UOIT knows clean energy

On June 8, 2016, the Province of Ontario unveiled its Climate Change Action Plan, which calls on industry, municipalities and individuals to adapt to new cleaner energy technologies to reduce society’s carbon footprint. Ontario’s ultimate goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050.

The University of Ontario Institute of Technology is a centre of innovation and expertise in clean and green energy research. The university also offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees (master’s and PhDs) focusing on renewable energy issues through the faculties of:

• Energy Systems and Nuclear Engineering (FESNS)
• Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS)
• Science (FSCI)

The university’s leading-edge programs and research in clean energy technologies link engineering, science, management and public policy.

The university’s energy sector activities include:

• Outstanding research expertise in clean energy systems and environmental sustainability that supports economic development and helps manage climate change.
• Clean Energy Research Laboratory – where researchers are working on the world’s first lab-scale demonstration of a copper-chlorine cycle for thermochemical water splitting and nuclear hydrogen production.
• Research on community development.
• Community leadership through speaker series events and symposiums, including hosting the 4^th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Smart Energy Grid Engineering (SEGE) Conference at the university from August 21 to 24, 2016.
• The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science has a specialization in Energy Engineering within its fully accredited Mechanical Engineering program.
• Community innovation: In late 2016 the university will be home to the first large-scale microgrid installation at a Canadian university campus.

Selected FESNS researchers and research areas:

• Hossam Gaber, PhD (smart energy systems, gas power, micro energy grids, energy conservation, green buildings, plasma-based waste-to-energy; cross-appointed to FEAS).
• Dan Hoornweg, PhD, Marceau Research Chair in Natural Gas as a Transportation Fuel Alternative (energy policy, natural gas and transportation, smart and sustainable communities).

Selected FEAS research areas:

• Advanced energy systems
  • Ibrahim Dincer, PhD (ammonia as an energy source, hydrogen and fuel cell systems, solar energy)
  • Min Dong, PhD (storage solutions for energy systems)
  • Brendan MacDonald, PhD (direct solar energy, solar water treatment, sustainable energy)
  • Bale Reddy, PhD (advanced energy systems, energy conservation, solar energy)
  • Marc Rosen, PhD (energy efficiency, sustainable energy)
• Automotive systems
  • Yuping He, PhD (fuel-efficient vehicle systems)
• Electric power systems and smart grid electric grid
  • Walid Morsi Ibrahim, PhD (energy management and optimization, smart grid, smart meters, solar voltaic energy, wind energy)
  • Tarlochan Sidhu, PhD (power systems)
  • Vijay Sood, PhD (microgrid development)
  • Sheldon Williamson, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Electric Energy Systems for Transportation Electrification (batteries, electric vehicles, energy harvesting, renewable energy systems)
  • Mohamed Youssef, PhD (power electronics applications in renewable energy resources)

Selected FSCI research areas:

• Biology (biomolecular science)
  • Dario Bonetta, PhD (bio-based materials for creation of fuels and fibres)
  • Andrea Kirkwood, PhD (biofuels)
• Chemistry (electrochemical systems)
  • Brad Easton, PhD (fuel cell technologies, hydrogen)
  • Olena Zenkina, PhD (green chemistry, energy storage and transformations)
• Physics (emerging energy technologies)
  • Anatoli Chkrebtii, PhD (materials science)
  • Franco Gaspari, PhD (solar cells, sustainable energy)
  • Isaac Tamblyn, PhD (artificial photosynthesis, Computational Laboratory for Energy and Nanoscience (CLEAN), water splitting)

Recent news coverage on clean energy topics:

• University researcher pumped about Ontario’s plans for natural gas fuelling stations
• Lieutenant Governor tours university's clean energy research labs
• Electric vehicle tour EcoRun rolls into UOIT and ACE
• UOIT Futures Forum: Time to get smart on community development
• Investigating transportation electrification; and what our online activities say about today’s culture
• The future of fuel cells: better-performing and less expensive
• National distinction for university's sustainable energy expert
• University researcher: Natural gas is a key transportation fuel alternative
• University-created carpooling app takes major step forward
• Taking action on transportation could address five major Ontario challenges
• Finding the way forward on climate change
• University supports provincial universities’ Going Greener initiative

Media contact:
Bryan Oliver
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
905.721.8668 ext. 6709
289.928.3653 (cell)
bryan.oliver@uoit.ca