- Enel X has been awarded a $3.3M CAD investment through IESO’s Grid Innovation Fund with support from OEB Innovation Sandbox for an innovative pilot project aggregating battery storage and demand response loads to meet real-time energy needs within Ontario’s growing energy market.
- The project will aggregate up to 76.7 MW of energy load across 14 sites, located at 11 different businesses across the province.
- The Enel X project will demonstrate the advantages of aggregating smaller capacity, distributed energy resources across multiple programs to promote grid resilience and lower emissions in Ontario energy markets.
Toronto, Ontario, March 30, 2022 — Enel X, the advanced energy services arm of the Enel Group, today announced a collaboration with the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) and Ontario Energy Board (OEB) for an innovative battery storage and demand response aggregation pilot project to support Ontario's growing energy needs. The project, supported by a $3.3M CAD investment through IESO's Grid Innovation Fund (GIF) as well as regulatory support from OEB’s Innovation Sandbox, aims to unlock new opportunities for businesses to leverage on-site batteries and reduce their electricity use to meet real-time energy needs.
In collaboration with multiple businesses across Ontario, Enel X will aggregate up to 76.7 MW of energy load across 14 sites that have both behind-the-meter (on-site) battery storage and demand response capabilities.
Historically, many distributed energy resources (DERs) were excluded due to their size or could not enter IESO administered markets (IAMs) under the current IESO market rules. Over the next two years, the Enel X pilot will demonstrate the advantages of aggregating these DERs of various sizes to provide significant energy load reduction, serve as a firm, reliable resource to the grid, and enhance Ontario’s electricity system.
"Large energy users in Ontario continue to make significant commitments to reducing emissions, recognizing emissions reductions not only as an opportunity to make operations more sustainable but an opportunity to manage their energy costs," says Surya Panditi, Head of Enel X North America. "It's critical that we continue to unlock these businesses' energy resources to reduce demand on the grid, lower energy costs, improve sustainability, and deliver economic value."
“Demand for electricity in Ontario is forecast to grow at a rate not seen in many years, with an average of about 1.7 per cent each year over the next decade in part due to growth in the industrial sectors,” says Lesley Gallinger, President and CEO of the IESO. "With this investment through the IESO Grid Innovation Fund, Enel X will help these businesses better participate in the electricity sector, securing a new revenue stream while contributing to a reliable, sustainable, and affordable electricity system in Ontario.”
“We need to facilitate meaningful innovation by utilities and others, and protect consumers as the energy sector transforms,” says Susanna Zagar, CEO of the OEB. “Projects like these – and the kind of support that the Innovation Sandbox offers – provide insight into emerging challenges in the sector, as well as the solutions that can tackle those challenges.”
Enel X has participated in the Ontario markets since the inception of demand response programs and remains a provincial leader in demand response, with around 150 MW of managed commercial and industrial capacity. Enel X continues to grow its energy storage footprint in Ontario to more than 60 MW of capacity contracted and operational. Enel X has an experienced team working in Ontario and is currently heavily focused on enabling more DER participation across the province. The company is also expanding its smart electric vehicle charging business, with recent partnerships announced with Toronto-based fleet management company Element, and Killam, one of Canada's largest residential landlords.
About Enel X
Enel X is Enel Group's global business line offering services that accelerate innovation and drive the energy transition. In North America, Enel X has around 4,500 business customers, spanning more than 35,000 sites and representing approximately $10.5B in energy spend under management. Enel X North America has approximately 4.7 GW of demand response capacity, over 100 battery storage projects that are operational and under contract, and more than 100,000 smart EV charging stations. Enel X advises large energy users on energy procurement, sustainability, and risk management, and has completed 65,000 energy procurement events including 3,000 MW of long-term renewable energy contracts. The company's intelligent DER Optimization Software is designed to analyze real-time energy and utility bill data, improve performance, and manage distributed energy assets across a number of different value streams and applications. JuiceNet, Enel X's smart EV charging platform, delivers energy services to utilities, businesses, drivers and automotive manufacturers.