Zero-Export Solar Integration for a Large Industrial Site in British Columbia

Kuby Renewable Energy and Restoration Lands Inc. partnered with ComAp to enable reliable solar integration at a 450,000 sq. ft. industrial site in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Kuby, a Canadian provider of sustainable energy solutions including solar installations, carbon offset aggregation, and clean energy utility services, sought to install a 1.71 MW photovoltaic (PV) system at the Restoration Lands site. The location features significant infrastructure such as a double rail spur, highway access, and industrial-grade utilities, supporting long-term development of an Eco-Business Park. However, because the PV system would participate in BC Hydro’s Load Displacement Program, which allows on-site renewable generation but prohibits exporting energy to the grid, Kuby required a precise and reliable control solution capable of preventing any export under all operating conditions.

To address this challenge, Kuby worked with ComAp to implement advanced export limitation using PV curtailment. ComAp supplied programming assistance and a complete control panel featuring an InteliMains 1010 controller, an InteliVision 5.2 display and an InteliGateway 300 for communication and monitoring.

ComAp’s InteliMains 1010 import and export control continuously monitors power flow at the site’s main bus using data supplied by a NOJA relay at the substation. When imports from the grid fall toward zero, the InteliMains 1010 controller automatically reduces the PV system’s output to ensure that on-site generation never exceeds local demand. This real-time adjustment maintains full compliance with BC Hydro’s programme requirements while enabling the site to maximise solar energy usage.

With ComAp’s solution in place, the 1.71 MW PV array now offsets approximately 1,700,000 kWh per year from utility consumption, delivering significant cost savings and supporting the site’s wider sustainability ambitions.