WEICan has been awarded $100,000 from the Province of PEI’s Climate Challenge Fund. This funding will allow WEICan to quantify the renewable energy required to meet PEI’s net-zero energy goals by using WEICan’s renewable energy and storage infrastructure to demonstrate their ability to support an electrical grid that has increasing loads and a decreasing dependence on conventional fossil fuel generation. Furthermore, as we continue to experience the impacts of climate change, extreme weather events such as large storms will become more frequent and more intense. Using WEICan’s renewable energy infrastructure as a proof of concept, this project will evaluate the impacts of extreme weather events in PEI on renewable energy generation and grid integration.

If the province of PEI plans to meet its net zero energy goals, a transition to 100% renewable energy is inevitable. Unfortunately, because climate change is already taking place, extreme weather events are also inevitable. Because renewable energy generators such as wind and solar photovoltaic are greatly impacted by weather, the transition to 100% renewable energy will have some challenges.

This project will provide important information to key stakeholders, including renewable energy developers and owners, utilities, and electricity users regarding operations and maintenance of renewable energy generators that will mitigate negative impacts of electrification, renewable energy, and extreme weather to prevent disruption to the electricity supply. Recommendations from this work will allow a smoother transition to a 100% renewable energy grid.

For information on the Climate Challenge Fund and other projects funded, please article here.

This project was made possible with financial support from the PEI Climate Challenge Fund, co-funded by the Government of Prince Edward Island and the Government of Canada. The Climate Challenge Fund aims to support the development of innovative solutions to the threat of climate change by empowering people of different backgrounds, experiences, and expertise, who work across sectors and in different communities throughout the Island, to contribute to climate action in PEI.