Earlier in February the Government of Ontario opened their "Proposal to Enable a New Voluntary Enhanced Time-of-Use Rate Including Consideration of a New Ultra-Low Overnight Price" for public comment. This Ultra-Low Rate program is being considered as another option alongside the existing Time of Use (TOU) and Tiered programs.
Higher Highs and Lower Lows
Under the proposed Ultra-Low Rate program, the on-peak rate will be higher than the current TOU rate, but there will also be a much lower overnight energy rate. This will further incentivize consumers to shift their energy use to make use of the province's excess generation at night and to ease the demand on the system during peak times.
Ideally through the help of this program the province's demand will be spread out and "flattened", shifting part of the late afternoon/evening peak to the overnight valley. This will reduce the need for expensive new infrastructure, reducing energy costs for all of Ontario.
At a glance this program mainly benefits shift workers, residential buildings, overnight businesses, and farms. However through the use of electric vehicles and bidirectional charging as energy storage, more consumers and facilities will be able to enjoy the benefits of this proposed program.
Electric Vehicle Charging and Discharging
As mentioned in a previous blog post, bidirectional EV charging allows EVs to act as energy storage for a building. This combined with the proposed ultra-low overnight rate will allow EV owners and building owners to cooperate in stabilizing and improving the grid for mutual benefit:
For EV owners: lower cost for charging vehicle at night and potential credit for vehicle-to-grid discharge
For building owners: lower electricity cost at night and reduced reliance on expensive grid energy during peak-hours
When considering installing EV chargers into your building, it is important to consider the number of potential EV users, building spare electrical capacity, parking and electrical layout, and metering options.
How We Can Help
Mann Energy Solutions (MES) is a professional consulting engineering company that specializes in electrical and energy solutions, including engineering and implementation. Our experienced electrical engineers can help work with your building’s unique profile to identify spare electrical capacity, energy saving opportunities, and design the best system for you. Our firm has hundreds of installed electrical and power projects and we have been in business since 1983. Some of our services include:
Free site walk-through by our experienced engineers and technicians to provide an initial site assessment
Engineering feasibility studies
Incentive study and application
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) for a turnkey project
For more information or a complimentary assessment contact us through the main site, info@mannenergysolutions.com, or call (416) 201 9109 x 158.
Sources and Further Reading
Environmental Registry Ontario - Proposal to Enable a New Voluntary Enhanced Time-of-Use Rate Including Consideration of a New Ultra-Low Overnight Price
Ministry of Energy - Re: Design(s) of an Optional Enhanced Time-of-Use Rate to Enable Additional Customer Choice
IESO - Public Reports Site
Ontario Energy Board - Vehicle-to-Building/Grid Presentation for the Ontario Energy Board Framework for Energy Innovation Working Group
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