Project SPEEDIER is one of the first projects to assist Parry Sound in meeting its goals around becoming one of the first net-zero communities in Canada. This three-year local project is led by Bracebridge Generation with support from the Town of Parry Sound and Georgian College and a $3.75-million investment from the Government of Canada. Project SPEEDIER follows Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) objectives of reducing GHG emissions, to adhere to Canada’s Paris Agreement commitments, and to maintain the natural beauty of the Parry Sound area.
The SPEEDIER team is pleased to announce that the completion of baseline reporting shows significant reduction potential as soon as next Earth Day.
The SPEEDIER project includes the installation of a 500kW AC/648kW DC Solar Net Metering Solution and a 2.514 MWh Tesla Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), as well as a Level III DC Electric Vehicle Fast Charger and three Level II Electric Vehicle chargers, 10 Tesla home Powerwalls and 50 hot water tank controllers. These new assets are part of the solution to reduce GHG emissions by shifting the electricity load to times when the electricity generation mix is cleaner. Bracebridge Generation already produces green energy in Parry Sound through their 3.25 megawatt waterpower generation plant.
For more than a year, Bracebridge Generation has worked with Georgian’s Research and Innovation department to develop a GHG emission report. This report specifically outlines the potential reduction of GHG emissions by deploying these assets onto the Parry Sound electricity grid. The team used the international GHG Protocol for Project Accounting and the Guidelines for Quantifying GHG Reductions from Grid-Connected Electricity Projects to develop the framework for the baseline emission calculations and GHG reduction estimates.
Scott McCrindle, a professor in Georgian’s Computer Studies academic area, has a Master’s degree in Environmental Practice from Royal Roads University with a focus on Distributed Energy Technologies (DET). McCrindle led the research, determining the existing emissions that would be negated by deploying each of these assets, considering product specifications, deferred or removed electricity generation, industry best practices and vendor data.
“Bracebridge Generation has been very fortunate to have the expertise of Scott and the team at Georgian College,” said Chris Litschko, CEO of Bracebridge Generation. “Scott’s report is industry-leading on the process of completing the NRCan GHG reporting template, which will provide the analysis of our Parry
Sound project outcomes for years to come, and will be the basis of future project emission estimates.”
McCrindle is grateful to work with Bracebridge Generation on this ground-breaking initiative. “This collaborative effort to implement frameworks that account for the GHG performance of the SPEEDIER project will help electrical utilities to more effectively integrate and deploy smart grid technologies. Such assets can improve grid resilience, responsiveness, and flexibility, while also producing verifiable reductions in GHG emissions. This important research is an example of the type of work required to develop more sustainable energy systems — work that will require the courage and imagination of people who are willing to do things differently.”
If you would like further information pertaining to project SPEEDIER and would like to know how you can get involved, please visit www.speedier.ca. More detailed inquiries should be made to Jennifer Montpetit (Advanced Planning and Communications for Lakeland Holding Ltd./Bracebridge Generation Ltd.) via
Phone: 705-645-2670, ext. 504 or email: contact@speedier.ca
