- ENMAX and Cadillac Fairview (CF) are pleased to announce that CF Chinook Centre will be the site of an innovative pilot project that will solve a problem that impacts electricity grids across North America.
- Solar panels will be installed on the roof of CF Chinook Centre to test two-way power flow on ENMAX Power's secondary network, a part of the grid that exists in high density areas and currently only allows one-way power flow due to its highly reliable design.
- This innovative solution will help remove technical and financial barriers to distributed generation, giving residential and commercial customers in urban settings more choice in how they generate and use electricity, while building resiliency of the grid.
- ENMAX Power is the first utility in Canada to propose a solution to this complex technical challenge through a multi-year project funded in part by Natural Resources Canada and Alberta Innovates.
- This initiative will play an integral part in lowering the carbon footprint of CF Chinook Center and for CF’s operation as a whole.
April 16, 2021 / Calgary, AB | ENMAX and Cadillac Fairview (CF) are pleased to announce their partnership to test the connection of a solar installation at CF Chinook Centre, the largest shopping complex in Calgary, onto ENMAX Power’s specialized secondary network to enable two-way flow of renewable forms of energy.
ENMAX Power’s secondary network is a specialized segment of its electricity distribution system that supplies power to CF Chinook Centre and other shopping complexes, as well as the majority of Calgary’s downtown area.
While ENMAX Power is already enabling two-way power flow on its standard distribution system, meaning customers can send excess generation from local energy sources back to the grid, two-way flow is not currently possible on the specialized secondary network due to its design for high reliability. This limitation also exists within similar urban networks across North America, and ENMAX Power is the first utility in Canada to propose a solution to this complex technical challenge.
Initiated in 2018, ENMAX Power’s multi-year project to address this challenge is funded in part by Natural Resources Canada and Alberta Innovates. Through the project to date, ENMAX Power has designed and lab-tested modifications to its secondary network to allow two-way power flow, and the installation at CF Chinook Centre will be the first on-site customer implementation to test the modifications to the network’s highly specialized hardware, software and communications systems that can facilitate two-way power flow while maintaining system safety and reliability.
“Renewable energy, like solar, is a huge economic opportunity in Alberta and across the country. Canadians have the ingenuity, determination, and work ethic to seize this opportunity and build a low-emissions energy future that gets us to net zero,” said the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources.
“Alberta businesses are driving collaboration and developing new technologies to solve today’s business challenges. Alberta is home to some of the best and brightest – and this initiative between ENMAX and Cadillac Fairview is proof of that. As our economy grows, Albertans will continue to be at the forefront of driving innovation and diversification,” said Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.
“ENMAX Power is excited to partner with our valued customer, Cadillac Fairview, to explore this solution and give customers on our secondary network more energy choice in the future,” said Jana Mosley, Senior Vice President, ENMAX Power. “By working with CF, we are unlocking the opportunity for more of our customers, and potentially the customers of other utilities across North America, to have more options in how they generate and use electricity while maintaining safe, reliable supply overall.”
The solar equipment will be installed at CF Chinook Centre this summer. Once it’s connected to the network, ENMAX Power will gather data to determine if further modifications are required before the technology is introduced to other customers.
“Cadillac Fairview is proud to partner with ENMAX to test this first-of-its kind technology in Canada at CF Chinook Centre,” said Arv Gupta, Senior Vice President of Operations Services, Cadillac Fairview. “The immense collaboration that took place between CF and ENMAX over the last two years has made this project possible. As a leader in energy management and sustainability, this project further emboldens CF’s dedication to corporate responsibility and further demonstrates our commitment to a low-carbon future in Canada.”
Cadillac Fairview (CF) is a globally focused owner, operator, investor, and developer of best-in-class real estate across retail, office, residential, industrial and mixed-use asset classes. Wholly owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, CF manages in excess of $36 billion of assets across the Americas and the United Kingdom, with further expansion planned into Europe and Asia.
Internationally, CF invests in communities with like-minded partners, including Stanhope in the UK, Lincoln Property Company in the U.S., and Multiplan in Brazil. The company’s Canadian portfolio comprises 69 landmark properties, including the Toronto-Dominion Centre, CF Toronto Eaton Centre, Tour Deloitte, CF Carrefour Laval, CF Chinook Centre and CF Pacific Centre.
Continually striving to make a positive impact in communities where it operates by promoting social connection, growth, and a sustainable future, CF’s Purpose is Transforming Communities For A Vibrant Tomorrow. Learn more at cadillacfairview.com and follow CF on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with operations across Alberta and Maine, ENMAX Corporation (ENMAX) is a leading provider of electricity services, products and solutions. Through its subsidiaries, ENMAX Power Corporation and Versant Power, ENMAX owns and operates transmission and distribution utilities in Calgary, Alberta and northern and eastern Maine, safely and reliably delivering electricity to all Calgary homes and businesses and more than 159,000 customers in Maine. Through ENMAX Energy Corporation, ENMAX owns and operates 1,509 MW of generation and offers a range of innovative electricity, natural gas and energy services to more than 690,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across Alberta. ENMAX is a private corporation and The City of Calgary is its sole shareholder.