National Data Benchmarking – Smart Energy

Canadian energy systems lack an industry specific set of standards to support the development of policy options and plans for clean energy transition and decarbonization of electric power systems. These include inter-organization standards for data, information, insights and metrics on electricity regulatory systems, utility operational capabilities, technology architecture and human resources.

Experimental design and optimization of perovskite photovoltaics for interior solar shade applications

While perovskite solar cell materials have shown remarkable performance and can be made at very low cost, their sensitivity to weather and short lifetime have prevented their use in large outdoor installations. Using these materials in interior solar shades instead could fix these shortcomings - removing their exposure to weather should improve lifetimes, and the simple indoor installation and replacement should make device lifetimes of a few years more acceptable.

Development of a technique for radioactive source term detection and realtime analysis for low-level radioactive waste

Nuclear power currently provides approximately 50% of Ontario's electricity. Operation of nuclear power plants produces a variety of radioactive waste. In particular, low-level radioactive waste makes up about 95% of total non-fuel waste volumes. To reduce volume, low-level materials must be sorted to determine if their radioactivity has sufficiently decayed and they can be safely recycled. However, this sorting work is currently done by hand, which is a low-tech, time-consuming and labour-intensive method.

Enabling all-printed, flexible large-area perovskite solar cells

Climate change has been a top concern of Canadians for the past several years. Canada is among the 3 top global CO2 emitters per capita. Our goal is to develop and commercialize a cheaper solar energy harvesting system to help Canada decarbonize its economy.
Silicon has the most mature technology in the photovoltaic market. Silicon solar cells are primarily used in solar farms or installed on rooftops. Their installation is costly and requires architectural modifications preventing tenants from using solar panels due to the lack or limited permission for any architectural changes.

Study of the synergistic effects of fatigue and corrosion in CA6NM steels and welds for hydraulic turbine applications

In this project we propose to evaluate the synergistic effects of fatigue and corrosion to further understand the degradation mechanism of the alloys used by our partner. This will help the partner defining their total cost of ownership & develop mitigating corrosion strategies to ensure long term sustainability of their infrastructure.

Battery Management System for Lithium Polymer and Solid-State Batteries

Energy storage systems (ESS) are vital components in the power grid to ensure the reliable performance of the power grid integrated a considerable amount of renewable energy resources (DER). ESSs are employed to compensate for the unexpected changes in DERs and shift load during peak hours. ESSs are complex structures consisting of several series and parallel connected battery cells. Battery cells may have different characteristics due to the ambient temperature and aging differences. As a result, the operation limits of each battery cell vary.

Performance prediction and fault diagnosis in photovoltaic systems for optimal energy management

In this project, we will develop software-based models to monitor and to predict the performance of Perovskites-based
PVBlindsTM for optimal energy management and optimal integration into buildings, as well as to diagnose faults of PV cells for
safe, efficient, and reliable operation. The PVBlindsTM are developed by Solaires Inc. and will be deployed at various locations
within the Greater Vancouver area, and in various types of buildings. To develop the software-based models, machine learning
approaches will be studied and implemented.

Digital Readiness: An Evaluation of Rural Broadband Models in British Columbia

Connectivity is a critical service, a foundational need to actively participate in the economy and society. However, rural communities in British Columbia (BC) continue to face challenges with connectivity. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on this digital divide, demonstrating the inequities resulting from connectivity challenges.
Across rural BC, local governments have been increasingly taking ownership over connectivity. The result is a wide range of innovative approaches relating to infrastructure, network operation, and internet service provision.

Kisik clean energy solar photovoltaic power with Sayisi Dene First Nation

Sayisi Dene First Nation is a fly-in remote northern Manitoba community wanting to shift to clean energy. Kisik Clean Energy focuses for this project on shifting this diesel energy-dependent First Nation communities to solar energy integrating energy storage with lithium-ion batteries for assisting with microgrid technology. The Sun will soon deliver the Sayisi Dene community's power, and the diesel generators can switch off to reduce the diesel used per year.

Pumped hydroelectric vs utility-scale battery energy storage solutions for Alberta: A Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment approach

Renewable sources of electricity continue to increase in market share across all jurisdictions. New wind and solar energy projects in Alberta will be the main drivers to reach the province’s 2030 target to have 30% of its electricity derived from renewable sources. Alongside these projects the power generation companies like TransAlta Corporation will need to look at energy storage solutions to help these intermittent sources of electricity provide reliable and consistent power to the consumer.

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