Canadian Utility Leverages Residential Thermal Storage as a Grid Resource

Updated on January 16, 2026

Quick Summary

Armada Power deployed a residential thermal storage solution for a major Canadian utility in under 120 days, transforming electric water heaters into grid-responsive assets. The project achieved a 1kW demand shift per unit while maintaining 100% resident comfort. By orchestrating residential electric water heaters through a DERMS-integrated control layer, the utility gained dispatchable flexible load without changing customer hot-water availability.

Water heating represents, on average, 17% of the total residential energy consumption where electric water heaters are installed as the primary water heating device, and the usage patterns of these appliances typically coincide with morning and afternoon/evening utility system peak loads. With the shift to renewable and distributed energy resources, utilities are actively integrating DERMS platforms to digitally control distributed energy resources to achieve maximum value and increase system reliability.

A DERMS platform provider recognized the value and demand management capacity of an electric water heater solution and recommended Armada as a potential program participant. A proposal was provided that included the integration with the DERMS platform by leveraging Armada’s REST API application interface. Armada was awarded the pilot program for water heater control and shipped units within 90 days of the initial commercial engagement. Training commenced following virtual sessions with the contracted installation team.

When This Approach is a Good Fit

This approach is a fit for utilities looking to add fast, customer-safe flexible load using existing residential electric water heaters—especially where morning/evening peaks, renewable integration, or DERMS-driven programs require dispatchable demand response without impacting comfort.