杏吧原创 sustainable energy students showcased their expertise at the Ontario Energy Board鈥檚 inaugural Energython case competition held in Toronto on January 30, 2026. Representing 杏吧原创 as Team Meter Made Better, graduate students Sean Thomas, Maia Warren, Melizza Clayden Tabobondung, and Vedika Chandran were shortlisted from 15 initial teams to compete as one of only four provincial finalists.

The team delivered well鈥憆easoned recommendations on balancing new energy sources within Ontario鈥檚 regulatory frameworks, drawing on insights from their coursework and analyses developed throughout the 10-day competition.

鈥淭hey presented a multi鈥慶riteria analysis that brought together energy transition considerations and equity impacts鈥� said Professor Daniel Rosenbloom. 鈥淲hile they didn鈥檛 bring home the top prize, I鈥檓 genuinely proud of what they accomplished here鈥�.

杏吧原创鈥檚 strong performance underscores the calibre of our emerging leaders in energy transitions.

The post 杏吧原创 Students Compete at OEB鈥檚 Inaugural Energython appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

杏吧原创 University is the newest university partner in the , a $4.5 million collaboration among universities, which will 鈥渟upport the deployment of grid modernization, energy storage and non-emitting generation in every region of Canada.鈥� The program is funded by the Government of Canada鈥檚 Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program (SREPs).  

The partnership was announced today by 杏吧原创 Provost Pauline Rankin at the Energy Modelling Hub Annual Forum, entitled Navigating Uncertainties, Powering a stronger Canada. 

鈥淲e are thrilled to partner with the Energy Modelling Hub, as this partnership represents a significant step forward in strengthening Canada鈥檚 capacity for evidence-based energy transition planning,鈥� said Provost Rankin. 

鈥溞影稍� has long been recognized for its interdisciplinary strength in addressing energy transitions. By integrating engineering, policy, economics and social sciences, we have built flagship programs such as: the undergraduate program in Sustainable Energy Engineering; the graduate program in Sustainable Energy (MPP, MEng, and MSc); and the Collaborative Specialization in Climate Change.鈥�  

The Faculty of Public Affairs is also home to several leading researchers in climate and sustainability, including: 

• James Meadowcroft, Chancellor鈥檚 Professor and Principal at the Transition Accelerator聽in the School of Public Policy and Administration.聽
• Daniel Rosenbloom, Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions聽in the School of Public Policy and Administration.聽
• , academic director at聽Re:Climate, a centre for聽climate communication and public engagement in the School of Journalism and Communication.聽

Note to readers: This is a corrected post. An earlier version incorrectly stated $4.5 billion and not $4.5 million.

The post 杏吧原创鈥檚 Climate Leadership Recognized by Energy Modelling Hub appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

Summary: An important cornerstone of energy transition, increasing renewable energy adoption, has never become more apparent given growing environmental stressors such as the climate crisis, prompting the need to stay within planetary boundaries. This is particularly the case in the global South given these places are often more vulnerable to climate impacts as they tend to possess more limited resources and measures to contend with such changes, while concurrently they are projected to grow substantially in the coming decades. Within such a context of limited resources and increased pressures, policy makers and practitioners must make decisions on where to focus their time and effort. As countries in the global South embark upon actions to support energy transition including renewable energy uptake, an important question therefore is how to prioritize which challenges to address and which options to pursue. Consequently, this paper provides a systematic review of nearly 150 peer-reviewed articles on the challenges impeding energy transition in the global South to put into perspective their relative importance according to academic research, and to document their proposed solutions or options to address these challenges. Six categories of challenges were most prevalent in the literature. Namely, politics and policy, financial, technology, environmental, social, and socio-technical. Analysis of the relevant literature under these categories shows that the challenge that has received the most attention in academic literature is politics and policy (24.2%). This is followed by technology (23.9%), social (20.7%), financial (19.2%), socio-technical (8.2%), and environmental (3.8%) in that order. This result means that while technology and financial aspects are clearly seen as a challenge, politics and policy which speaks of the role of power, as well as social, which relates to the role of people, can greatly advance and/or hinder energy transition in the global South. Furthermore, environmental issues are increasingly acknowledged as being complex, societal challenges, requiring transdisciplinary approaches. However, the findings also suggest a dearth of research on issues related to the environment, and systems-based approaches that highlight the integration of energy transition technology within the host social systems.

The post Challenges to energy transition in the global south: A review of the evidence鈥搑anking and proposed solutions appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

杏吧原创 University has become the first North American institutional member of the  (STRN), the international network of scholars and practitioners studying and working to advance pathways toward more sustainable societal systems.

Building on past achievements in the field, this milestone cements 杏吧原创鈥檚 position as North America鈥檚 leading cluster for transitions research, policy engagement, and training.

Sustainability transitions is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary field focused on understanding and accelerating the profound societal changes needed to address pressing challenges such as climate change. Its frameworks and insights have increasingly been taken up by leading international organizations and government bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, OECD, World Bank, and the European Commission. Since its founding in 2009, STRN has become the global hub for this work, connecting more than 3,000 researchers and practitioners.

A Record of Leadership

杏吧原创 has long been a pioneer in sustainability transitions. In 2009, it launched a flagship interdisciplinary graduate program in sustainable energy, bridging engineering and policy to train new leaders in energy transitions. Chancellor鈥檚 Professor James Meadowcroft, former Canada Research Chair in Governance for Sustainable Development, helped establish the politics and governance of transitions as a core area of study within the network and later developed the governance approach that informed the creation of Canada鈥檚  in 2016.

杏吧原创 has also anchored major national initiatives, including  (2018), the country鈥檚 leading voice for an energy-efficient economy. In 2019, 杏吧原创 brought the STRN鈥檚 annual flagship event, the International Sustainability Transitions (IST) Conference, to North America for the first and only time to date. More recently, in partnership with the , the university established the first endowed research chair dedicated to the field in North America (2024).

Today, 杏吧原创 brings together a critical mass of scholars advancing research and practice across multiple dimensions of sustainability transitions, including but not limited to:

• Kristen Schell, Canada Research Chair in Uncertainty-Informed Net-Zero Energy System Modelling
• Reza Kholghy, Canada Research Chair in Particle Technology and Combustion Engineering (industrial decarbonization)
• Elie Azar, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Buildings and Communities
• James Meadowcroft, Chancellor鈥檚 Professor, former Canada Research Chair, and Principal at the Transition Accelerator
• Alexandra Mallett, Associate Professor in Public Policy
• Daniel Rosenbloom, Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions
• Cameron Roberts, Adjunct Research Professor and Senior Research Associate in Sustainability Transitions
• Brendan Haley, Adjunct Research Professor and Senior Director of Policy Strategy at Efficiency Canada

Expanding Global Reach

With 杏吧原创鈥檚 membership, STRN deepens its global presence to include a strong North American institutional partner. This step comes at a time when the network is experiencing growing uptake globally, with new regional hotbeds emerging in Asia and Latin America.

Looking Ahead

杏吧原创 STRN

The Sustainability Transitions Research Network (STRN) is the world鈥檚 largest international community of researchers and practitioners focused on sustainability transitions. It works to advance knowledge development, education and training, knowledge exchange, and outreach.

杏吧原创 杏吧原创 University

Located in Canada鈥檚 capital of Ottawa, 杏吧原创 connects world-class researchers, industry leaders, and over 30,000 students to tackle the most pressing global concerns.

The post 杏吧原创 University Becomes First North American Institutional Member of Global Sustainability Transitions Research Network appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

Most remote and northern communities in Canada rely on diesel for their electrical and thermal energy needs. Communities and governments are working toward diesel exit strategies, but the role of hydrogen technologies (which could serve both electrical and thermal demand) has yet to be explored.

In , in collaboration with colleagues at CanmetENERGY-Ottawa, investments in hydrogen microgrids are optimized across a large sample of remote and northern communities. Installed capacities, costs, hydrogen storage needs, and water resource requirements are estimated.

The team finds that hydrogen microgrids are cheaper, in levelized cost terms, than diesel systems in 28 of 37 communities investigated; if wind power capital costs escalate to CAD 20,000/kW, as recently seen in one project in the Canadian North, only 3 of the 37 communities net hydrogen microgrids that are cheaper than diesel variants. Hydrogen storage plays a large role in maintaining reliability and reducing cost鈥攂oth it and water needs are modest. The former can be met with current technologies.

The post Hydrogen microgrids in the North appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

New work published by researchers in the APEX group builds an open-source model of direct air capture (DAC) technologies that employ solid sorbents. The research, published in the journal , focuses on a set of sorbents identified as relevant to cold climates such as Canada鈥檚, but the underlying model can be adapted to other sorbents that are being characterized experimentally. The model also integrates ambient environmental conditions to improve siting and operational decisions as Canada pursues millions of tons of carbon removal through DAC by 2050.

The post An open-source dynamic model for direct air capture of carbon dioxide using solid sorbents appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

Over 25 students from 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 Sustainable Energy program recently participated in a field trip to the Zibi District Energy System, which provides heating and cooling to a community near downtown Ottawa-Gatineau. The visit offered a unique opportunity for policy and engineering students to learn about the interacting technological and societal factors involved in realizing a real-world sustainability project.

The tour was led by Ashley Graham, Sustainability Director at Theia Partners, and Taryn Glancy, Project Manager at Zibi Canada. Together, they provided a comprehensive overview of the district energy system. Students gained insight into the technical characteristics of the system, including the integration of waste energy sources and thermal exchange technologies.

Beyond the engineering aspects, the discussion highlighted the social and governance dimensions of implementing such an ambitious project. Navigating multiple regulatory frameworks鈥攕panning the cities of Ottawa and Gatineau, the National Capital Commission, the Canada Energy Regulator, and Transport Canada鈥攈as been a core challenge for Zibi.

The tour also introduced students to Zibi鈥檚 commitment to the One Planet Living framework, an internationally recognized approach to sustainable community development. This framework underpins Zibi鈥檚 goal of achieving net-zero emissions, while promoting principles such as resource efficiency, social equity, and Indigenous reconciliation.

Following the site visit, participants gathered at the Mill Street Pub for an informal mixer. The event reinforced the program鈥檚 emphasis on bridging theory and practice in sustainable energy transitions.

The post 杏吧原创 Sustainable Energy Students Explore Zibi鈥檚 Innovative District Energy System appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

From September 8^th through 10^th, 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 Daniel Rosenbloom, Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions at the School of Public Policy and Administration, co-hosted an international paper development workshop at the University of Sussex Business School in Brighton, UK. Alongside Karoline Rogge (Professor at University of Sussex and Fraunhofer ISI) and Qi Song (King鈥檚 Global Sustainability Fellow, University of Cambridge), Rosenbloom served as co-guest editor guiding participants through three days of intensive discussion.

The workshop, supported by the European Research Council鈥揻unded EMPOCI project, brought together 18 draft manuscripts examining how societies might speed up the shift to net-zero emissions. Contributions were organized around three themes: the dimensions of acceleration (including time, technology, and system dynamics), interventions to accelerate change (such as regulation, finance, and institutional innovation), and tensions that can create resistance or inequities.

Discussions produced a shared conceptual vocabulary of acceleration: as a state where change intensifies, a process driven by reinforcing mechanisms, and an imperative tied to the climate crisis. At the same time, participants highlighted policy interventions that can translate this understanding into practice. Examples included empowering regulators with adaptive mandates, designing coherent mixes of incentives and regulations, and mobilizing public finance to de-risk clean technologies.

The workshop format combined close scholarly exchange with creative spaces for reflection, including a hike in the South Downs guided by Professor Andy Stirling. This setting encouraged both deep conceptual engagement and new cross-disciplinary connections.

鈥淎cceleration is not simply about going faster 鈥� it鈥檚 about creating momentum in the right direction,鈥� Rosenbloom said. 鈥淭his workshop showed how interventions by firms, regulators, and communities can unlock feedbacks that drive transitions forward.鈥�

The post 杏吧原创 researcher co-leads international workshop on accelerating net-zero transitions appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

As Canadian summers become hotter, the subsidized housing units in Cornwall, Ontario struggle to stay cool with poorly insulated homes and window air conditioners. These same homes are reliant on carbon-emitting natural gas furnaces that are worsening the climate problem.

With more than 100 townhouses needing upgrading, Cornwall turned to students in 杏吧原创鈥檚  for help.

鈥淭his program is unique in that it鈥檚 one of the oldest interdisciplinary programs of its kind that brings together both the policy and technical knowhow needed to develop practical solutions to climate change,鈥� explained Daniel Rosenbloom, the Rosamond Ivey Research Chair in Sustainability Transitions, who led the class. 鈥淚t marries engineering insights with the policy, social and economic dimensions that equally need to be brought to bear to make those innovations and solutions real, to make them implementable.鈥�

As part of their capstone project, engineering and public policy students collaborated to come up with a plan to retrofit the Cornwall housing project to make it more efficient.

鈥淭he problem we wanted to solve was to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions in the [housing project] to match Cornwall鈥檚 goal of net zero emissions by 2050,鈥� explained engineering student Akkash Elagampalayam Dhanabal. 鈥淲e reviewed existing studies and conducted primary technical and policy research to come up with estimations and assumptions about the project.鈥�

Echo Xie and Guy Brodsky, students in the policy section of the program, worked with Akkash on the project.

鈥淲e recommended a mass retrofit for all of the social housing units where there is existing electrical capacity, as well as a smaller-sized heat pump retrofit for the units where there isn鈥檛 sufficient new capacity available,鈥� said Brodsky. 鈥淲e also recommended improving the building envelope and including cellular shades and attic insulation to bring heating and cooling loads down.鈥�

In a presentation to Cornwall city council, the group estimated the work would cost about $2.4 million and would offer an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

鈥淭his is another step towards getting one of our climate action goals done,鈥� said Cornwall鈥檚 environmental services division manager Stephen Romano. 鈥淲e鈥檙e taking the work seriously and want to move forward with it.鈥�

The students worked closely with Jesse Good, the chair of Cornwall鈥檚 Environment and Climate Change Committee and an alumnus of the program.

鈥淚 wanted to work with these students because I know that they鈥檙e capable of developing some really creative outside-the-box solutions, which are grounded and also real-world,鈥� said Goode.

Echo Xie found the real-world collaboration was a valuable learning experience.

鈥淲e see the challenges our societal partners are facing and we鈥檙e trying to use what we learned in the program to help them solve a problem. That鈥檚 one of the reasons I really enjoyed this project.鈥�

The post 杏吧原创 Sustainability Team Helps Cornwall Tackle Climate Change appeared first on Sustainable Energy.

Held on June 5, 2025, at 杏吧原创 University, the 鈥淣et Zero Meets Trade Disruption鈥� workshop brought together leading voices from government, academia, and industry to address the complex intersection of trade policy, economic modeling, and Canada鈥檚 energy transition. The workshop was co-convened by the  and Professor Daniel Rosenbloom.

From insightful presentations to dynamic breakout sessions, this event showcased the value of bringing diverse perspectives together to inform smarter, more resilient energy and economic policy.

The day opened with welcome remarks from Associate Vice-President Sandra Crocker and Dean Brenda O鈥橬eill, setting the tone for a collaborative and solutions-driven dialogue. Keynote presentations by Professors James Meadowcroft and Kristen Schell framed the urgency and complexity of aligning trade, energy, and climate strategies in the face of accelerating global disruptions.

Structured around a progressive synthesis format, the workshop featured:

• Morning breakout sessions identifying key trade-related disruption scenarios and the corresponding modeling questions.
• Afternoon sessions diving into how to model these scenarios effectively, with focused discussions on tools, data, and policy relevance.

The event emphasized collaboration, scenario-based planning, and the need for integrated, adaptive modeling frameworks to navigate Canada鈥檚 evolving economic and energy future. It marks a significant step forward in equipping policy-makers with the tools and insights needed to respond proactively to a shifting global landscape.

The post Workshop Summary: Net Zero Meets Trade Disruption appeared first on Sustainable Energy.