British Columbia is poise to become more energy efficient and sustainable thanks to a new enquiry collaboration between FortisBC and UBC Okanagan . They ’ve make a Smart Energy Research Chair position to help optimize energy use in BC and tighten the responsibility ’s greenhouse gasoline footprint .
“ The future tense of world depends on our power to make informed and sustainable DOE choice , ” say UBC Okanagan School of Engineering Professor , Kasun Hewage , recipient of the FortisBC Smart Energy Chair award . “ This new locating reach us an opportunity to intimately understand how to optimize and better energy efficiency through an in - depth depth psychology of the environmental , financial and societal implications — what we call the complete lifecycle — of each of those choices . ”
The FortisBC Smart Energy Research Chair is a five - year date patronize by FortisBC , Mitacs and UBC . Hewage state the new position will conduct autonomous enquiry to speak BC ’s maturate free energy needs and improve the sustainable use of available energy sources in the responsibility .
Hewage , an associate director with UBC ’s Clean Energy Research Centre , takes a holistic approaching to investigating wise energy strategies , which includes cost - efficient , sustainable and renewable energy production system coordinated by cut sharpness technologies . By appraise the implications and cost - benefits of a diverse variety of smart energy solutions , Hewage will be able to provide insurance - manufacturer with invaluable information .
“ This part will mean that we are well - lay to leverage UBC Okanagan ’s expertness in green technologies and work with stakeholders like FortisBC to develop tools and strategy to improve energy sustainability throughout the province , ” says Hewage .
Hewage is also part of a multidisciplinary net of UBC researchers working collaboratively to develop new tools , technique , insurance policy and dependable management exercise to address municipal infrastructure challenge including climate resiliency and the environs . The Cluster of Research Excellence in Green Infrastructure integrates the expertness of researcher in engineering science , economics , geography and the social sciences .
In accession to the funding from FortisBC , the appointment will be supported by matching internship financial backing from Mitacs , which will brook bookman to work hand - in - hand with FortisBC throughout the five - year collaboration .
“ We apprise the work that UBC Okanagan is doing to advance enquiry and education around energy - effective construction as well as the opportunity to be involved , ” said Danielle Wensink , film director of conservation and energy management for FortisBC . “ We ’re committed to facilitate our client manage their energy use and these finding will have material - world welfare as we incorporate them into our many energy management programs . ”
“ Our investigators are among the finest in their battlefield , ” articulate Phil Barker , vice - master and associate vice - prexy of research at UBC ’s Okanagan campus . “ Industry collaborations like these serve our inquiry team tackle major societal event and contribute their expertness to lick real problem . Sustainable infrastructure is a nitty-gritty research speciality at UBC ’s Okanagan campus and research partnerships assist catalyze smart strategies , influential insurance policy and emerging technologies for the time to come .
informant : University of British Columbia
