The creator of an electrical power producing unit wants a policy which would allow independent power producers to interact with the existing utility grid and leverage the municipality’s current billing and electrical infrastructure investments.
Jai Zachary of ElectroMotion Energy Corporation said his company’s unit, the Revolution, combines heating, cooling, hot water and backup electrical systems into one unit. It creates electricity while heating the home, reducing electricity demand while also providing power to the utility grid which is then consumed by neighbours.
Zachary is asking the municipality for permission to interact with the utility grid and implement a billing and metering system to provide surplus power to the power utility.
He said other communities already have billing policies to allow those who are generating electricity to sell their power to the utility. The billing system would benefit those who are producing surplus power. Installing Revolution units would also result in money savings for the municipality.
Zachary said peak demand is like rush hour energy traffic – when the highest level of electrical energy is consumed at the same time, like a high level watermark. For Summerland, this high demand period is during our heating months and affects electrical rates for the whole year.
Peak penalties are charged because of peak demand, and in the past 10 years, Summerland’s peak penalties increased from $17,430 to $256,886, an increase of more than 1,300 per cent.
At present, one Revolution unit is in place in Summerland. If 1,000 Revolution units were operating almost all of the peak penalties would be eliminated, Zachary said.
Earlier this month, he presented his proposal to municipal council. A decision is expected at the next municipal council meeting on Oct. 15.