Ontario Communities and Businesses Reducing Electricity Use Through Innovation: IESO and partners invest $6.8 million in innovative conservation projects

TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2022 /CNW/ - With electricity consumption projected to rise, Ontario's communities and businesses are developing innovative energy management solutions that help make the electricity system more efficient, affordable and sustainable. Today the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and its partners announced an investment of $6.8 million to explore innovative approaches to help consumers conserve and manage energy.

"Innovative projects such as those funded through our Grid Innovation Fund offer real promise for the future of Ontario's electricity sector," says Lesley Gallinger, IESO's President and Chief Executive Officer. "By continuing to tap into the skills of Ontario's talented innovators, we see a real opportunity for these projects to help consumers reduce energy costs, support economic growth and help ratepayers find value."

Through the Grid Innovation Fund, the IESO supports pilot projects that explore new ways to enhance sustainability and energy efficiency through the use of artificial intelligence, equipment upgrades and new processes. These projects can be found in various sectors across the province and include:

• Upgrades to a wastewater treatment plant in the Region of Waterloo that will explore how an energy-efficient membrane technology can replace traditional equipment to provide significant energy savings.
  
  
• Testing the use of hydrogen peroxide, reducing the need for energy-intensive aeration at Greenway Wastewater Testing Facility in London, Ontario, led by the University of Western Ontario.
  
  
• A Toronto 2030 District project that entails working with the city's real estate industry and community organizations to identify viable pathways to a GHG-emissions-free building sector. This includes creating a vision document to inform decision-making by real estate owners, energy management program marketing, and electricity sector planning for the decarbonization of the economy.
  
  
• Updating Natural Resources Canada's RETScreen Expert software – used by energy managers in residential, commercial and industrial buildings – to allow modelling of deep retrofits that can result in up to 80 per cent electricity cost savings. In addition, the software will provide demand response and load reduction analysis capabilities.
  
  
• A Pollution Probe and QUEST Community Energy Planning project in Burlington that will help communities meet their energy goals by developing an implementation approach that integrates stakeholder and utility engagement, identifies best practices, and provides a draft work plan.
  
  
• Demonstration of an industrial Energy Management Information System using artificial intelligence at an Ontario mining facility to better understand, and more efficiently manage, all facets of the mine's electricity consumption and peak demand. The project will quantify energy savings resulting from the Energy Management System.

"The Grid Innovation Fund is helping Ontario use energy more efficiently and supporting innovation locally," said Todd Smith, Minister of Energy. "I commend the IESO for providing funding for these exciting projects that will test and demonstrate innovative new ways to manage energy consumption and reduce costs for families and businesses."

Since its inception in 2005, the IESO's Grid Innovation Fund has supported more than 260 projects, taking innovative ideas from partners and turning them into knowledge that enables the enhanced reliability, sustainability and resilience of the provincial electricity system.

Conservation and energy management projects have already shown value to Ontario ratepayers by reducing overall demand for electricity. These programs also help consumers better manage their electricity costs and support business competitiveness.

In addition to the Grid Innovation Fund, the IESO's Save on Energy programs provide a range of incentives to businesses and residents to help manage energy use and reduce bills. From 2011 to 2021, more than 270,000 Save on Energy program participants have saved 17 TWh of electricity, equivalent to powering more than two million homes for a year.

As demand for electricity is projected to grow over the next decade, energy efficiency will continue to play an important role in cost-effectively meeting system needs, driving cost-competitiveness, and promoting customer-driven solutions. 

About the IESO
The IESO operates Ontario's power grid 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, ensuring Ontarians receive a reliable and cost-effective source of power when and where they need it. It works with sector partners and engages with communities across Ontario to plan and prepare for the province's electricity needs now and into the future.

Backgrounder

The Region of Waterloo's Wastewater Treatment Plant Facility Upgrades – The upgrades will substitute traditional energy-intensive equipment with an energy-efficient biological membrane technology, which is expected to result in 30 percent lower energy demand. Partners include the Region of Waterloo, University of Waterloo, Ontario Clean Water Agency, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

The University of Western Ontario's Research on Hydrogen Peroxide Dosing in Wastewater Treatment Plants – The potential of using hydrogen peroxide to reduce aeration energy needs in wastewater facilities will be tested. The amount of energy savings that hydrogen peroxide dosing can provide will be quantified and, if successful, this approach could be used by wastewater facilities across the province to reduce their energy consumption. Located in London, this project is a partnership between Western University, USP Technologies, Mitacs, and the Municipality of Middlesex Centre.

Toronto 2030 District's Building Sector GHG Emissions - This project will identify viable pathways to a GHG-emissions-free building sector by 2050. It combines technical research with input from over sixty workshop participants representing Toronto's real estate industry and community organizations. The insights from this work will form a vision document to inform decision-making by real estate owners, the marketing of energy management programs, as well as help the electricity sector plan for the decarbonization of the economy. Located in Toronto, this project is being undertaken by the Toronto 2030 District, in partnership with Coolearth Architecture, Purpose Building and The Transition Accelerator. 

CanmetENERGY's RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software - Existing software used by energy managers in residential, commercial and industrial buildings will be upgraded to allow them to analyse demand response and load reduction capabilities of their systems. The upgrade will also include new deep retrofits archetypes that could result in up to 80 per cent electricity cost savings. Headquartered in Ottawa, CanmetENERGY, a branch of Natural Resources Canada, leads this project with partners Oxford Properties, 3M Canada, District School Board of Niagara, Mohawk College, Town of Caledon, and City Housing Hamilton.

Pollution Probe's Community Energy Planning in Burlington – Helps communities to meet their energy goals by developing an implementation approach that integrates stakeholder and utility engagement, identifies best practices, and provides a draft work plan. This project has the City of Burlington as its pilot community, and is a partnership with Pollution Probe, QUEST, Enbridge Gas, Burlington Electricity Services Inc., Canadian Renewable Energy Association, Waterloo Region Community Energy, Clean Air Council and Clean Air Partnership.

Thorn Associate's Industrial Energy Management Information System – This project will demonstrate the use of an industrial Energy Management System using artificial intelligence at an Ontario mining facility to better understand, and more efficiently manage, all facets of their electricity consumption and peak demand. This project is by led Thorn Associates.

SOURCE Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)

Media Contact: IESO Media Relations, 416.506.2823, [email protected]