existing data systems to unlock greater potential for distributed energy resources, including renewable generation, energy storage, and responsive demand. GridOS also facilitates the management of microgrids — from homes to businesses to communities — for unparalleled grid resiliency and value to the electricity customer. www.opusonesolutions.com