Ernestown Wind Park

Overview

In the early 2000s, a prominent local judge from the Kingston area, approached CEO Anthony Zwig with the idea of building a hospital as his lasting legacy for the community. The two two men quickly determined that a hospital wasn’t needed. The judge suggested they build a wind farm instead. At the time, Anthony didn’t know much about renewable energy, but as a sailor, he knew the area had a lot of wind. He and his team began testing the wind quality of the site in 2004, and then they waited (and waited) for provincial policy to catch up with their vision.

A decade later, the wind farm was commissioned with many awards and support from the local township. Two turbines are sited on a quarry, which will give new life to the area after the quarry is no longer operational.

About

The Ernestown Wind Park is a 10MW wind project located in Ontario, Canada. The project was commissioned in 2014 with five Enercon E82 turbines. It produces enough electricity to power 2000 homes annually. Over 50 companies and organizations were involved. 97% of construction labour, totaling 55,000 hours, was performed by Ontario workers.

Challenges

Numerous project changes with turbine placement, technology, and environmental studies due to evolving regulatory requirements.
Establishing trust and building capacity to develop a partnership with the third largest Aboriginal community in Canada, the community’s first major external venture.
A new financing structure, the lender’s first in Canada.

Outcomes

The project has been operating smoothly since 2014 and is exceeding energy production forecasts. The team adapted to constant change while still maintaining project integrity and met stringent contractual deadlines. We established trust, managed expectations, brought together and unified multiple stakeholders with diverse interests. The project won two awards, including OSEA’s Sustainable Energy Project of the Year. A scholarship fund was established and many have climbed the 100m turbine to raise money for charity.

Our Impact

Horizon Legacy is revolutionizing the construction industry with the first and largest neighborhood in Canada built using onsite robotics.

Cost Efficiency

Our approach delivers an average cost of under $300K per unit (costs exclude land, servicing, softcosts) showcasing that robots can be integrated affordably while meeting and exceeding the Ontario Building Code.

With 26 rental units, including 30% affordable, we surpass industry standards.

Our project achieves a 20% reduction in energy intensity and greenhouse gas emissions, and our all-electric buildings ensure zero greenhouse gas energy consumption.

By creating wall assemblies with R-30 thermal performance and consolidating three trades into one, we effectively address the labor shortage, demonstrating the transformative potential of robotics in construction.