Oshawa and OPUC Partner with Japanese Energy Organization for Innovative Solar Energy Project

The Japanese Consul General (far right) was on hand for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding that will bring a solar energy storage pilot project to Oshawa. The MOU was signed by Mayor John Henry and officials from Oshawa PUC and NEDO.

The Japanese Consul General visited Oshawa on July 17 to celebrate a partnership between the City of Oshawa, New Energy and Industrial Development Organization of Japan (NEDO) and Oshawa PUC Energy Services (OPUC) that will bring a solar energy storage pilot project to approximately 30 homes in Oshawa.

Representatives from the City, including members of City Council, NEDO and OPUC attended the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that formalizes the cooperative relationship for this new innovative solar energy storage and management system.

The pilot project will allow approximately 30 homes in Oshawa to use solar energy at home and store it using a lithium-ion battery for shifting energy demand from on-peak to off-peak and provide backup power supply during power outages.

“This partnership is exciting for the City of Oshawa, OPUC and residents. It is the first step to create opportunities to expand and utilize solar energy technology by applying them to real time projects,” said Oshawa Mayor John Henry.

The project will also look at defining feasible market and business opportunities for solar energy storage in Canada.

“At OPUC, we are committed to exploring innovative ways of delivering energy for our customers today and into the future,” says Atul Mahajan, CEO of Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation. “We are pleased to partner on this project in achieving this objective while proudly showcasing this collaborative and innovative project.”