Ameresco Commences Historic Smart Grid Carbon Reduction Project at Canadian School

Upgrades made to the educational facility include the installation of 2,700 covered carport solar panels (providing 825 kW DC of power), piping for a geothermal heating and cooling system, a 2.2MWh electrical energy storage system and 4 electric vehicle charging stations.

Implemented improvements will greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, previously required to heat, cool and provide electricity to the school, to near zero and remove approximately 277 tons of carbon on a yearly basis.

All of these efforts help advance the country’s ‘Investing in Canada’ infrastructure plan, which pushes for the prioritization of energy-efficient buildings and smart grids.

By utilizing the innovative Energy as a Service (EaaS) financial model, Ameresco implemented solutions that not only helped JP II become completely energy self-sufficient, but that also delivered significant cost savings from a 68% reduction in baseline electricity costs.

Ameresco helped secure an investment of $4.5 million from Natural Resources Canada’s Energy Innovation Program.

The school also received funding from the Independent Electricity System Operator’ s Grid Innovation Fund to demonstrate how the system could also provide both the local and bulk transmission grid with emission free energy and ancillary support services to the electricity grid.

“This project embodies how the electricity system is evolving, allowing a school to use a suite of emerging technologies to save energy costs and reduce emissions,” says Katherine Sparkes, Director of Innovation, Research and Development at the IESO. 

Ameresco has worked with the LDCSB on a variety of projects worth more than $50 million across LDSCB facilities during the last 10 years.

The work done at JP II positions the school as a national leader in carbon reductions and a model for not only other educational facilities throughout Canada, but all facilities across all sectors, proving that construction of a carbon-free facility is a technically viable option.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the London District Catholic School Board by collaborating on such a monumental project,” said Bob McCullough, President, Ameresco Canada.