ENMAX Power and Cadillac Fairview's successful solar pilot at CF Chinook Centre project paves way for increased customer choice and lower carbon future

CALGARY, AB, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - An innovative solar pilot by ENMAX Power and Cadillac Fairview (CF) has successfully addressed an exporting challenge affecting similar electricity grids across North America, paving the way for increased customer choice while building a lower carbon future.

The pilot, which began construction in early 2021 with funding from Natural Resources Canada and Alberta Innovates, involved installing 1,900 solar photovoltaic panels atop CF Chinook Centre spanning 53,000 square feet, approximately the size of three professional hockey rinks. Not only are those panels generating electricity, they are exporting excess energy back to the grid ? a first for specialized secondary networks which supply power to dense urban settings including downtown Calgary.

"The success of this pilot is an exciting step forward in enabling customers on our secondary network to adopt renewable energy options such as solar and battery storage," said Jana Mosley, President ENMAX Power. "This innovative solution will give urban customers ? both in Calgary and potentially across North America ? more choice in how they generate and use electricity while maintaining a safe, reliable grid." 

Most parts of Calgary's electrical system are capable of two-way power flow and customers are eligible for credits for electricity they export back to the grid. Up until now, that hasn't been possible for customers in high-density areas like some shopping malls and downtown. That's because they get their power from an interconnected web of transformers, known as a secondary network, which provides high reliability but wasn't capable of exporting power.

ENMAX Power set out to change that. ENMAX Power and CF announced their partnership in April 2021 as the first on-site customer implementation to test the two-way technology at CF Chinook Centre, Calgary's latest retail complex. The network's highly specialized hardware, software and communications systems were carefully modified to facilitate two-way power flow while maintaining system safety and reliability. 

"This groundbreaking initiative marks an exciting turning point in Cadillac Fairview's corporate sustainability journey and our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint," said Karen Jalon, Vice President, Sustainability, Energy and Smart Technology, Cadillac Fairview. "Through our partnership with ENMAX, we're able to make collaborative and impactful environmental change that will help to efficiently power neighbouring communities moving forward."

ENMAX Power will continue monitoring and reviewing the results of the pilot this year with a goal to make the technology more available to customers on the secondary network going forward.

Drone footage and photography are available upon request through [email protected]

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 162,000 customers in Maine. Through ENMAX Energy Corporation, ENMAX owns and operates 1,522 MW of generation and offers a range of innovative electricity, natural gas and energy services to approximately 700,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across Alberta. ENMAX is a private corporation and The City of Calgary is its sole shareholder. 

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 $35 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 68 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.

SOURCE Cadillac Fairview