Update on Shediac Smart Energy Community Project

2023-07-20

SHEDIAC, N.B. – NB Power’s first solar farm is now online and is providing clean energy to help two public buildings in Shediac become among the first net-zero energy buildings in the country.

Partners in the Shediac Smart Energy Community Project came together today for an event to celebrate the project’s successes to date, including the solar farm recently coming online and plans for the future .

“Today marks an important milestone for not only the Shediac Smart Energy Community Project with the solar farm coming online, but also shows how renewable energy technology can be integrated with the provincial electricity grid in a way that brings value to all New Brunswickers,” said Lori Clark, president and CEO of NB Power. “Our recent launch of NB Power’s new strategic plan, Energizing our Future, outlines additional steps we plan to take to invest in cleaner, greener energy and transition to a stronger, smarter grid while becoming a more financially viable utility.”

Since 2018, NB Power has been working with the Town of Shediac to bring solar energy to the community as part of the Shediac Smart Energy Community Project. Another aspect of the project involves a residential energy study that’s engaging hundreds of local homeowners. The project involves the testing of smart devices, time of day rates and Distributed Energy Resources. These devices allow the utility to control when and how much energy is used both in large commercial buildings and homes, which could be crucial to meeting provincial energy demand on peak energy days in the winter. Technology partner Siemens Canada is currently testing an Energy Systems Platform in Shediac which will help utilities around the world solve similar grid problems.

As part of the Shediac Smart Energy Community Project, NB Power established a new grid-connected, 1.63 MW solar farm within Shediac town limits that sits on just over four hectares of land. The farm provides clean energy to the grid which serves two public buildings in Shediac, the Shediac Multipurpose Centre and the Government of Canada Pension Centre, which are both being converted to achieve net-zero energy status. Excess energy is flowing into the community.

Partners for the Shediac Smart Energy Community Project include: NB Power; the Town of Shediac; and the Government of Canada through Natural Resources Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and the National Research Council of Canada. The project is also part of Smart Grid Atlantic, a four-year, federally funded initiative supporting energy technology projects in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

For more information, visit https://www.nbpower.com/en/grid-modernization/smart-grid-atlantic/shediac-smart-energy-community-project/

QUOTES:

The Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada

The solar farm marks a key milestone in the Government’s move to smarter, cleaner, more resilient and efficient energy in the region. We are proud to partner in this project and support Canada’s transition to using clean energy to our Pension Centre. Together, we are getting closer to our goal of net-zero energy use by 2050.

The Honourable Mike Holland, New Brunswick Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development

“New Brunswickers are looking to us to offer them clean energy solutions to respond to the ever-growing impacts of climate change that we’re all experiencing firsthand and the changing federal government regulations. Our government’s Climate Change Action Plan outlines our approach to reaching net-zero emissions province-wide by 2050, and it’s through projects like the Shediac Smart Energy Community Project that we’ll get there together.”

Roger Caissie, Mayor of Shediac

“I’m proud of the residents of Shediac who are participating in the Shediac Smart Energy Community Project and allowing researchers to install, test and monitor a variety of smart energy technologies in their homes. In addition to improving energy efficiency, these new technologies proved invaluable during Hurricane Fiona, when residents were able to heat and light their homes while many were without power. With this significant initiative, the community of Shediac is positioning itself as a leader in the sustainable and ecological energy sector, committed to building a cleaner, greener world for the benefit of future generations.”

Faisal Kazi, President & CEO, Siemens Canada

“Siemens Canada is proud to play an important role in the Shediac Smart Energy Community Project, which is making a sustainable difference in the lives of Shediac residents. The project is helping them manage - energy costs while helping them reduce the impacts of climate change on their community.  We look forward to partnering with additional communities in New Brunswick and beyond to bring similar energy efficiency projects to life.”

MEDIA CONTACT: Dominique Couture at 506-377-8057 or dcouture@nbpower.com.