Rechargeables Inc. was contracted by London Hydro to roll-out a portfolio of grid-tied systems across their territory. NRCan provided funding for this portfolio with the objective to demonstrate the benefits and challenges for utilities owning distributed energy resources, including grid-tied PV systems with and without energy storage systems. The portfolio consists of 3 commercial sites and 7 residential sites. London Hydro’s headquarters included a single phase (residential) and separate 3 phase (commercial) system, so there were 11 systems in total to energize.

• Two of the systems are located at London Hydro’s headquarters.
• Eight are at locations owned and operated by London Middlesex Community Housing, including seven residential sites and one apartment building.
• One system is installed at Clarke Road Secondary School, operated by Thames Valley District High School.

Six of the 11 installs are battery energy storage systems, using either Sonnen batteries (residential LFP batteries) or Discover Energy batteries (commercial locations). Residential and commercial energy storage systems are very different in terms of hardware selection and grid connection methodologies. They’re in a different league altogether.

For all sites that did not include batteries, Fronius inverters were deployed to ensure a consistent monitoring solution for every project. Sites that required a three-phase grid connection utilised Schneider Electric inverters, specifically at London Hydro’s headquarters and at Clarke Road Secondary School. A key learning experience for Rechargeables Inc. was verifying all electrical and safety codes applicable to installing batteries in residential, commercial, and institutional settings. It was also a valuable experience coordinating with all of the stakeholders involved.