Schneider Electric and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Push Forward Grid Innovation

March 24, 2021
Schneider Electric has partnered with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) to deliver distributed energy resources to local Alberta businesses.

Schneider Electric has partnered with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) to deliver distributed energy resources to local Alberta businesses.

During phase two of the polytechnic’s Centre for Grid Innovation program, Schneider Electric has stepped in to supply its control and energy management platforms — EcoStruxure Microgrid Operations and Microgrid Advisor for Energy Optimization and Economic Dispatch — in support of the province’s plans for growth in distributed electricity.

Schneider will supply both the physical assets and the technical support for the project’s second phase, which will provide distributed energy for small and midsize businesses. Schneider Electric and NAIT aim to build a user-friendly microgrid solution that is robust and scalable.

The platform, which will be housed in the institute’s Centre for Grid Innovation, will allow for remote management of the distributed renewable energy, with complete control to optimize both off-grid and grid-tied hybrid systems.

In an effort to test the economic and societal benefits of the project, NAIT and Schneider are offering comprehensive training for small and medium-sized Alberta business enterprises interested in incorporating the plug-and-play microgrid system.

Schneider, one of the largest players in microgrids, focuses on microgrids for small to medium-sized operations through GreenStruxure, a joint venture formed with Huck Capital. GreenStruxure aims to bring renewable energy microgrid solutions to everyday businesses such as grocery stores, schools and fast-food chains. GreenStruxure recently announced its teaming with TruEnergy, an energy advisor that works with commercial clients to find electricity and gas plans in North America, to offer energy as a service microgrids to the underserved medium-sized commercial and industrial building market in the United States.

GreenStruxure acts as a complement to another of Schneider’s ventures, AlphaStruxure, which focuses on larger microgrid projects, including those at ports and airports. Schneider formed AlphaStruxure with The Carlyle Group.

Keep up to date with Alberta’s microgrid plans and more with the free Microgrid Knowledge Newsletter.

About the Author

Brian Church

gettyimages1341067688_sdl__1320x755

Revolutionizing Defense: The Crucial Role of Microgrids and Schneider Electric in Department of Defense Energy Resiliency

Sept. 13, 2024
Last month, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) said that U.S. power grids are becoming more susceptible to cyberattacks every day, with vulnerable attack...

Making Money with Microgrids

How Microgrids Make Money: A Tutorial on Ways Microgrids Earn Their Keep

This presentation provides a tutorial on ancillary services, demand response, transactive energy and other ways microgrids earn their keep.