WATERLOO, Ont. (Wednesday, April 6, 2011) - Senior energy executives from across the country will gather at the University of Waterloo this week to attend the inaugural meeting of an advisory council that will help develop innovative solutions to the challenges of the energy sector.
The leaders, who are key figures in developing the energy sector and shaping its future directions, will this Thursday attend the meeting of advisory council of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy. The University of Waterloo recently created WISE to ensure effective transfer of knowledge from Waterloo researchers to the private sector and to foster paths toward a sustainable energy future.
The following energy leaders are members of the advisory council:
Andy Teichman, Executive Director of Investments, OPG Ventures Inc.
David McFadden, Partner, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP
George Greene, Chair, Stratos Inc.
Ken Kozlik, VP, Market & System Operations, IESO
Leo Piciacchia, VP, Sustainable Development & HSE, TOTAL E&P Canada
Steve Dorey, Senior Consultant, Charles River Associates
Richard Wunderlich, Director, Smart Grid Initiatives, Siemens Canada Ltd.
Gordon Lambert, VP, Sustainable Development, Suncor Energy Inc.
Andrew Pride, VP, Conservation, Ontario Power Authority
Mel Ydreos, VP, Marketing & Customer Care, Union Gas Ltd.
Carmine Marcello, Executive VP, Strategy, Hydro One
Jatin Nathwani, Council Chair and Executive Director, WISE, University of Waterloo
From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., council members will receive briefings on nine different research areas that relate to WISE’s work. Topics include energy policy research, the benefits and risks of financing renewable energy, how can the internet help smarten the grid, the challenges of integrating electric vehicles and distributed energy into the gird, greener process for upgrading oil sands bitumen and the possibilities of zero-emission fossil fuel powerplants.
Over lunch, they will hear about student design teams at Waterloo.
From 3 to 4:30 p.m., council members will tour three research facilities: the Centre for Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Systems, a research facility dedicated for solar photovoltaic research; Giga-to-Nanoelectronics Centre, which develops novel electronic materials; and High Voltage Engineering Lab, which studies and tests pulse power applications and power electronics.
The University of Waterloo is a recognized leader in promoting innovation through research in the development and deployment of advanced sustainable energy systems.
Energy researchers working as multi-disciplinary teams in the faculties of engineering, science, environment and math are undertaking leading-edge research with utilities, government agencies and the private sector. The work supports emerging energy technologies to enhance the reliability and efficiency of the power system consistent with current and evolving national and international policy developments.
About Waterloo
The University of Waterloo, located at the heart of Canada's Technology Triangle, is one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities. Waterloo is home to 30,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students who are dedicated to making the future better and brighter. Waterloo, known for the largest post-secondary co-operative education program in the world, supports enterprising partnerships in learning, research and discovery. For more information about Waterloo, visit www.uwaterloo.ca.
