Alaina Lockhart, Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal, announced a $10.8-million investment in a smart grid project June 12 to be shared between New Brunswick Power and Nova Scotia Power in smart grid pilots.
The Collaborative Grid Innovation for Atlantic Smart Energy Communities project involves piloting smart grid infrastructure and will make it easier to incorporate renewable energy onto the electricity grid in Shediac, New Brunswick, and Amherst, Nova Scotia.
In Shediac, 500 homes will be selected to test technologies such as smart meters, time-varying rates, smart thermostats, solar rooftops and in-home battery storage. The utility will also focus on potential cybersecurity issues posed by these connected devices.
In Amherst, the focus will be on commercial applications, including solar panels with battery storage on commercial buildings to help manage customer demand and reliability needs, and smart electric vehicle charging trials for optimal charging. The construction of two solar farms will also help power homes and businesses in the region.
NB Power and NS Power will also work with customers to manage energy consumption and test new electricity pricing options. Results and lessons learned from each utility will be shared across the two provinces.