Smart Energy Benchmarking Project
In May 2022, Natural Resources Canada awarded the Smart Grid Innovation Network Canada $815,000 to launch the Smart Energy Benchmarking Project. SGIN is working with partners Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, Siemens, The Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS) and the University of New Brunswick, to support electric utilities across Canada in preparing for the clean energy transition.
The project involves three phases:
- Smart Energy Scorecard: Benchmark up to 20 electric utilities’ current smart energy development including performance relative to peers and best-in-class practices.
- Capability Maturity Model: Develop a capability model across various dimensions, aligned with the scorecard. Several utilities from phase 1 will be short-listed for further in-depth analysis to build on their strengths and develop their capabilities to improve preparedness and performance.
- Smart Energy Knowledge Hub: To disseminate knowledge beyond the immediate beneficiaries of the Smart Energy Benchmarking Project, key insights will be used to establish a Smart Energy Knowledge Hub that allows utilities, regulators, governments, and other stakeholders across the country to learn about emerging trends and best practices.
The goals of this project are to:
- Articulate the current state of smart energy development, including clean energy supply, grid modernization, clean energy use in Canada
- Better understand utilities’ preparedness for required changes
- Share the findings, conclusions, and recommendations broadly to accelerate the clean energy transition through a smart, dynamic, and customer-centric approach.
The project will be guided by an Advisory Committee. Advisory Committee members include electric utility sector representatives, subject matter experts and other interested parties.
Data requirements, confidentiality and security will be addressed as part of this process with participating utilities. Additionally, individual utility assessments and results will only be shared with individual participating utilities. Benchmarking results, key findings, trends, and best practices will be anonymized. There will be no public sharing of individual utility data and results.