Themes
Resilient Grid for Clean Energy Integration
Theme Leads: Ryan Li, Robert Benkoczi
A robust and resilient electrical grid is required for the integration of renewable and zero/low carbon energy sources. Such a grid must not only meet rising demand, increase reliability and quality of power supply, and enhance energy efficiency, but must also serve as a hub to generate clean, non-emitting electricity. The expected outcomes of this research are resilient grid modernization technologies and operation strategies to generate clean electricity at a level capable of sustaining the emerging needs of industrial, commercial, and residential users. This will lead to increased distribution of and reliable access to clean energy for all end users.
Projects:
- Quality Assurance Framework for AI-enabled Resilient and Clean Energy Systems
- Optimization of grids and micro-grids
- Online optimization of resilient grids with robustness and fairness guarantees
- Smart and DC compatible technologies for distribution systems and substations
- Models and Tools for Transmission and Distribution Systems Transition Planning
Clean Transportation through Electrification
Theme Leads: Petr Musilek, Sara Hastings-Simon
Electric utilities have a vital role to play in addressing the rapid growth of EV use in Canada and around the world. Increased penetration of EVs will result in increased electricity demand and a subsequent increase in peak loads, which may cause frequent brownouts and blackouts. Integration of EVs poses different challenges for grids in urban and remote communities, normal and emergency situations, and under different penetration levels and event types. The expected outcomes of this research are models, algorithms, and technologies for assessing and mitigating the impact of electric vehicles on power systems for both urban and remote areas and under various operating conditions. Mitigation strategies will be established based on the assessment outcomes. This will lead to an increased understanding of changes in energy generation and delivery needs for a successful transition to electrified transportation.
Projects:
- Integration of EV charging in urban and rural electrical grids
- Advancement of EVs as reliability and flexibility resources
- Exploration of electrified transportation impacts on community and power resilience
- Low power demand EVs
Clean Fuels
Theme Leads: Lisa Stein, Amit Kumar
Clean fuels play a critical role in reaching net-zero emissions, especially in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as heavy-duty and air transportation. It is estimated that at least 60% of the national energy demand in 2050 will need to be derived from clean fuels to meet the net-zero goal. Today, however, clean fuels represent less than 5% of energy supply in Canada. A major boost to the use of clean fuels requires breakthrough technologies in production and utilization. Clean fuels derived from single-carbon feedstocks have the potential to be used directly for heating and transportation or as an energy source for power generation. This theme focuses on two types of clean fuels: sustainable biofuels and green hydrogen. The expected outcomes of the research are low carbon advanced drop-in clean fuels and bioproducts at a scale for use in electrical grids and engines. These clean fuels will be produced from single-carbon using microbial and catalytic transformations of biomaterials and green hydrogen production from waste with carbon capture and storage. This will lead to increased production and use of clean energy to enable and facilitate the use of clean fuels for enhanced energy security.
Sustainable Biofuels
Projects:
- Low carbon methanol production.
- Conversion to fuels.
- Carbon sink bioproduction.
Green Hydrogen
Projects:
- Green Hydrogen Production and Separation from Intermediate Pyrolysis with CCS from Biowaste.
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno Economic Assessment (TEA) of Green Hydrogen Production Technologies with CCS.
- High-rate solar hydrogen production using carbon nitride produced from agricultural waste.