Ecobility successfully supported North Bay Hydro Services in securing $1 million in funding from the Independent Electricity System Operator to build Canada’s first utility scale micro-grid and North America’s first resiliency hub.
On July 10, 2019, North Bay Hydro Services and smart grid solutions firm S & C Electric Company officially opened North Bay’s Community Energy Park, which provides sustainable locally generated energy to the community’s YMCA aquatic centre and Memorial gardens sports arena utilizing a microgrid controller, solar panels, battery storage, combined heat and power and electric vehicle charging. It provides 87% of the buildings’ electricity requirements and more than 50% of their electrical heating needs.
In addition to saving money on energy bills, the facility will create self-sustaining power in the event of a major power outage, providing a warm and safe environment with heat and electricity where the citizens of North Bay can seek refuge. It’s also expected to improve the city’s overall power efficiency and will be used as a demonstration and education site for the public.
The project cost $4.5 million, with over 60 per cent funded through government grants, including $1 million from the Independent Electricity System Operator.
The project demonstrates how innovation and new technologies can be utilized by communities to locally generate and store electricity for their own use.