Concordia Journal Home > Archives > January 29, 2009 issue >

Prototypes planned 

The research emerging from Concordia is no doubt contributing to the global shift toward renewable energy. The potential for these technologies are remarkably advantageous overall, but, especially in his case, Paraschivoiu is clear about one hurdle. "The wind is free, but the turbines are not."

As such, nine Concordia professors have put forth a $6 million funding proposal to the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help build a full-scale urban renewable energy laboratory.

The funding would allow the physical construction of much of Concordia's proposed renewable energy projects such as Pragasen Pillay's anaerobic digester; the wind turbine project (incorporating Professors Paraschivoiu, Ted Stathopoulos, Luiz Lopez and Sheldon Williamson), with the prototype stage would seeing two turbines on both the EV and Hall Buildings); as well as upgrading the roof of the Hall Building greenhouse into semi-opaque solar panels to capture energy.

Results of the CFI proposal is expected in early summer. Though, even if the funding does not materialize, Pillay states the research will continue and the ideas will not go to waste – they'll still proceed in a modeling point of view.