Grande Prairie Transit Solar

ATCO was engaged by the City of Grande Prairie to support of their Community Sustainability Master Plan. We designed an innovative EV bus charging system with solar PV, battery storage and a grid supply to reduce utility grid demand charges. 102 kW (kilowatt) and 85.7 kW rooftop solar PV arrays charge the BESS when sunlight is available, and any power not consumed in charging the BESS and bus batteries is exported to the grid.

ATCO designed separate electrical systems for the bus fleet and for the stationary lithium-ion BESS, control system and solar PV system. This required a new high-voltage 1 MVA transformer, a tap off the main distribution line, electrical protection upgrades and coordination of the installation to connect to the solar and battery systems.

We then went a step further, using software and analytics technologies to help the City manage their demand profile, lowering their utility bill and emissions. Our approach was four-fold: rate optimization, reviewing operational data, updating the BESS charge/discharge algorithm and implementing a smart charging scheme.

For another sustainability initiative, ATCO installed two 333 kW natural gas CHP units at a community recreation facility, which included an initial feasibility study to build the business case for the City. We collaborated closely with stakeholders from facility operations to subcommittees and the city manager, which was critical to bringing the project to life. Evaluating cogeneration options and potential suppliers and building out the lifecycle cost, realistic implementation timelines and maintenance plan for the City allowed the project to move forward to implementation.