SOLSTICE Microgrid Construction Under Way at the Edge of New Brunswick
A small city known for its forestry and paper mills in the Canadian province of New Brunswick is now connecting to the cutting-edge microgrid revolution through a new project led by U.S. developer Ameresco.
Construction has begun on the SOLSTICE microgrid project in Edmundston, as crews work to connect 1 MW in future rooftop solar capacity with a 2-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). Ameresco is leading the work and hopes to have it completed and operational by the summer of 2025.
The solar portion of the SOLSTICE microgrid is being installed on the roofs of the city’s Jean-Daigle Centre (pictured at left) and the Sports Pavilion. Ameresco is working in partnership with the municipal utility Edmundston Energy.
Once operational, the carbon-free energy deployed could offset approximately 360 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, while ensuring resilient backup power to essential community functions.
“This project involves and will greatly impact the community,” Eric Marquis, mayor of the city of Edmundston, said in a statement. “Many local entrepreneurs have been hired to work on the project, which will be a learning incubator for students from the Cité-des-jeunes AM.-Sormany, UMCE and CCNB programs,” explained the Mayor of the City of Edmundston Eric Marquis. “We are very grateful to our provincial and federal partners for their contribution and their constant collaboration, which allows us to take this step in a very important project for the City of Edmundston.”
CCNB stands for the Community College of New Brunswick—Edmundson campus, and UMCE is the Edmundston campus of the Université de Moncton located downtown. Overall, Edmundston is home to nearly 18,000 residents, mainly French-speaking, with many employed in the forestry and paper processing industries. The city is situated on the Canadian side of the Saint John River across from Madawaska, Maine.
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The SOLSTICE microgrid project value is estimated at $8 million, according to Ameresco. It will be integrated with the city of Edmundston’s energy management systems, helping to offer backup power and capacity to deal with peak demand.
“The SOLSTICE project demonstrates how critical solar and battery energy storage solutions are for strengthening grid resilience and advancing clean energy,” said Bob McCullough, president of Ameresco Canada. “As cities worldwide work to transition to sustainable energy, projects like this showcase how innovative solutions can provide reliable, clean power to meet today’s demands and secure a sustainable future for communities everywhere.”
Before starting work on the microgrid components such as solar panels, crews reinforced the roofs at the Jean-Daigle Centre and Sports Pavilion to handle the photovoltaic panels. The parking lot of the Jean-Daigle Centre also is being prepared for the BESS.
Community microgrids are a section of the overall on-site power sector gaining in adoption. In the U.S., communities such as Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and the city of Calistoga, California are working with power generators and developers to deploy microgrid solutions.
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