The University of Calgary has reported the formation of a new NSERC/ENMAX Industrial Research Chair in Renewable Energy to examine different ways to execute renewable energy solutions at the domestic level. The university has announced the new collaboration at the Schulich School of Engineering.
Elizabeth Cannon, the University of Calgary’s president, said that through this collaboration, a top-level engineering expert will work with an energy provider to create renewable energy sources that can be utilized in the homes of Calgarians.
David Wood, a professor at the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, will investigate the possibility of using small wind turbines by checking wind speeds at different heights in Calgary utilizing a 50-m mast that was implanted earlier this month beside the University of Calgary's Spy Hill site. Normally, wind measurements are collected outside city limits for different projects and therefore, this new type of research is unique.
The research work of Wood also includes utilizing a wind tunnel to analyze the impact of wind pressure on solar photovoltaic panels in order to help minimize installation costs as well as ascertain the most competent panel configurations.
This research is part of ENMAX Energy’s plan to support homeowners to take in renewable energy technologies. Small-scale power generation, including backyard wind turbines, is a portion of the bigger distributed generation systems.
The total funding for the over five-year NSERC/ENMAX Industrial Research Chair is $2.25 million, including $750,000 from NSERC, $750,000 from ENMAX Energy Corporation and $750,000 from the Schulich School of Engineering.
Source: http://www.ucalgary.ca/