NB Power customers in Shediac are helping New Brunswick move toward a cleaner, more cost-effective and secure energy supply. The Shediac Smart Energy Community Project has provided valuable insights that will inform NB Power’s continued transition to cleaner, greener energy.

The project converted two public buildings to net zero, adding solar panels, battery storage, efficiency upgrades and energy management systems to the Shediac Multipurpose Building and the Government of Canada Pension Centre.

It also built NB Power’s first grid-connected solar farm, providing clean energy to the two public buildings and the town.

The buildings are the first in New Brunswick to be certified as net zero performance from the Canada Green Building Council.

Between 2018 and 2024, customers took part in an innovative research project using smart technology to learn how to save energy at home and bring more renewable energy to the electricity grid.

The residential energy study installed smart meters in 500 homes, and tested energy-saving devices, time-of-day rates and solar and battery technology with homeowners.

The research is now complete, and key findings are outlined below.

Customer behaviour and technology

• Set it and forget it: The best and easiest way for New Brunswickers to save money and energy at home is by installing cold climate, high-efficiency heat pumps (rated to -25 C) set at consistent temperatures all day.
• Knowledge saves energy and money: When New Brunswickers know how to save using technology and time-of-day rates, they change their habits to reduce their bill and their energy use.
• Solar and battery can provide multiple benefits: In compatible homes, solar panels and battery storage can provide bill savings and reliable, essential backup power during outages.

Impacts for the grid

• Simple solutions have the biggest impact on peak demand: Cold climate, high-efficiency heat pumps (rated to -25 C) are an easy low-cost option to reduce demand on the grid during daily peaks (morning and evening).
• Large energy users can help reduce peak demand with complex technology: Commercial customers can successfully save energy, contribute renewable energy to the grid and reduce peak demand using energy management technology in collaboration with the utility.
• Customer insights and project data supports evidence-based decisions: The project tested energy technology, rates and customer perceptions, producing a wealth of data to help NB Power make evidence-based decisions to meet climate and affordability goals, and secure our energy supply for generations.

The detailed findings are available here. 

Next Steps

The insights from this research will enable NB Power to offer better tools and programs, helping customers understand their consumption and make informed choices to save energy and lower their bills.

• Time-of-day rates will be introduced after Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is fully rolled out. Insights from the research will inform the design to make sure it works well for New Brunswickers.
• We’ve gained a better understanding of how heat pumps operate in New Brunswick’s climate, including how people use them in their homes. This knowledge will help us improve our efficiency programs and support heating contractors and customers in choosing heat pumps that perform well and maximize savings, especially on the coldest days of the year.
• We will use data from the project to shape demand response programs, with a focus on large commercial customers with high electricity demand.
• This research also gives us deeper insight into how people think about energy and what motivates them to take action. These learnings will help us create better tools and programs that make it easier for people to reduce their energy use and lower their bills through simple, everyday changes.

We are grateful to the Town of Shediac and to the hundreds of residential customers who participated in this project, and proud that the town is moving forward to become New Brunswick’s first net-zero community. 

We thank our partners, participants and funders for joining NB Power on this journey. You are helping all New Brunswickers have a cleaner, more affordable and secure energy future.

Partners for the project include: NB Power; Siemens, 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.