Meet Alectra's Microgrid: an alternative solution for safe, stable and reliable energy
lectra Utilities was one of the first utilities of its Innovating & collaborating together to: size in North America to build a proof-of-concept Utilize multiple renewable energy resources A microgrid. Alectra’s microgrid, at its office in into one managed solution Vaughan, Ontario, works like the electricity distribution grid, but instead of delivering electricity to hundreds of thousands Demonstrate the ability of microgrids to power of customers at a time, it is scalable to service targeted multiple electricity loads, in this case lighting, customers — in this case, Alectra’s Vaughan office. air conditioning and refrigeration at Alectra’s office in Vaughan A microgrid is able to function autonomously from the electricity distribution grid as an "island" allowing it to Increase the reliability of electricity and supply energy during power outages, and offering power effectively manage power quality issues resilience to the customers and communities it serves. Feed clean power back into the grid, Microgrids demonstrate that locally managed energy demonstrating how communities can meet resources can meet consumers’ increasing demands for their sustainability goals clean, and reliable electricity. Microgrid Discover the possibilities
MAR ET, TEM, REGI TRATI N, C E ING METER ATA AN EAT ER A I ICATI N, RECA TING AN I ATC MANAGEMENT IN RMATI N AGGREGATI N TIMI ATI N AN ANA TIC
The Challenge t n a l
r
Utilities are facing ever-increasing challenges as a result of e w o
l ERATI NA I TRI TE ENERG RE RCE aging infrastructure, climate change, and growing customer a I T RIAN MANAGEMENT TEM t r i demand for improved reliability, resiliency and cost-effective C S ecure IP Communication energy solutions. Traditional large-scale electricity distribution infrastructure
AR systems that rely on centralized generation sources are not SMART 17 kW E IN T E METER INVERTER 3 Trackers/PH X 3PH + 9 Total s able to respond effectively to these challenges — centralized e SMART IN c 1.8 kW r I TRI TI N A E INVERTER
o TEM generation is expensive and time-consuming to build, CONTROLLER NAT RA GA INTERFACE GENERAT R gy 35 kW r e
cannot respond quickly to changes in demand, and requires n SMART
E EA ACI INVERTER 22 kWhrs e l considerable infrastructure to move power to where it is used. i t l SMART IT I M I N 6 kW AUTOMATIC INVERTER M TRANSFER SWITCH SMART G The Solution INVERTER 10 kW g n i r REM TE M NIT RING o
Alectra’s microgrid proof-of-concept aims to understand how t N ITE M NIT RING i n o M to achieve flexible, scalable and sustainable operation of a e t o microgrid that can maximize reliability and resiliency during e
MICR GRI e & R
power outages and disruptions. The microgrid management t MANAGEMENT i
TEM n system is capable of real-time modeling, forecasting, optimizing, and dispatching energy and remote monitoring
without the need for 24x7 operators. The project provides s e i t il i insight into how flexible loads and distributed energy b a a C resources (DERs) can offer new types of grid services. g n i E E E AR MART E ECTRIC t f
i RI RIT A C ARGER C ARGING E IC E h AT M TI E INT 2 X 4kW E I MENT E E 2 X 7.2 kW T E I ING d
This illustration shows how Alectra’s cloud-based microgrid management system routes a o INVERTER SOLAR EV electricity from the company’s existing generation to power the corporate building, CHARGING STATION directs Vehicle-to-Grid energy flow, and interacts with the Virtual Power Plant system.
PHASE I – GRID INDEPENDENCE (2014) PHASE II – GRID SUPPLY (2015) PHASE III - VIRTUAL POWER PLANT (2018) The goal of the first phase was to The goal of the second phase was to The goal of the third phase was to explore understand the microgrid’s operation demonstrate the microgrid’s ability to enable how controlling behind-the-meter assets when disconnected from the electricity two-way power flow through a vehicle-to- can provide value to all distribution distribution grid. grid unit in which electric vehicles return network ecosystem stakeholders. electricity to the grid from their batteries.
The Benefits
Reliable Consumer choice in Continued energy Scalable future Efficiency and Meet sustainability electricity energy solutions during power outages deployments low-cost clean energy goals
In collaboration with
July 2020
Alectra GRE&T Centre 395 Southgate Drive, Guelph, ON N1G 4Y1 519.822.3010 | [email protected] | alectrautilities.com/GREATCentre @AlectraNews