ISEEE's Core Research Areas

EES Specialization Students are encouraged to suggest a thesis topic in any of these core research areas. If you have an idea for a thesis that's outside of these core areas, we'd still like to hear about it. Contact Lisa Moy, Graduate Program Administrator, at lmoy@ucalgary.ca or 403-210-6965.

  1. Energy System Dynamics and Decision Support
    Energy systems are complex and highly interconnected. Deploying technologies or policies in one area of the system can result in either synergies or unintended consequences in another part of the system. To identify and quantify these linkages, weare developing energy system models and other analytical tools to describe the characteristics of our past and present energy systems, and to simulate future energy system scenarios based on realistic assumptions about technology and policy choices. Such models can be combined with other tools to inform policy and investment decisions as well as R&D priorities that can guide the next energy system transformation. This core research area also includes work to advance our understanding of how people process information and make decisions, both as individuals and in groups. One important objective is to develop and test decisionsupport tools that can be used by people to improve decision quality across a variety of social, environmental and economic contexts. The systems-level focus, employing both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research approaches, underpins all of ISEEE's core research areas.

  2. The Natural Gas Energy System
    Recently developed drilling and extraction technologies have made it possible to costeffectively recover large deposits of unconventional natural gas (i.e. shale and 'tight'; gas), although not without environmental concerns. This development has created the possibility of a market shift in which comparatively low-carbon natural gas replaces more carbon-intensive coal and gasoline/diesel as a fuel for, respectively, power generation and transportation. We do systems-level research (including scenario analysis and technology/policy assessment) to explore the costs, benefits and tradeoffs associated with a significant shift in market share toward natural gas in providing energy to Canada's energy system.

  3. Strategies for 'Greening' the Electrical Grid (including integrating renewables)
    Electrical power is one of the few energy currencies that don't emit greenhouse gases at its ultimate point of use. Therefore, a world concerned about climate change is likely to significantly increase reliance on electrical power, especially electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. However, the variability and uncertain nature of many renewable energy sources, along with lack of proven or affordable technology to store the energy generated, makes it a challenge to integrate a substantial amount of renewables into a power system. We do systems-level research to understand the nature of electrical grids and how best to optimize them to integrate low-carbon energy, while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining resiliency and cost-effectiveness.

  4. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Opportunities and Challenges
    Canada's vast coal, oil and natural gas resources bring substantial benefits to the country, while also supplying the needs of an energy-hungry world. However, the extraction, processing and use of fossil fuel energy results in significant environmental costs, including climate change associated with emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Capturing and utilizing or storing CO2 to prevent it from accumulating in the atmosphere would address one of the most significant environmental concerns about continued fossil energy use. We conduct research on many aspects of CCS, including the technologies, energetic, costs, benefits, risks, liability and public acceptability.

  5. Balancing the Challenges and Opportunities for Oil Sands Development
    Alberta's oil sands are the world's second-largest (after Saudi Arabia) recoverable reserve of oil, and future demand for this resource is forecast to increase. Development of the oil sands has been a major contributor to the Canadian economy, although there have been - and continue to be - significant technological and environmental challenges. Environmental concerns have led to international protests against oil sands development and distribution of associated products. We do systems-level research, including Life Cycle Assessment, to understand the costs, benefits and tradeoffs associated with various technologies and policies that affect the extraction, processing, distribution and use of the oil sands and associated products. This research has an iimportant role in informing the debate about future oil sands development.

  6. Toward Low-carbon Communities
    More than 70 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions occur within communities. Therefore, addressing climate change must also include understanding the technologies and policies that determine the demand for and use of energy within these communities. For example, designs and standards for built spaces have a significant impact on the 'lifetime' demand for energy for lighting and space heating/cooling. The planning and design of cities is a major determinant of the emissions that will be associated with transportation. We do systems-level research to inform policy and investment decision in the area of urban design, transportation and sustainable building design. This research includes understanding public perceptions and value systems, and learning how they can be reshaped to benefit communities.