To combat the degradation of receiving water resulting from stormwater runoff approaches that focus on retaining and infiltrating stormwater at the source, referred to as Low Impact Development (LID) practices, are being proposed more frequently in recent years. Toronto and Region Conservation Authority recently initiated monitoring of precipitation and runoff from a large industrial site, […]

A hybrid computational framework for short-term flood prediction in urban watersheds (characterized by overland runoff) will be developed to improve prediction accuracy. The framework aims to accurately predict an event, e.g. flood or no-flood, as opposed to traditional methods which estimate water flow characteristics, e.g. 6 feet above flood stage. Successful early prediction of these […]

Considering the facts that road salts pose significant environmental impacts and infrastructural damages, this research will evaluate the organic products for snow and ice control for transportation facilities. An extensive field tests will be conducted focusing snow melting performances of the organic liquids over regular bine over an expected ranges of weather and other external […]

This project involves better understanding how climate change might affect our natural environment with the Region of Peel located within the Greater Toronto Area. The approach is to consider how vulnerable components of the natural environment, such as streams, forests and the organisms living in these habitats, might be to a new climate or extreme […]

The objectives of this research project revolve around the emerging world of municipal climate change policy, planning and implementation in an Ontario context. Specifically, this project will: 1. Assess and compare innovative policies and procedures that are being used by Ontario municipalities to integrate growth planning with climate and energy planning. 2. Assess the factors […]

Building integrated photovoltaic–thermal array (BIPV/T) incorporated within a building structure is a system that combines the roof/facade, photovoltaic cells and thermal collector as an all-in-one product instead of installing each individually. BIPV/T effectively replaces conventional building materials and is more cost-effective than having several separate products, and installation of the BIPV/T system can be implemented […]

This project will develop a design tool that can be used by consultant engineers who design these ponds and by the regulatory agencies, including our partner organization (the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority) to assess if a stormwater management pond will meet the thermal objectives for the protection of sensitive aquatic life, including the permanent […]

The intent of this project is to demonstrate the GHG and electricity use savings of a range of low carbon heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies in the multi-unit residential building (MURB) sector. Technologies to be studied include: • ductless mini-split air source heat pumps (ASHP) • gas absorption heat pumps • smart thermostats […]

Stormwater from urban areas has continuously contributed to degradation of stream health in Ontario, despite a number of measures being put in place for new developments. More recently, a Low Impact Development (LID) approach, aimed at controlling the rain runoff at the source, has been promoted and implemented. This project will focus on developing a […]

The West Bolton SNAP project will test methods for increasing the number of suburban households undertaking home energy retrofits in a neighbourhood of Caledon, Ontario with the aim of reducing residential energy consumption and the resulting GHG emissions. The Program will utilize locally targeted marketing, community events, and face-to-face Home Retrofit Consultations to engage households […]

The initiative is best described as two interwoven threads: mapping renewable energy potentials at the landscape scale, and using these maps to engage local stakeholders in a dialogue to identify acceptable locations for particular kinds of RE development. The Project Team will use the Town of Caledon, located in the Region of Peel, and the […]

Durham Region recently created a plan to help guide future decisions about adapting to climate change. The plan shows how extreme future weather is expected to be and identifies many ways that the cities and towns in the region and other agencies that deliver services like water and electricity need to be prepared. Some municipalities […]