Science North flipped the switch to energy conservation Thursday morning, giving the second largest science centre in Canada power over its own power.
The Smart Microgrid uses technology to gather and act on information to manage energy use. It is made up of three energy sources: solar panels, a battery bank to store the power, and energy from the Greater Sudbury Hydro local distribution grid. The project gives the science centre greater influence over energy control, consumption and conservation.
The energy storage system was developed by eCAMION Inc., while the data analytics and automation software was developed by Opus One Solutions.
Design and engineering of the $3.12-million project began in December 2014. All components are expected to be fully operational by mid-November.
“This is great science,” said Science North CEO Guy Labine. “Our vision is to be the leader among science centres in providing inspirational, educational and entertaining science experiences. I don't think there's any other science centre in the world that will have this type of demonstration we have.”
Since it's a demonstration site for this technology, Science North will be able to offer visitors a hands-on experience with the renewable energy source project.
Once everything is completely up and running, visitors will even be able to control the direction of the solar panel array, he said.
Visitors will learn how the solar-panel array can be used with the energy storage system to lessen the science centre’s reliability on Greater Sudbury Hydro's grid. Data will continuously be monitored to better manage energy consumption throughout the centre and decrease the carbon footprint.
The energy storage system can be charged by solar power, or from the hydro grid at lower-cost off-peak times. That energy can then be stored to either lower demand from the grid in higher-cost on-peak periods, or to power the facility directly.
Furthermore, the whole system is connected to the hydro grid to allow electricity to flow to and from the science centre, but the Smart Microgrid can also be “islanded” or disconnected from the grid.
In case of a power outage for instance, the Science North Smart Microgrid will run independently from the local distribution grid, so that energy stored in the battery can be diverted to critical functions in the science centre, such as maintaining the F. Jean MacLeod Butterfly Gallery, which contains a climate-controlled exhibit that supports a multitude of butterflies, birds and tropical plants. A power outage lasting more than one hour could be potentially harmful to the flora and fauna in the gallery.
"This is an incredible opportunity for eCAMION to field test our latest energy storage technology," said Carmine Pizzurro, president of eCAMION Inc.
“The project will test advanced Smart Grid functions such as Global Adjustment (GA), voltage sag mitigation and more. This partnership allows us to show the possibilities of the Smart Grid to the public and bring the technology to street level.”
Ontario’s Ministry of Energy’s Smart Grid Fund (SGF) is a lead financial supporter for the project with the remaining financial support coming from the other project partners.
The SGF supports Ontario-based projects that test, develop and bring to market the next generation of smart grid solutions. To date, the SGF has invested in 26 projects ranging from electric vehicles to energy storage to cyber security.
