Session

Red Deer Polytechnic’s Data Sharing Alliance: Impact of data to support regional innovation in energy transformation (E/SI)

May 1, 2024 10:15 - 11:15 Glen Rm 206View map

The Data Sharing Alliance (DSA) is an applied research project hosted by RDP’s Energy Innovation Centre which collects solar panel data from across Alberta for analysis. The current focus is gathering data using remote energy meters in order to build a valuable database to analyze data to understand actual peak energy generation. This collaborative group of RDP and industry stakeholders is focused on developing improvements in modelling and installing solar photovoltaic systems. Weather and power data is used to improve solar PV system performance and economics. Performance models can be created using this data to compare actual output to theoretical output, therefore creating the foundation needed to optimize solar energy in Alberta.

On the RDP campus, there are three main locations that produce an average of 1.6 MW of power. Data is collected from these installations in addition to multiple sites across Alberta. Other types of sustainable energy generation systems are currently being included, such as heat pumps.

This discussion will review several of the outcomes of the DSA which have contributed to transformative practices in Central Alberta and further explore how this tool could be utilized in other regional areas.

Stream: Innovating through Applied Research

Colleges and institutes occupy a critical space in Canada’s innovation ecosystem through their diverse and growing applied research capacity. College and institute applied research has been and will continue to be a key driver in strengthening the economic resiliency and competitiveness of Canada’s small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)and fostering innovation in communities through social innovation research. Applied research plays an important role in developing Canada’s talent pipeline as it provides space for learners to collaborate with SMEs to research, analyze and develop solutions to real-world challenges.

Speakers

Benjamin Allan
Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing and Energy Innovation | Red Deer Polytechnic
Debjyoti Sen
Director, Centres for Manufacturing and Energy Innovation | Red Deer Polytechnic
Derek Donnelly
Applied Research Technician | Red Deer Polytechnic
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