Grid Innovation Fund Evaluation Demonstrates Potential to Advance Grid Reliability, Affordability and Decarbonization
March 28, 2024
A third-party analysis completed in December 2023 by Guidehouse evaluated eight innovation projects that were funded through the IESO’s Grid Innovation Fund from 2017 to 2018.
The evaluation showed that these projects delivered technological solutions that have the potential to modernize the electricity system, improve energy efficiency and help Ontario move toward a decarbonized grid. Combined, these projects also yielded net benefits of $831,500 in electricity savings.
Some projects that were evaluated, include:
- a carbon-free micro-grid at a secondary school
- an online tool that would allow developers to browse and compare energy models from across hundreds of buildings
- research into various emerging technologies, including storage, heat-pumps and the benefits of electrified public transit networks
The report also underscores the importance of having the appropriate policy and regulatory support in place to support the wide-scale adoption of emerging technologies.