Government Supports Smart Energy Projects

Nova Scotia researchers and early-stage businesses are getting support to develop sustainable energy solutions, and bring them to market faster.

Energy Minister Michel Samson announced today, April 25, that seven projects are receiving funding from the Smart Energy Innovation Program, which was launched last fall.

“Nova Scotians said they wanted energy options that are cleaner, more sustainable and affordable, and these projects have the potential to help deliver on those goals,” said Mr. Samson. “By putting new ideas into action, we’re building on our reputation as a clean energy leader and creating opportunities in a multi-billion-dollar global industry.”

The successful projects will look at integrating renewable energy into the grid, as well as ways to store and manage energy efficiently.

Green Power Labs and SUNLINX will receive $500,000 to work with Nova Scotia Power and other key partners to integrate solar power and energy storage in a building, controlled by smart software and internet communications.

“Our predictive energy management technology, in combination with onsite generation and storage, will deliver major savings in building energy use and advance sustainable energy solutions for Nova Scotians,” said Alexandre Pavlovski, president and CEO of Green Power Labs Inc. “We are delighted our project has been selected for the Smart Energy Innovation Program.”

“Bringing new technology to market is one of the biggest challenges for a small business,” said Chuck Cartmill, CEO of SUNLINX. “The ability to demonstrate our innovative micro-grid technology with Nova Scotia Power and other provincial partners under the Smart Energy Innovation Program is an excellent opportunity for SUNLINX to accelerate commercialization.”

A total of up to $700,000 in funding was available from Innovacorp and the Department of Energy. The other recipients and their projects are:

• professor Lukas Swan’s lab, Dalhousie University - energy management for buildings
• professor Ian Hill’s lab and Sam March, PhD student, Dalhousie University - perovskite solar cells
• Halifax Hybrid Geothermal Services - combined ground-and-air-source heat-pump
• Minute88 - energy management system for cell towers
• NeoThermal Energy Systems - home thermal energy storage system
• Colibri - energy management for buildings

The Smart Energy Innovation Program is part of the province's Electricity Plan, and funding was awarded on a competitive basis.