Canada and U.K. Announce Finalists for the Power Forward Challenge

July 3, 2019

Under the challenge, seven teams from Canada and the U.K. will receive up to $3 million to start building a smart energy systems solution. In March 2021, a $1-million grand prize will be awarded to the team with the highest-performing solution.

Launched in October 2018, Power Forward challenged Canadian and U.K. innovators to join forces and accelerate breakthrough innovations that harness different energy resources for modernized power grids. The seven finalist teams were selected from a group of 44 project proposals received in a highly competitive process. They all pitched their solutions to a panel of expert judges representing grid operators, corporates, investors and governments at two pitch events held in Glasgow in May 2019 and in Ottawa in early June 2019.

With increasing demands and new energy sources powering our electricity systems, Canada needs to transform how we make and use energy. This includes modernizing  traditional power grids to be more digitally networked, flexible and resilient. 

The finalist teams developing projects in Canada are

• London Hydro with Electron, ENMAX, the University of Western Ontario, Navigant and Gowling WLG
• Lakeland Holding Inc. with Opus One Solutions, Kiwi Power, ATCO, Ryerson University, Georgian College and CHEC Group
• Equilibrium Engineering with StorTera, Dalhousie University and Berwick Municipal Electric Commission

The finalist teams developing projects in the U.K. are

• Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks with Opus One Solutions, Hydro Ottawa, Open Grid Systems, the University of Cambridge and Energy Policy Research Group
• UNIT9 Ltd. with Simptek Canada Inc., Electronic Products and Technology, Avison Young, UCL Energy Institute, Carbon Smart and the University of Sheffield
• Qbots Energy with ICONICS, Lanner Electronics, Energy Systems
  Catapult, Bruntwood Ltd., Manchester Metropolitan University, Hildebrand and Penso Power
• Scene Connect Ltd. with Enbala, Locogen Limited and Mentone Energy Consulting Limited

Find out more about the Canadian finalists: https://impact.canada.ca/en/challenges/power-forward/finalists

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