The system is expected to notably lower Georgian College’s power costs by using energy storage to reduce electricity consumption when the electricity demand is peaking. This will decrease the College’s Global Adjustment Charge, which is a fee billed to all hydro customers in the province under Ontario’s 2009 Green Energy Act. These charges are typically 60 percent of the total annual electricity bill. The order with Wärtsilä was booked in December 2019.
The specified Wärtsilä system includes the company’s containerised GridSolv solution with lithium ion batteries, inverters, and all balance of plant equipment. The system is controlled by Wärtsilä’s GEMS proprietary advanced energy management system. GEMS enables the batteries to be charged when the electrical load is less than a pre-determined limit, and to discharge the batteries during peak loads, thereby minimising consumption from the grid. Furthermore, by its ability to respond to energy price arbitrage fluctuations, GEMS can charge the batteries when the price is low and discharge them when the price rises. GEMS is also capable of responding appropriately to higher winter energy demand.
“Ontario is committed to achieving a sustainable power supply and conforming with this objective by seeking a zero-emissions solution was important to us” said Angela Lockridge, Georgian College Vice President, Student Success and Corporate Services. “The Wärtsilä energy storage solution will help to significantly reduce the College’s electricity costs while supporting Ontario’s climate change mitigation strategies.”
Wärtsilä’s Risto Paldanius, Director, Business Development, Energy Storage and Optimisation, added that the system will be used in Ontario for effective power management and that, managed by Wärtsilä’s advanced GEMS software, it is a highly efficient means for controlling demand charge type costs. By responding to Global Adjustment peak discharge events to cover the load, the system will deliver significant economic and environmental benefits to the customer.
The Wärtsilä system is scheduled to be delivered, installed and commissioned in autumn 2020 and the delivery will mark further market expansion for Wärtsilä in Canada.
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