Elexicon Energy, Opus One Solutions, and Marshall Homes Design Canada’s First Preplanned Nested ‘Microgrid’ Residential Community

TORONTO, May 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The future of sustainable living and renewable energy is now, with the development of Canada’s first planned residential Smart Microgrid Community.

Elexicon Energy, the fourth largest municipally-owned electricity distributor in Ontario, real estate developer and builder Marshall Homes and Canada’s Opus One Solutions, a top 100 Global Cleantech Company, have partnered together to create a living smart grid pilot community called Altona Towns.

Funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Energy, Northern Development under the Smart Grid and Grid Innovation funds, the project will test, develop and launch the next generation of technologies that can turn electricity distribution systems into modern, digitally enabled grids.

The Smart Microgrid Community is the first planned nested microgrid project in Canada to integrate a full-scale, operational smart residential energy system. The community includes a rooftop solar, lithium-ion battery energy storage, electric vehicle charging stations, innovative smart metering system for community use, and an integrated distribution energy service platform to control and coordinate the components of the microgrid.

The project is the culmination of four years of planning, implementation, and technology and equipment installation. It will provide homeowners with increased energy resiliency and reliability, especially during power outages, while also offering an exciting alternative to conventional sources for power that are cleaner, economical and adaptable to future climate change impacts.

Elexicon Energy will gather insights and lessons learned from the deployment, from the distribution substation down to the local community, using Opus One’s distributed energy management software platform, GridOS®. Learnings will include how and when electricity is used, and how willing homeowners are to shift their energy consumption habits. The Opus One software will be integrated into Elexicon Energy’s electricity distribution operations, incorporating microgrid-assisted feeder automation capabilities to enable automated control features such as peak shaving, load shifting, islanding, demand response, and voltage control.

“With climate change a key concern in our era, Elexicon Energy is looking to develop an industry model for a smart grid, with the hopes this project will increase energy distribution reliability and contribute to net zero emissions targets for Canada by enabling wide-scale smart grid implementation in the near future,” said Falguni Shah, Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Elexicon Energy.

“We’re excited to leverage our innovative energy transition technology, GridOS, to advance planning for a smart community infrastructure that increases network resiliency, reduces carbon emissions and decreases energy costs,” said Hari Suthan, Chief Strategic Growth Officer at Opus One Solutions. “We are looking forward to deploying our energy solution platform that will digitize energy systems and accelerate decarbonization with smarter energy networks in a local Greater Toronto Area community.”

“At Marshall Homes, we are really looking to deliver long-term positive impacts to the community including the adoption of renewable generation,” said Craig Marshall, President at Marshall Homes. “Our homeowners will benefit directly from this innovative partnership as they can now generate their own power with more sustainable energy, allowing them to have choice and control over their consumption, leading to lower energy costs and environmental impact.”

About Elexicon Energy

Elexicon Energy powers life’s most meaningful moments. As the fourth largest municipally owned electricity distributor in Ontario, our vision is to empower the communities we serve and help customers seize opportunities to ignite a better future. We provide over 171,000 residential and business customers with reliable and affordable energy services. Elexicon Energy is owned by five municipalities: the City of Pickering, the Town of Ajax, the Town of Whitby, the City of Belleville and the Municipality of Clarington. Learn more at elexiconenergy.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Opus One Solutions

Opus One Solutions is a software engineering and solutions company with the vision of a digitalized, decentralized and decarbonized planet. Its intelligent energy network analysis platform, GridOS®, optimizes complex power flows to deliver operational time-frame energy management and integrated planning to distribution utilities and other managers of distributed energy resources. GridOS is modular, scalable, and integrates seamlessly with existing data systems to unlock greater potential for distributed energy resources, including renewable generation, energy storage, and responsive demand. GridOS also facilitates the management of microgrids — from homes to businesses to communities — for delivery of unparalleled grid resiliency and value to the electricity customer.

Learn more at opusonesolutions.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Add About Marshall Homes

A leader in innovation, quality and customer care since 1993. Bringing game changing initiatives to the mainstream like its Flexhouz™ series for multi-generational families, Canada’s most advanced microgrid community, solar and geothermal heating and cooling, in addition to ENERGY STAR and Energuide 83. Marshall Homes continues to focus on creating quality over quantity with its boutique enclaves and custom homes throughout Durham and cottage country.

Learn more at marshallhomes.ca and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Media Contacts:

Elexicon Energy
Edyta McKay, Manager Public Affairs, Communications and Marketing
[email protected]
Mobile: 289-314-0443

Kimberly Brathwaite, Brand and PR Advisor
[email protected]
Mobile: 905-424-9477

Opus One Solutions
Simona Hiutin, Marketing Manager
[email protected]
Mobile: 416-300-1966

Marshall Homes
Craig Marshall, President
[email protected]
Mobile: 647-888-8278

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