Projects Funded

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Since its inception, the Grid Innovation Fund has supported a variety of projects – ranging from the development of new technologies to help balance the grid, to programs designed to increase customer engagement in energy efficiency. The Fund takes innovative ideas from partners and turning them into knowledge that enables the enhanced reliability, sustainability and resilience of the provincial electricity system.

Active Projects Directory

The table below provides recent Grid Innovation Fund projects. Filter by project category, or order by proponent name or year. Download its project brief to learn more. For a complete list of project investments by the Grid Innovation Fund and its predecessor funds, please see the Grid Innovation Fund Portfolio.

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Electrification / Decarbonization

Enabling Non-wires Alternatives

Enhancing Forecasting and Planning

Infrastructure Resilience

Wholesale Market Integration

Proponent	Year	Project Description	Project Documents	Category	Status
BluWave-ai	2021	EV Everywhere The project results are expected to reduce peak demand and inform potential deferral of future infrastructure upgrades. It will create a framework for Hydro Ottawa to participate in the EV market creatively, leveraging the investment in EVs to provide distribution non-wires solutions in the form of demand response and demonstrate the effectiveness of pairing this strategy with front-of-meter (FOM) batteries with dispatchable injection capabilities.	Project Brief	Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives, Wholesale Market Integration	Active
Enel X Canada Ltd.	2021	Unlocking Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Participation Across Ontario Enabling and aggregating heterogenous behind the meter resources in the IESO administered markets (IAMs) with improved and streamlined participation models. Ability to measure and verify performance from heterogeneous, Distributed Energy Resource (DER) aggregations with alternative measurement approaches not used today in Ontario, where resources participating in the pilot include behind-the-meter (BTM) battery storage and/or load curtailment located at 13 sites across Ontario.	Final Report Project Brief	Wholesale Market Integration, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Completed
Essex Powerlines Corporation	2021	Essex Powerlines DSO Pilot Project Key outcomes of this project include a deeper understanding of a Distribution System Operator (DSO) structure in Ontario and the running of a local electricity market, the performance of DERs and DER aggregations, and their ability to reliably meet real, local needs and simulated wholesale needs by local and IESO Market Rules, transmission-distribution coordination processes, the value of DERs as non-wires alternatives to mitigate local and bulk level constraints while deferring traditional infrastructure upgrades, and the level of engagement and interest from DER asset owners to provide grid services.	Final Report Project Brief	Wholesale Market Integration, Infrastructure Resilience, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Completed
PowerON Energy Solutions LP	2021	Battery Storage for Electric Bus Charging, Demand Reduction and Grid Services Behind-the-meter battery storage and smart charging management will provide backup power, global adjustment savings, distribution system upgrade deferral and provision of demand reduction grid services.	Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives, Wholesale Market Integration	Active
Toronto Hydro	2021	Benefit Stacking Transmission and Distribution System Non-Wires Alternatives Pilot Project The result of the project will create a process for better coordination between Toronto Hydro and the IESO in the deployment of Local Demand Response (LDR) capacity to address target constraints at both the distribution system and bulk-system levels of the electricity grid. The success of this project will lower capacity and Capacity Auction clearing prices, increase DER proliferation and allow for improved IESO planning and distribution system planning.	Project Brief	Transmission-Distribution Coordination, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives, Wholesale Market Integration	Active
Leapfrog Energy Technologies Inc.	2019	PROEMPO – Proactive Energy Management and Performance Optimization Develop a low cost, open standard, scalable, and accurate tool for industrial and mining facilities to reduce energy and optimize the performance of air compressors, pumps, fans and motor-driven equipment.	Project Brief	Enhancing Forecasting and Planning, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Completed
Newmont (formerly Goldcorp)	2018	Distributed Underground Air Compressors Demonstration Pilot small distributed air compressors to achieve compressed air needs in mines using 50% less energy compared to a conventional central surface compressor plant with the associated underground distribution. Create wider implementation within and beyond Ontario and enhance the case for building new mines or converting existing mines to all electric.	Final Report Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Active
NRStor Inc.	2018	Local Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Integration and Rental Program Pilot Deploying behind-the-meter energy storage in an electrically constrained urban neighbourhood and make energy storage affordable for homeowners while providing valuable services to the local and provincial electricity system.	Project Brief	Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Open
Opus One Solutions	2018	Transactive Energy Network for Clean Generation, Energy Storage, Electric Vehicle Demonstrate the feasibility of resource-agnostic DERs in market-based approach to unlock the value to the distribution and bulk systems while coordinating with local system safety constraints, enhancing market efficiency, and system reliability.	Final Report Project Brief	Wholesale Market Integration	Active
Pollution Probe	2020	Advancing Community Energy Planning Alignment & Implementation Provide a community energy planning framework that will convene municipalities, IESO, electric and gas utilities, businesses, building owners, and other stakeholders to develop and test an effective and repeatable approach for Ontario communities to achieve benefits of lower energy costs for residents and all ratepayers.	Project Brief	Enhancing Forecasting and Planning, Electrification / Decarbonization	Completed
Survalent Technology Corporation	2020	Energy Management Platform for Autonomous and Multi-Market Participation of DERs Establish a framework and a real-time information platform that aggregates the LDCs’ Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) data to increase autonomous and market participation for distributed energy resources (DERs). Inform a business case for LDCs on how they can plan and invest to integrate DERs into distribution systems to meet current and future needs.	Final Report Project Brief	Wholesale Market Integration	Completed
Thorn Associates	2020	Artificial Intelligence – enabled Industrial Energy Management Information System Opportunity for the use of AI-driven Energy Management Information System (EMIS) at industrial facilities by proving energy consumption savings and peak demand reduction at the demonstration site of 10%, and bill savings of 10% that will improve over time.	Project Brief	Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Completed
Toronto 2030 District	2020	Zero Emissions Roadmap Discover the pathway to a GHG-emissions-free building sector by 2050 through engagement and input of 40+ stakeholders from the sector through a series of workshops. The findings will be adaptable by any Ontario city, given the mix of building types involved in the project.	Final Report Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization	Active
University of Windsor	2019	Powering Greenhouse Sector Expansion with Distributed Energy Resource Solutions Reduce reliance on grid supplied electricity and enable the deferral of costly transmission infrastructure construction, and mitigate additional electricity costs.	Final Report Project Brief	Enhancing Forecasting and Planning	Active
University of Western Ontario	2020	Use of Hydrogen Peroxide to Reduce Aeration Energy Demand in Wastewater Treatment Plants Demonstrates the energy savings in the wastewater treatment industry by adding hydrogen peroxide to biological wastewater treatment.	Final Report Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Active
Allegro Acres Inc.	2020	Lighting Strategies to Reduce Peak Demand and Improve Energy Efficiency in Greenhouses Demonstrate the effectiveness of lighting strategies to improve energy efficiency while maintaining or improving crop growth and yield. The project will be piloted with 2 independent enclosed greenhouses in the Leamington-Essex area and will evaluate the performance of low intensity lighting and controls.	Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Completed
Ameresco Canada	2019	Carbon Free Embedded Microgrid Energy System Design, build and operate a carbon-free microgrid at John Paul II Catholic Secondary School in London, ON that is expected to provide all of the school’s heating, cooling and electricity needs. The goals are to operate the school with zero GHG emissions and to evaluate the “Energy as Service” business model for microgrid development and the benefits of participating in IESO’s administered markets.	Project Brief	Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives, Wholesale Market Integration, Infrastructure Resilience	Completed
Elocity Technologies	2020	Hyper Integrated Electric Vehicles Platform Integrate an end-to-end AI-powered solution that provides the data and control needed to manage EV electricity demand. The pilot aims to demonstrate the value of an interoperable and secure digital platform for LDCs to understand, visualize and predict EV power demand, including peak load reduction/shifting and cost savings for EV drivers.	Final Report Project Brief	Enhancing Forecasting and Planning, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Active
Essex Powerlines Corporation	2019	DER and EV Visibility Tool Enhance the SmartMAP software, which is a geospatial load analysis tool used by utilities, to enable visibility to EVs and DERs and their impact on distribution system assets. The software enhancements will add detection algorithms that allow for EV charging loads to be automatically identified, improving both visibility and data analysis.	Project Brief	Enhancing Forecasting and Planning	Completed
Hydratek	2019	Reducing Municipal Water Loss and Energy Consumption Through the development and deployment of a mobile testing unit, this project will provide a cost-effective solution to identify municipal water leakages, test the impact of pressure management strategies on reducing leakages, and quantify the associated energy and cost savings for municipalities and their residents.	Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Completed
Innovia GEO Corp.	2018	Pile-Integrated Geo-Exchange System for Geothermal Heating and Cooling Demonstration of an innovative geothermal solution integrating a geo-exchange system into a helical steel pile at a transformer station in Waterloo. The system consists of a conventional geo-exchange ground loop as well as a geo-exchange pile array to enable a side-by-side comparison of the heating and cooling performance of the two systems.	Final Report Project Brief Presentation	Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Active
JDRF Electromag Engineering Inc.	2019	Autonomy Sensor for Smart Lighting Demonstration of a system of fixture-mounted autonomy sensors that would provide smart lighting energy savings. The autonomy sensors could reduce costs of smart light adoption and eliminate all design, set up and maintenance work done before, during and after deployment.	Project Brief	Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives, Electrification / Decarbonization	Completed
Peak Power	2020	Feeder Level Forecasting and Data Disaggregation for DER Identification Develop a distribution level forecasting tool, that will include energy profile pattern recognition, to improve visibility into DERs and electric vehicles. The forecasting tool would identify the location of electric vehicle charging stations and other consumer-owned DERs and forecast their impact on demand peaks.	Project Brief	Enhancing Forecasting and Planning	Completed
Powerconsumer	2020	Finding Value in Local Energy Markets Develop a software platform that could facilitate transactions between DER owners, or DER aggregators, and local utilities. The platform would be used to simulate the operation of a future local energy market within the Newmarket Tay and Elexicon service territories, and estimate the energy, cost and reliability benefits of using local resources to meet local need.	Final Report Project Brief	Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Active
Region of Waterloo	2020	Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) Demonstration at Wastewater Treatment Plant Replace the existing aeration equipment at the Hespeler Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cambridge, Ontario, with MABR technology to reduce electricity and demand consumption. The project will conduct measurement and verification to quantify the energy and demand savings and greenhouse gas reduction resulting from the MABR technology.	Final Report Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization	Completed
Sky Clean Energy	2020	Optimal Vehicle-to-Grid Charging System considering solar, storage and user privacy Develop a public facing, V2G enabled, distributed ledger technology based charging system that aggregates multiple on-site DERs (storage and solar) to participate in demand response events. The project aims to develop best practices for an interoperable, scalable and secure V2G model for Ontario, while delivering energy savings and peak load reduction.	Project Brief	Wholesale Market Integration	Completed
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority	2019	Small and Medium Enterprises Unite to Fast Track Strategic Energy Management This project will demonstrate a Community of Practice program model for industrial sector small-to-medium enterprises to learn about and adopt long-lasting and high impact energy efficiency measures.	Final Report Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization, Wholesale Market Integration	Active
IPEX Technologies Inc.	2020	Double Vortex Aerator Demonstrate that installing the double vortex aerator would result in approximately 15%-30% of energy savings at the lagoon.	Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization	Completed
Great Lakes Greenhouses Inc.	2020	Energy Efficient Autonomous Greenhouse Demonstrate the application of an intelligent autonomous agent controlling a greenhouse with the objective of reducing the energy footprint of the facility without negatively impacting crop yield.	Final Report Project Brief	Electrification / Decarbonization, Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Completed
EnerQuality	2019	Net Zero TAP Pilot Increase penetration of new net-zero technologies into mainstream new housing by engaging individual builders to pilot new net-zero technologies. The result is a technology adoption model that can be replicated across the province and integrated into future conservation programming.	Project Brief	Enabling Non-Wires Alternatives	Completed
Hydro One	2020	Residential Reliability Improvement Pilot Project Hydro One is proposing to improve the reliability for 50-100 rural residential customers on the distribution system who are experiencing extremely long outage duration (greater than 50 hours annually) by installing, operating, and maintaining behind-the-meter (BTM) Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) that provide whole-home backup.	Final Report	Infrastructure Resilience	Completed
CanmetEnergy	2020	Enabling Ratepayer Cost Savings by Adding Demand Response/Load Reduction Capabilities and Deep Retrofit Facility Archetypes to RETScreen Expert This project will enable Ontario ratepayer cost savings by developing and integrating, into the RETScreen Clean Energy Management Software (RETScreen Expert), demand response and load reduction analysis capabilities, as well as deep retrofit facility archetypes. These new capabilities will then be built into RETScreen Expert’s Virtual Energy Analyzer to facilitate rapid and low-cost identification of cost-effective demand response (i.e. peak clipping and peak shifting), load reduction (i.e. electricity fuel switching) and energy efficiency (i.e. reduced electricity consumption) measures and technologies.	Final Report	Electrification / Decarbonization, Enhancing Forecasting and Planning	Completed
York University	2020	Underground Seasonal Storage The project is aimed at evaluating a new approach for identifying suitable aquifers for large scale seasonal thermal energy storage applications. This geological survey will provide inputs for a feasibility study to assess the techno economic potential of integrating large-scale underground seasonal storage into an example of an Ontario large electricity consumer, such as at York University Keele campus.	Final Report	Electrification / Decarbonization, Enhancing Forecasting and Planning	Completed
Alectra	2019	Alectra Drive@Home Alectra Utilities seeks to develop and implement an electric vehicle (EV) deployment model for residential customers to identify the economic, technical, regulatory and customer outreach considerations that will be relevant to deploy these solutions at scale in the future to benefit the local and provincial electricity system.	Final Report	Enabling Non-wires Alternatives	Completed