Energy

UBC’s Smart Energy District

UBC’s Smart Energy District

It’s about to change the future. Article by Chris Petty, from UBC Trek Magazine. UBC’s Vancouver campus is testing a solar- and hydrogen- driven smart energy system. If you happen to pass the block bounded by Thunderbird Boulevard and Wesbrook Mall on UBC’s Vancouver campus, take note: you are experiencing history being made. That block […]

UBC clean hydrogen technology deployed to Alberta in a $7 million collaboration

UBC clean hydrogen technology deployed to Alberta in a $7 million collaboration

New hydrogen technology developed at UBC could soon be providing clean energy in Alberta, thanks to a $7 million project between UBC, the government of Alberta and Alberta utility company ATCO. The technology developed by the UBC researchers — methane thermal cracking — can produce up to 200 kilograms of hydrogen a day using natural gas, without […]

Photo of Howe Sound by Erik Ringsmuth on Unsplash

Researchers receive NSERC Alliance grants for sustainable energy collaborations

Two faculty members at the Department of Mechanical Engineering have received NSERC Alliance grants to support their collaborations with local sustainable-energy companies. A relatively new initiative, the NSERC Alliance grants began in 2019, and aim to bring together academic and industry expertise, seeking to more quickly translate research results into wider use. Dr. Walter Mérida […]

UBC researchers design roadmap for hydrogen supply network across B.C.

UBC researchers design roadmap for hydrogen supply network across B.C.

Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in British Columbia. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a hydrogen supply chain model that can enable the adoption of zero-emission, hydrogen-powered cars—transforming them from a novelty into everyday transportation in just 30 years. In a new study published this week, UBC researchers […]

Walter Merida Interviewed About the Future of Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars

Walter Merida Interviewed About the Future of Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Cars

Walter Merida, MECH professor, Director of the Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) and Interim Associate Dean of Research and Industrial Partnerships was interviewed by the Globe and Mail about the future of hydrogen fuel-cell cars. Read the full article here.

Innovative software converts Wi-Fi data into energy savings

Innovative software converts Wi-Fi data into energy savings

For the first time in Canada, a University of British Columbia engineer has found a way to use Wi-Fi to determine the number of building occupants and adjust ventilation accordingly – saving energy without sacrificing air quality. “Every day, thousands of smartphones, laptops and tablets connect to the Wi-Fi network at UBC,” said Stefan Storey, […]

MECH alumnus Matt Harper named one of BIV’s Forty Under 40

MECH alumnus Matt Harper named one of BIV’s Forty Under 40

Matt Harper, MECH alumnus and co-founder of Avalon Battery, was recently named one of Business In Vancouver’s (BIV) 2016 Forty Under 40. This award was created to recognize the achievements of BC’s young entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals who have demonstrated excellence in business, judgement, leadership, and community contribution. After graduating from MECH in 2000, Harper […]

Walter Mérida discusses how high-tech data could speed transit buses, save fuel and time

Walter Mérida discusses how high-tech data could speed transit buses, save fuel and time

Walter Merida, Director of the UBC Clean Energy Research Centre, and MECH prof was interviewed by the Vancouver Sun about the future of transit. He said next-generation electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles should be the next step for transit agencies to improve efficiency and sustainability, and utilizing the “Internet of Things” should also be a priority. […]