Oshawa’s University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) opened a state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar laboratory earlier this month. The purpose of the facility, known as the Clean Energy Research Laboratory (CERL), is not only to run experiments, but also to eventually move new alternative energy technologies out of academia and into the market. CERL’s research focuses on using heat from a variety of sources, including solar thermal technology, to separate water into its base elements. The purpose of this process is to free up hydrogen, which can then be used as a power source. If the laboratory’s research is successful, hydrogen could be a next-generation fuel, aided by the sun’s rays or other forms of heat.
Beyond Solar Power
The appeal of hydrogen as a source of renewable energy stems from the fact that, like photovoltaic and wind power, the combustion of hydrogen does not produce greenhouse gases. The first major obstacle to overcome before this technology can be brought to market is the inherent difficulty of large-scale production. To confront this issue, Dr. Greg Naterer, Associate Dean of UOIT’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, will lead a consortium of more than forty researchers from eight universities across Ontario and abroad.
Dr. Naterer is Canada Research Chair in Advanced Energy Systems. His group’s goals are to develop a copper-chlorine cycle for thermochemical water splitting and to produce hydrogen from nuclear power. The copper-chlorine cycle requires heat, which may come from a nuclear or solar source or from industrial waste emissions. In the words of Dr. Ronald Bordessa, UOIT President and Vice-Chancellor, “CERL represents another outstanding example of how the university is helping define the nature of innovative research and the potential to house it.”
Renewable Energy Training Opportunities
With $3 million in contributions from the provincial government and externally-funded research projects totalling in excess of $5.5 million, CERL provides the ideal place for UOIT students interested in photovoltaics and alternative energy to take part in cutting-edge research. With the expertise of an international array of partnering institutions close at hand, they will learn from some of the greatest minds in the field.
Director of Canada’s only ISPQ-accredited solar training program, Ontario Solar Academy, Jacob Travis, believes that, “The renewable energy sector is highly fragmented, filled with many competing technologies.” He adds “It’s refreshing to see the kind of research that UOIT is performing since it creates synergies and new opportunities for merging different green energy sources.”
