Working together
to create a net-zero
community in Parry Sound
Smart,
Proactive,
Enabled
Energy
Distribution –
Intelligently,
Efficiently and
Responsive
THE OBJECTIVE
The objective of this project is to create a Smart, Proactive, Enabled, Energy Distribution – Intelligently, Efficiently and Responsive (SPEEDIER) grid that builds towards a net zero smart community in the Town of Parry Sound. This is a unique opportunity where a rural municipality of 6,000 residents is pledging to be net zero in partnership with Bracebridge Generation.
The SPEEDIER solution was proposed in order to help to address the previously identified need for costly system upgrades required for the growing energy demands of the community.
The Speedier project shows what a little community serviced by a little utility can do.
It started with a problem, and a conversation about the lack of capacity that was hindering the Town’s economic growth, a conversation that included the Town’s vision of a Net Zero community.
Because of Lakeland’s extensive network of contacts, the right people came together to envision a solution – how Parry Sound could generate more of their own power.
To generate power, Parry Sound first turned to Solar. Solar generation discussions led to battery storage discussions, and how to deploy the stored power when it was needed most. This brought up a potential problem – how to determine when it was needed, and how to address possible negative impacts to the grid caused by multiple Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) deploying. Again, the right people came together to solve the problem.
SPEEDIER was a vision of a project that proved a microgrid could be developed that would store solar power and deploy it while ensuring the rest of the grid wasn’t impacted. The utility would have visibility of the DERs and software to control deployment. To start, the microgrid would operate during power outages – not the scale of a net zero community, but proving the solution. On a bigger scale, the ‘power outage’ would be unplugging from the grid.
SPEEDIER was a vision of a project that proved a microgrid could be developed that would store solar power and deploy it while ensuring the rest of the grid wasn’t impacted. The utility would have visibility of the DERs and software to control deployment. To start, the microgrid would operate during power outages – not the scale of a net zero community, but proving the solution. On a bigger scale, the ‘power outage’ would be unplugging from the grid.
SPEEDIER was a vision of a project that proved a microgrid could be developed that would store solar power and deploy it while ensuring the rest of the grid wasn’t impacted. The utility would have visibility of the DERs and software to control deployment. To start, the microgrid would operate during power outages – not the scale of a net zero community, but proving the solution. On a bigger scale, the ‘power outage’ would be unplugging from the grid.
SPEEDIER is about networks.
Not only the electricity network (grid), but networks of people connecting to develop solutions that rely on the flexibility and innovative mindset of a little utility. And that network keeps growing – there is interest from many parts of the industry, including government, education and other utilities. The SPEEDIER project is just the start.