Thursday, October 21, 2021

Alectra, Enbridge Gas & Markham team up to minimize GHG emissions, maximize grid benefits

MARKHAM, ON – October 21, 2021 – The City of Markham, Alectra and Enbridge Gas are pleased to share a unique collaboration, the POWER.HOUSE Hybrid pilot, that aims to empower households in Markham to generate and store clean energy while initiating a move towards Net-Zero Energy Emission homes.

Partially funded by Natural Resources Canada, the POWER.HOUSE Hybrid pilot project has now completed the deployment across 10 residential homes in Markham to integrate a set of controllable electrical and thermal equipment into a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platform. These homes were retrofitted with a combination of smart electric and thermal technologies such as solar panels, battery storage, hybrid heating (natural gas and electric heating), micro combined heat and power (mCHP), and electric vehicle chargers. This integrated equipment will enable customers to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, have greater control over their energy costs, and enjoy increased comfort levels through automated controls.

In addition, the POWER.HOUSE Hybrid pilot project allows homeowners to have the flexibility to shift power supply to behind the meter sources during peak times and use clean solar energy to power electric vehicles and other household items. The ability to produce and store their own power will protect these homes against the impacts of extreme weather events causing outages on the power grid. Excess clean energy generated by these homes will feed into the provincial power grid, reducing the share of power supplied from carbon intensive sources.

Quick Facts:

The POWER.HOUSE Hybrid pilot explores how electrical and thermal solutions can be integrated to reduce GHG emissions, provide more grid flexibility, and minimize operational costs to customers.
The 10 homes were selected based on an evaluation of their electrical and thermal loads. Owning an Electric Vehicle was a key inclusion criterion.
Data from the pilot will help optimize system configuration and design for future installations, including solar, battery storage and thermal systems usage. Hybrid heating usage data and learnings can be used to educate Markham residents who are already exploring the idea of home energy retrofits.

“The City of Markham continues to be a leader in taking bold action to create a more sustainable world by collaborating with organizations such as Alectra and Enbridge Gas to deliver programs with the aim of reducing household greenhouse gas emissions," said Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “The transportation and residential sectors combined consume 67% of energy across the City. The POWER.HOUSE Hybrid Pilot is an example of how a local program can target energy reductions while supporting our Municipal Energy Plan – Getting to Zero, reaching net zero emissions by 2050.”

“The POWER.HOUSE Hybrid pilot is an innovative project that helps sustain our commitment to becoming Net Zero by 2050,” said Brian Bentz, President and CEO, Alectra Inc. “We’re proud to be part of this exciting project that is showcasing next generation energy management technologies.”

“The POWER.HOUSE Hybrid project is a fantastic example of utilities and municipalities partnering to advance leading-edge hybrid heating technologies that reduce GHG emissions while delivering a reliable supply of clean power to local homes,” said Malini Giridhar, Vice President, Business Development and Regulatory, Enbridge Gas. “We’re proud to collaborate with Alectra and the City of Markham to develop this made-in-Canada solution and it is our hope that the success of this pilot can lead to wider scale deployment and lower costs as more Municipalities participate. Together we’re leading the way to a clean energy future.”

Climate change is real and presents a threat to our global community. The City of Markham has several initiatives that promote energy conservation and efficiency, green technology, food security, protection of natural spaces and waste diversion and recycling.

Markham residents can start small with rebates offered by government and power companies and plan for more involved projects when they update the infrastructure of their homes, as more infrastructure and technologies become available.

For additional details on the POWER.HOUSE Hybrid pilot and Markham’s Municipal Energy Plan: Getting to Zero visit markham.ca/sustainability.

Get excited about a green future! Visit Your Voice Markham – Home Energy Retrofits to learn more.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office:
Bryan Frois, Chief of Staff at bfrois@markham.ca or 416.567.1177.

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham:
Jennifer Yap, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations at jyap@markham.ca or 437.229.2450.

Alectra Inc.:
Ashley Trgachef, Media Spokesperson at ashley.trgachef@alectrautilities.com, 416.402.5469 or 1.833.MEDIALN.

Enbridge Gas Inc.:
Enbridge Gas Media at enbridgegasmedia@enbridge.com or 1.855.884.5112.

For COVID-19 announcements from the City of Markham:
Visit markham.ca/covid19 or listen to 105.9 The Region – Markham’s information and emergency radio station.

About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with over 351,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 corporate head offices and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 240 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy. Markham has received the Excellence Canada Gold Award for Organizational Quality & Healthy Workplace, and multiple heritage and environmental awards.

About Alectra Inc.: Serving more than one million homes and businesses in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe area, Alectra Utilities is now the largest municipally-owned electric utility in Canada, based on the total number of customers served. We contribute to the economic growth and vibrancy of the 17 communities we serve by investing in essential energy infrastructure, delivering a safe and reliable supply of electricity, and providing innovative energy solutions. Our mission is to be an energy ally, helping our customers and the communities we serve to discover the possibilities of tomorrow’s energy future. Learn more at alectra.com/innovation-alectra

About Enbridge Gas Inc.: Enbridge Gas is Canada’s largest natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario, with more than 170 years of service to customers. The distribution business provides safe, affordable, reliable energy to about 3.8 million homes, businesses and industries and is leading the transition to a low-carbon energy future through net-zero emissions targets in our operations, and investments in innovative clean energy solutions including hydrogen. The storage and transmission business offers storage and transportation services to customers at the Dawn Hub, the largest integrated underground storage facility in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Enbridge Gas is owned by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution.

Stay Connected: Visit our newsroom or search #MarkhamNews and #MarkhamEvents for the latest information on City programs, services and event.

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