As part of an IESO research program, NRStor Inc. has built a solar-energy storage facility in Minto, located one-hour north of Kitchener, by adding a 50 kW rooftop solar array to complement their existing 2 MW flywheel energy storage system. Pairing energy storage with wind or solar generation could have a real impact on helping meet the province’s emerging electricity needs.
Wind and solar generation are variable, dependent on the availability of wind and sunlight to generate electricity. Yet, when paired with energy storage, it can increase the facility’s overall efficiency by storing surplus electricity to be used later. By siting new energy storage at existing renewable generation locations, additional capacity could quickly be added to Ontario’s existing fleet of large-scale wind and solar facilities.
Hybrid facilities could also provide new system services that contribute to reliability. The new addition at the Minto facility will test the potential of a hybrid facility to smooth out the variability of its solar output before the energy is injected into the grid. Learn more about it in the video below.
The IESO supports innovative technologies to meet the province's energy needs, and is working with stakeholders to integrate hybrid storage facilities into the electricity market.
