Author Archives: qgec

QGEC is very proud to say that our 2021 conference is finished. This was the 6th iteration of QGEC and we had one of our largest turnouts: 100 delegate applications and 70 delegates spanning a number of Canadian universities. Thanks you very much to our speakers Tom Green, Ron Dizy, Mike Donaldson, Mike Skirzynski, DavidContinue reading “QGEC 2021”

District energy systems provide an efficient and resilient method to meet society’s growing energy demands through providing a centralized thermal energy source. This uses a network of pipes to provide energy to connected buildings. It increases increase efficiency when compared to the traditional concept of individual buildings having onsite heating and cooling production. The centralized energy source also uses common sources of waste heat to offset the energy load on these systems.  Current Energy Uses Continue reading “District Energy Systems”

  Batteries are the bedrock of energy storage. They enable us to use wireless technology, which contributed to the widespread use of electronic devices in the 21st century. Battery technology reached a key milestone in 1985 when the first commercially-viable, lithium-ion battery was produced, setting the foundation for the next 30 years of personal electronics.  Continue reading “The Role of Graphene in Future Energy Storage Methods”

The energy market is evolving. It is evident that Canada and other markets are moving towards more renewable forms of energy. Some wonder why the transition does not occur faster. One common opinion is that oil and gas is too profitable and is suppressing the ability for renewables to advance. While this is true, thereContinue reading “Barriers to Renewable Energy Becoming the Primary Energy Source in Canada”

Hi all. We hope that everyone is staying safe, healthy, and making the most of their unusual summer. We just wanted to provide a few updates regarding QGEC and what to expect from our group as the academic year approaches. QGEC has completed spring hiring. You can check out our new team under the “OurContinue reading “Summer Updates”

Solar energy is a source of clean, inexpensive, and sustainable energy, yet there is not widespread use. Each photon of sunlight that the Sun discharges can be captured and converted to useful energy. Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on Earth. Precisely, the Sun provides 10,000 times more ceaseless energy then the totalContinue reading “Solar Energy is on the Rise”

It is the summer of 2020, and the dominant political, economic, and societal dialogue is hijacked by COVID-19. Human lives have been changed, largely for the worse, but I find myself seeking the silver linings. With summer finally around the corner and ample free time available to many, I see an opportunity to use thisContinue reading “4 Energy & Environment Reading Essentials”

What is a Smart Grid? A Smart Grid is a just a name for an electrical grid which utilizes several different technologies that allow the grid to operate more dynamically. This means that the grid can detect changes in demand or supply and then quickly respond to ensure that the electrical grid remains stable. Fundamentally,Continue reading “Smart Grids”

What is Blockchain Technology? Blockchains allow digital information to be distributed but not copied. A blockchain is a series of timestamped records of data. The blockchain structure is formed by multiple blocks, with each block containing a group of encoded “transactions” (individual operations). Cryptographic hash functions are used to securely connect each block to theContinue reading “Blockchains and the Energy Sector”

Renewable energy is all the talk nowadays as governments and experts around the world begin to see it as the future of the energy industry. In Canada specifically 17.3% of our electricity is generated by renewables, with most of the generation coming from hydro stations, biomass factories, and wind farms. Solar is less prominent inContinue reading “Where is there Geothermal Energy in Canada?”