Across the Maritimes, electric utility commercial customers are participating in PowerShift Atlantic research. Intelligent components are installed on a variety of qualifying equipment (“end uses”): Heating Ventilation and Cooling (HVAC) units, electric boilers, water pumps, commercial refrigeration equipment, and commercial water heaters to name a few. These end uses do not rely on a constant supply of energy to function, which allows the utility to remotely shift the amount of energy delivered to a particular piece of equipment at precise times, without affecting its performance. All participating equipment continues to operate within the customer’s desired temperature ranges.

By remotely managing the on, off, up and down times of these end uses – shifting cycles a few minutes here and there and combining loads from many customers – PowerShift Atlantic can demonstrate ways to optimize wind-generated energy, without requiring any change in customer behaviour or consumption.

Throughout the research project, commercial customers continue to use their equipment with no change to their processes or routines. The solution does not, in any way, affect the supply of safe and reliable power to customers, and the solution operates with minimal or no disruption or inconvenience. Learn more about How It Works.