The Province is providing $342,000 from the Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund for four clean-energy science and technology research projects at British Columbia public post-secondary institutions, supporting energy efficiency and conservation.

The funding is distributed to research teams at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria for projects dedicated to coastal wave energy, high-performance batteries and battery chargers, and building insulation.

The funding is awarded through the Post-Secondary Clean Energy Partnerships (PSCEP) Program which leverages federal government funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and requires investment from a private company or industrial research partner.

The projects were selected through a process defined in a Memorandum of Understanding between the B.C. Ministry of Energy and Mines and NSERC. Provincial funding is contingent on researchers’ successful application for federal funding from NSERC. A call for proposals is currently underway for the next round of funding under the program and is open until Jan. 20, 2017.

Quotes:

Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines –

“Congratulations to the researchers sharing funding of $342,000 under our Post-Secondary Clean Energy Partnerships Program. Working with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and private industry partners we’re supporting research and development being undertaken in British Columbia’s post-secondary institutions that will result in technological advancements, energy efficiencies and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate technology and innovation in British Columbia.”

Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Advanced Education –

“Our research universities are recognized as global leaders in research and development. The partnership between these three research universities, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and private industry will help to stimulate the clean tech industry, while driving innovation that can be commercialized with real-world applications.”

Dr. B. Mario Pinto, president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada –

“NSERC strongly supports research and development in high-priority areas, such as clean energy. These academic-industry collaborations will result in cutting-edge technologies that benefit our environment, create commercial opportunities and improve our quality of life.”

Ali Saket, PhD student in the department of electrical and computer engineering, University of British Columbia –

"Thanks to funding from the provincial government and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada my colleagues and I have been able to explore different methods to cut the power losses and increase the efficiency of battery chargers – an integral part of clean energy systems that processes the electric energy and stores it in batteries.”

Majid Bahrami, professor of mechatronics systems engineering and project lead, Simon Fraser University –

"This new funding will enable us to advance clean tech research that will benefit the battery industry while the fundamental knowledge and engineering design tools we will develop can also be employed for a variety of sustainable and green energy applications, from electronics and automotive to heat-ventilating and air-conditioning and refrigeration sectors.”

Tom Tiedje, dean of engineering, University of Victoria –

"These are two examples of the many innovative research projects and partnerships that exemplify the University of Victoria’s research strength in clean energy and green technologies.”

Jason Goldsworthy, vice-president - projects, AOE Accumulated Ocean Energy Inc. –

“AOE Accumulated Ocean Energy Inc. is pleased to be involved with the University of Victoria in assessing the viability of ocean wave energy on the west coast of British Columbia through the Post-Secondary Clean Energy Partnerships program. AOE is looking forward to continuing our relationship with the talented and diligent researchers at the university to assess the technology being developed by AOE using high-end numerical simulation techniques. This opportunity allows companies like AOE to evaluate the performance of our technology in a simulated environment prior to the deployment of expensive prototypes. We are proud to support the University of Victoria and acknowledge the contributions of the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.”

Ken Fielding, co-founder and CEO of Delta-Q Technologies Corp. –

“Delta-Q Technologies is proud to partner with local universities and support the research conducted by our candidates. These projects will go towards our continuing efforts to improve power conversion efficiencies and power densities and the grant funding will be essential in elevating their resources. This ultimately will help make our chargers smaller and lighter, and meet the global demand for advanced, high-efficiency on-board power electronics for electrified vehicles and equipment. Congratulations to all the grant recipients.”

LuVerne E.W. Hogg, president and CEO of ZMM Canada Minerals Corp. –

“The prospect of working with Dr. Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya, of the University of Victoria, to create vacuum insulation panels in Canada, utilizing clean technology and ZMM’s natural zeolites, represents a unique opportunity to create a new, high performance, thermal insulation that will provide significant benefits to the environment. Thanks to the financial support of the Innovative Clean Energy Fund and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, together we hope to build a new generation of insulation that has the potential to reduce building energy requirements by up to 40%. ZMM believes a successful R&D program for vacuum insulation panels will be classed as breakthrough technology with significant, positive economic implications that go beyond Canada and North America. The impact of the technology would dramatically reduce greenhouse gases in both cold and hot climates.”

Learn More:

Post-Secondary Clean Energy Partnerships Program: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/electricity-alternative-energy/innovative-clean-energy-solutions/innovative-clean-energy-ice-fund/post-secondary-clean-energy-partnerships-program

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/index_eng.asp

Innovative Clean Energy Fund: www.gov.bc.ca/innovativecleanenergyfund

#BCTECH Strategy: http://bctechstrategy.gov.bc.ca/

A backgrounder with more information on the projects follows.