Energy Innovation Challenge

Winners of intake 1

The City of Medicine Hat and Decentralised Energy Canada congratulate Arcus Power and Edgecom Energy as the first two winners of the Energy Innovation Challenge. 

Arcus Power

Arcus Power is an Alberta based Smart-Grid power market solutions provider that offers SaaS based software products to generators and utilities, industrial customers and financial users. This project will pilot a distributed energy storage planning functionality that will be integrated with Arcus Power’s existing SaaS platform. The planning software will support the City of Medicine Hat in planning and evaluating the optimal size, location, and investment for distributed energy resources, specifically battery energy storage and solar systems, which are needed to remove congestion on its electrical distribution system.

Edgecom Energy

Edgecom Energy offers a comprehensive Energy Management Solution suite that integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Edgecom will install sensors at eight City of Medicine Hat facilities to monitor energy usage and report data into their building management system. The model will use AI to identify opportunities to reduce energy use based on machine learning of usage patterns in the building without imposing an additional burden on staff.

Winners of intake 2

Aqua-Cell Energy Inc.

Aqua-Cell Energy Inc., based in Edmonton, builds large saltwater flow batteries that store renewable or off-peak energy for use during peak demand or outages. The modular batteries, packaged in shipping containers, use ion-exchange membranes adapted from water treatment and can be relocated as needed.

Eguana Technologies

Eguana Technologies, a global energy storage company headquartered in Calgary, will deploy nine EVOLVE™ lithium iron-phosphate battery systems at three City facilities. The project will expand utility-focused functions of its EDGE™ Distributed Energy Resource Management System, enabling operators to manage voltage, circuit and feeder loading, balance phases, losses, and resiliency.

TAKEnergy Inc.

Calgary-based TAKEnergy Inc. will install its TERVEX expander, which captures energy usually lost during natural gas pressure reduction and converts it into reliable, carbon-free electricity. Unlike intermittent renewables, this power operates like baseload generation as long as gas flows. The system will be sited at a west-side gas let-down station next to Aqua-Cell’s prototype battery storage facility.