The Council for Clean & Reliable Energy (CCRE) in partnership with the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE), a leading innovation centre at the University of Waterloo, hosted its annual Technology Innovation and Policy Forum on Thursday, November 9, 2017. The annual event brought together technology developers and innovators, leading researchers and entrepreneurs, industry thought leaders, and policy makers to address the convergence of policy development with technology advances.
Forum Goals and Objectives:
Our goal was to shape the pathways of development for emerging disruptive technologies and to understand the impacts of microgrids embedded on a large scale within the existing distribution networks.
- The forum addressed an urgent need to accelerate impactful integration of cost-effective solutions to decarbonize our energy system.
- The forum brought together technology developers and innovators, leading researchers and entrepreneurs, industry thought leaders, and policy makers to help shape next generation smart energy solutions.
- Through dialogue and extensive opportunities for discussion, the forum focused on establishing a common basis for accommodating divergent interests.
Council for Clean & Reliable Energy
Forum Co-Chair Executive Director, WISE, University of Waterloo
Forum Co-Chair, Counsel, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
2017 Post-Forum Summary of Proceedings
Keynote Speaker
Director of Transmission and Distribution Policy Canadian Electricity Association
Forum Presentation
Innovative Showcase
The Innovation Showcase featured product and innovative technologies from both corporate and institutional sources. Representatives from industry, academia, innovators, entrepreneurs, and policy makers had the opportunity to connect with the innovators in a dedicated area incorporated into the conference facility.
University of Waterloo Lab Tours
Centre for Advanced Photovoltaic Devices and Systems (CAPDS)
Promotes cutting-edge research and development that spans the spectrum of photovoltaic (PV) technology. The 14,000-square-foot facility includes infrastructure for synthesizing semiconductor base materials; developing nanotechnologies for PV; designing and fabricating advanced PV devices and systems modules; and testing and characterizing PV materials, devices, and systems.
Forum Organizers
The Council for Clean & Reliable Energy (CCRE) is a non-profit organization that provides a platform for public dialogue and analysis on subjects related to energy policy. The CCRE was formed by a group of volunteers from universities, public and private sector business leaders, and labour. The CCRE Members collaborate to broaden the public debate on issues related to energy and governance.
Energy leaders from around the world have attended facilitated conferences focused on sharing knowledge, experiences, and expertise to create a better understanding of the challenges and potential solutions to common areas affecting energy in Canada and abroad. To date, the Council has hosted conferences on distributed generation, biomass, coal and nuclear, public sector governance in the electricity sector and the future of local distribution companies. Annually, the CCRE hosts the Energy Leaders Roundtable and the Innovation Technology and Policy Forum. In addition, the Council encourages energy experts to provide reasoned opinions and points of view about significant issues relevant to the sector. The CCRE Commentary is published, distributed to opinion leaders, and made available to the public.
The Council understands the value of creating a broader and more inclusive public discourse. During the last decade, its efforts have been recognized and appreciated by decision-makers in government and the energy business as providing a neutral forum for the free exchange of ideas and opinions. The Council remains committed to continuing to facilitate debate on the generation, transmission, and distribution of clean, affordable, and reliable energy with a clear focus on finding effective solutions for Canada and abroad.
The Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) was established at the University of Waterloo in 2008. The Institute comprises more than 100 faculty members with graduate students and postdoctoral fellows working as multi-disciplinary research teams across Engineering, Science and Environment. The Institute provides a focal point for energy research at Waterloo and creates the best possible research platforms for faculty to test their ideas, engage with their peers, and partner with external organizations to accelerate the pace of research, development, and deployment of practical solutions.
Research initiatives developed at WISE are of an interdisciplinary nature – spanning theory and experiment – encompassing a broad range of expertise across several faculties and departments. In a short period of ten years, WISE has grown to become Canada’s largest concentration of researchers in academia devoted to sustainable energy. The Institute has created positive relationships with senior energy leaders from all sectors and has generated significant opportunities for its members to advance energy research. WISE continues to intensify communication and outreach programs to share the knowledge created and to cultivate energy literacy. WISE – and the University of Waterloo – are becoming internationally recognized as leaders in addressing the global energy challenge.
Event Supporters
