Tantalus is providing smart grid technology to the city of Summerside for one of the most innovative energy-efficiency initiatives to date in Canada.

Summerside, Prince Edward Island's second-largest city, will uses Tantalus technology to tie together the municipality's fiber-to-the-meter network, wind-generated power and in-home energy-storage devices. Together, these will enable the city to optimize the performance of its distribution network and reduce its carbon footprint by providing consumers with a reliable, low-cost source of renewable energy.

The Tantalus system will allow Summerside to precisely measure, monitor and control devices connected to its distribution network, including special furnaces that can be charged with power generated by wind turbines.

The ability to automatically turn energy-storage devices on and off when wind is on the grid using two-way Tantalus technology will enable Summerside to shift to stored power whenever peak load conditions arise, while using the less expensive energy to heat homes at night. Tantalus' command and control functionality is also used by several utilities to regulate consumption on direct load appliances such as hot water heaters and air conditioners that are enrolled in load-control programs. Time-stamped records verify that the action has taken place and indicate whether a customer opted out of an event, which is important for accurate billing and determining how much power was actually saved.

Summerside's wind farm has been providing power to the city for more than a year. When the wind is blowing at full tilt, it can sometimes produce a surplus of energy, which the city can sell back to other utilities, accelerating the payback on this large infrastructure project.

Roll out of Tantalus smart meters and energy-storage devices began in January 2011. The city will run fiber to each home participating in the program.

Summerside is the seventh utility to deploy a Tantalus Homerun Network.

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