Hamilton, Ontario: Newly consolidated distribution company Alectra Inc., with the support of the Independent Electricity System Operator, announced the completion April 18 of a feasibility study for mass adoption of the utility’s residential solar storage pilot, POWER.HOUSE, in Southern York Region. Analyzing costs, benefits and technical capabilities, the study foresees the opportunity to install up to 30,000 new solar units in Southern York Region by 2031.
Implementation of the proposed roll-out could, under the right conditions, result in the ability to defer energy infrastructure investments by at least two years in the late 2020s, the study finds, while offering customers significant reductions on their bills by generating their own energy, sending the surplus back to the grid for additional credit and providing a number of grid reliability services.
Funded by the IESO’s Conservation Fund, POWER.HOUSE uses an aggregate fleet of residential solar and battery storage systems located at customers’ homes. The systems are autonomously controlled through intelligent software to simulate a single, larger power generating facility. The technology, which features a combination of rooftop solar PV panels and a lithium-ion battery installed behind the meter at customers’ homes, helps to protect against power outages, off-sets peak hour electricity rates to provide significant reductions on bills and reduces impact during peak system demand, while delivering clean power directly to the customer.
“This is an important project on which the IESO was pleased to partner with Alectra,” said Bruce Campbell, outgoing President and CEO of the IESO. “The results make a strong case for further study of the technical and commercial potential that residential solar storage can achieve. It will also help inform future efforts that may see these technologies emerge as a sustainable option to support reliable grid operations.”