Registration and Bidding
- Interested parties can register their DER via the GridS2 Platform
- Enova Power will review applications
Operations
- Enova Power will forecast high demand periods and issue advance Standby Notices to participants
- Enova Power will issue Activation Notices to participants
- Participants will provide the required capacity during the activation period by dispatching their DERs or curtailing load
Settlement
- Enova Power will perform measurement and verification of your meter data to determine participants’ delivered capacity during activations
- Performance payments will be calculated based on delivered capacity and bid submissions
- Participants will receive payments at the end of the following month
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FlexibleGrids?
Flexible Grids is a distribution level electricity market program designed to optimize grid operations, reduce peak demand and reward distributed energy resources (DERs) for providing capacity during periods of grid constraints.
Who can participate?
Enova Power customers located in the Kitchener South area. To register, visit [insert GridS2 platform link]
Will this raise my electricity rates?
No. This initiative is being funded through the Energy Innovation Program at Natural Resources Canada. While this program will not increase rates, it is expected that by curtailing load your overall bill may be lowered.
How will I get paid?
Participants will be paid via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
What is the minimum submission capacity?
At minimum, participant DER and/or load curtailment capacity must be at least 100 kW
If I cannot deliver the agreed upon capacity, will there be financial penalties?
If participants deliver less than 85% of its capacity obligation per the market rules then performance charges may apply. However, in all cases, total program payments will always be greater than performance charges. Therefore, participants will not pay out of pocket for under performance.
How will I be notified of an activation event?
Participants will receive standby notices 24 hours prior to the event, and activation notices at least 2 hours prior to the event via email.
Use Cases
Industrial Peak Load Reduction During a Summer Peak
Enova forecasts a localized overload condition in 24 hours and issues a Standby Notice. Cooling loads across the grid increase and Enova issues an Activation Notice. Multiple participating manufacturing facilities pause energy intensive industrial processes during the required activation period, thereby reducing the grid constraint.
Smart EV Fleet Charging Optimization
Enova forecasts a localized overload condition in 24 hours and issues a Standby Notice. A transportation company with an electric vehicle fleet typically begins a complete fleet recharge at 5:00pm. Enova issues an Activation Notice between 6:00pm and 9:00pm. As a participating customer, the company staggers the number of simultaneous vehicle charging and programs their chargers to operate at a lower output.
Energy Storage Dispatch
A motor vehicle accident (MVA) causes a short temporary loss of power in the area while Enova’s system is reconfigured to restore power using neighbouring stations. Due to overload constraints in the neighbouring areas, there is a capacity shortfall and Enova issues an Emergency Activation Notice. A participating commercial retail company that has a property with a combined rooftop solar and battery storage typically optimizes their system by charging the battery at night, and exports to the grid from either the panels or battery during the day. During the Emergency Activation Notice, the commercial retail company discharges the battery to feed the facility load which shores up most of the required capacity.