Daniel Bowie joined the Transition Accelerator, founded by James Meadowcroft Research Director, to help design, model, and assess the technoeconomic viability of promising end-use electrification pathways and to identify opportunities to accelerate the deployment of electrification as a key decarbonization strategy. Prior to joining the Transition Accelerator, Daniel spent six years working as an energy consultant for ICF International, where he helped conduct energy efficiency and electrification potential studies, prepared utility demand-side management plans, assessed the technoeconomic viability of innovative energy technologies, and co-developed decarbonization pathway models for various climate plans.

Daniel holds a Master of Applied Science in Sustainable Energy Engineering from 杏吧原创 University, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick.

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Sustainable Energy Alumni, Aman Chahal, will be speaking at the upcoming Research Money Conference between April 18th-19th 2023 In Ottawa, at the National Arts Centre.

Aman Chahal is currently an Industrial Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Alberta working to design an incubator to inspire students to explore their curiosity and build a resilient innovation ecosystem. She began studying bias in funding when she returned to Canada from a trip to India and was informed that she could not be the tech founder in her own technology company. She used her analytics experience to help analyze the sector and create new strategies to remove bias from the investment process, while creating higher returns for funds. She specializes in commercialization in the cleantech sector, having researched barriers to adoption for disruptive technologies in regulated markets.

She is currently collaborating with researchers in the Faculty of Law advising on the ramifications of copyright protection laws and their impact to data mining and artificial intelligence as it relates to promoting the public interest in Research and Innovation.

She can be easily distracted by an interesting conversation, enjoys exploring emerging trends and loves to volunteer for any interesting data analytics project. She is currently working on a white paper in equity analytics and the ramifications that poorly designed EDI metrics can have on increasing bias in the workplace rather than improving the challenges.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta, an MBA from Ivey, a MA in Sustainable Development Public Policy from 杏吧原创 and a self proclaimed PhD in Startrek, Marvel and Harry Potter.

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Existing government rebate programs work 鈥渇or middle- and upper-income Canadians who can pay up front for a retrofit and then receive a grant after the work is done,鈥� said Brendan Haley, director of policy research at Efficiency Canada, a group based out of 杏吧原创 University in Ottawa that advocates for greater energy efficiency. 鈥淏ut the financial barriers are still too great for lower-income Canadians.鈥�

Not only that, but about one-third of Canadians rent, according to Statistics Canada, and requiring a landlord鈥檚 approval limits your ability to cut household emissions.

鈥淔or folks that are renting, there are far fewer opportunities to make change where they are living,鈥� said Salmon of Green Communities Canada.

Dowsett acknowledges this.

鈥淩enters can鈥檛 touch their building envelope, they can鈥檛 touch their mechanical system. They just don鈥檛 have control of the levers they need. It is their building owners and operators that need to make changes,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e at Pocket Change are not really the model for them.鈥�

Haley says that to meet its stated climate goals, Canada needs to establish more stringent policies that force building owners of all kinds to use more sustainable technologies. To effect deeper emissions cuts, 鈥渨e need the government to step in and mandate things.鈥�

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Austin Zacharko graduated in 2020 from the Master of Engineering in Sustainable Energy (MEng-SE) program.

Austin Zacharko
24, Edmonton, energy management
engineer, Capital Power

Sustainability has always been a polarizing topic in the oil-producing province of Alberta, where Austin Zacharko was raised. 鈥淚 was able to see both sides,鈥� says Zacharko, a M茅tis Canadian, though the avid rock climber and backcountry skier began to realize the status quo was no longer protecting the province from the impacts of climate change. His interest in renewable energy led him to a degree in engineering at the University of Alberta, where he co-founded the Indigenous Engineering Students Association. Today, when he isn鈥檛 working as an energy management engineer with Capital Power, supporting the company鈥檚 wind, solar and thermal assets, Zacharko is helping a local food bank become solar powered. He also volunteers with two national youth sustainability groups, including as co-director of Leading Change Canada鈥檚 steering committee. 鈥淎s the ones inheriting this world, our voices should matter in the decisions that get made today that will impact us for the rest of our lives,鈥� Zacharko says.

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Master of Arts in Sustainable Energy alumnus John McNally was included as an . The Clean50 is Canada鈥檚 top sustainability award.

McNally is currently a senior researcher of Clean Growth Policy at the Smart Prosperity Institute in Ottawa.

In 2020, he was also named one of the Corporate Knights Under 30 Sustainability Leaders.

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From FPA News…

Janice Pillon is a Policy Advisor at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

How did you become interested in sustainable energy?

After receiving a bachelor鈥檚 degree in environmental studies, I spent a summer studying the emissions reduction potential of different technologies in Iceland. It was my first hands-on experience with renewable energy and I learned about the massive barriers and limitations of our existing solutions: essentially, there is no magic bullet. I wanted to understand the technology better, so I started looking at graduate programs.

What attracted you to this degree?

The interdisciplinary approach sealed it for me. If I was going to learn policy, I wanted to understand what I was talking about from all angles. The program is unique because it includes courses like engineering for policy students, which explains how technologies work on a basic level and the most important things engineers have to consider in the design of energy systems. It also has a project-focused course that helps students better understand the business case behind energy projects.

How did you get your start in the public service?

One of the faculty members recommended me for a position at Natural Resources Canada where I started as a co-op student. After that, I was accepted into the Advanced Policy Analyst Program with the federal government. This allows you to spend six months at each of the government鈥檚 central agencies, where I was able to find a niche in energy and the environment. For instance, at the Privy Council Office, I worked on environment and natural resource files, and at Treasury Board, I worked on electric vehicle policy.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada supported my work at these agencies for two years, and now I鈥檝e returned to work for them in their Clean Growth and Clean Technologies Branch.

What does your current position entail?

This is a new policy team in the department, so I鈥檓 helping build our capacity. Practically, that means conducting research into the business case for clean technologies, and getting to know stakeholders, think tanks, and others. We鈥檙e building up the ability of the department to respond to new industry developments and are providing policy advice. It鈥檚 a great opportunity to break new ground.

How has your degree helped you on the job?

My MA experience instilled an ability to think critically about policy and energy issues. As I鈥檓 following the industry and doing a lot of research, it鈥檚 something I鈥檓 using every day.

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