In this project, a series of highly efficient and highly selective multifunctional Guerbet catalysts are developed and will be investigated for the condensation of low alcohols to high alcohols in a continuous-flow reactor. Low energy density bioethanol and methanol will be upgraded to n-butanol and iso-butanol with high energy content comparable to gasoline with high […]

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 […]

Pathways for low-carbon synthetic fuels are reliant upon large-scale, low-cost, low-carbon and renewable hydrogen supply, which are presently not delivered by existing supply chains. The Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) at UBC proposes a new research program that will directly address this problem. A new Post-doctoral fellowship (PDF) position will be added to the CERC […]

Closing the carbon cycle by utilizing CO2 as a feedstock for producing new fuels such as Methanol and Ethanol is an appropriate intermediate step towards a carbon-free future. Recently some researches on new nano-catalysts have increased the hope of bringing this technology to the market. While the reaction mechanisms are not elucidated, the present study […]

The partner organisation, Sigma Energy Storage, develops energy storage by gas compression. This technology is based on the storage of electricity from intermittent energy sources, such as wind or solar power, and the recovery of unused electricity from diesel-based power sources located in remote communities not connected to the electrical power grid system. During the […]

Geothermal systems are an efficient and environmentally friendly technology to cool and heat buildings. However, the system installation remains expensive making its expansion difficult. Versaprofiles, a Canadian enterprise, has developed a thermal enhanced pipe especially designed to geothermal applications. This pipe allows to reduce the system cost, improving its performance. Experimental tests in systems using […]

Electrical power generation based on wind energy has been one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources. An important area of research in wind energy is to find different ways to improve the power reliability of systems. Modeling wind turbine power curve using past data is often used as an efficient way to use empirical […]

Meeting the Paris Climate Accord will require $53 trillion invested towards low-carbon infrastructures by 2035. To accelerate domestic investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency, dozens of Green Investment Banks have been developed in recent years seeking to leverage public spending with funds from institutional investors, such as pension funds, insurance companies, and private equity […]

Canada’s coastal regions are an excellent source of marine renewable energy. These regions are also popular with marine mammals, providing good feeding opportunities. However little is known about how marine mammals will be affected by tidal energy developments. Concerns include the impacts of sound on animals’ ability to find food and navigate, the indirect effects […]

Enhancing the current and power density in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is one of the main challenges to their large-scale commercialization and hence in tune with the pending needs of the PEMFC industry. The volumetric power density in PEMFC stacks is strongly affected by the flow field plates due to their critical impact […]

The last few years have seen a tremendous increase of the collection and use of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data for 3D modeling of cities, forest surveys and autonomous driving. In the context of 3D cities, buildings are reconstructed separately, sometimes with the help of aerial images. The accuracy assessment of these 3D models […]

Hydrogen fuel cells are a promising alternative to meeting today’s transportation demands. Longer lasting and more robust fuel cells are essential for commercial applications. A common issue with the longevity of a fuel cell stack is the tolerance to repeated start-up shutdown cycles. During these cycles, the fuel cell can become starved of fuel due […]