Sustainability / en 吃瓜爆料 ranked world鈥檚 most sustainable university for second year in a row /news/u-t-ranked-world-s-most-sustainable-university-second-year-row <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">吃瓜爆料 ranked world鈥檚 most sustainable university for second year in a row</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-12/UofT88694_0U1A1809-copy-crop.jpg?h=aed5a58a&amp;itok=7g5RJxhv 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-12/UofT88694_0U1A1809-copy-crop.jpg?h=aed5a58a&amp;itok=771hKOiz 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-12/UofT88694_0U1A1809-copy-crop.jpg?h=aed5a58a&amp;itok=9nLZL20_ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-12/UofT88694_0U1A1809-copy-crop.jpg?h=aed5a58a&amp;itok=7g5RJxhv" alt="researcher tends to a rooftop garden at UTSC"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-12-10T11:12:41-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 10, 2024 - 11:12" class="datetime">Tue, 12/10/2024 - 11:12</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>(photo by Don Campbell)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/rahul-kalvapalle" hreflang="en">Rahul Kalvapalle</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-positive-campus" hreflang="en">Climate Positive Campus</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-positive-energy" hreflang="en">Climate Positive Energy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainable-development-goals" hreflang="en">Sustainable Development Goals</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/qs-world-university-rankings" hreflang="en">QS World University Rankings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rankings" hreflang="en">Rankings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The 2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability ranked 吃瓜爆料 first out of more than 1,700 institutions across 95 countries&nbsp;</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto has been ranked the most sustainable university in the world for the second consecutive year.&nbsp;</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.topuniversities.com/sustainability-rankings">2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability</a>, released this week by London-based Quacquarelli Symonds, placed 吃瓜爆料 first overall out of more than 1,700 institutions across 95 countries.&nbsp;</p> <p>The closely watched ranking evaluates post-secondary institutions for their environmental impact, social impact and governance.</p> <p>鈥淥n behalf of the University of Toronto, I am thrilled that our university is once again ranked first in the world in the QS Sustainability Rankings,鈥 said 吃瓜爆料 President&nbsp;<strong>Meric Gertler</strong>. 鈥淭he 吃瓜爆料 community is profoundly committed to the advancement of sustainability as one of the most urgent challenges of our time.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭his year鈥檚 ranking confirms our resolve to help lead the way to a sustainable future.鈥</p> <div class="align-center"> <div class="field field--name-field-media-oembed-video field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item"><iframe src="/media/oembed?url=https%3A//youtu.be/zBD62oKbcKI&amp;max_width=0&amp;max_height=0&amp;hash=rLgNpgmKUO5SUSODfk7oJkKvQYGu9lCgV6sn6jfQ1u8" width="200" height="113" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="吃瓜爆料 ranked world鈥檚 most sustainable university for second year in a row"></iframe> </div> </div> <p><a href="/news/u-t-ranked-2nd-world-first-ever-qs-sustainability-ranking">First launched in 2022</a>, the ranking assesses universities based on&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-ranked-second-among-north-american-public-universities-among-top-25-globally-qs-world">QS World University Rankings</a>&nbsp;data, including reputation surveys and research output related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">17 UN Sustainable Development Goals</a>. It also looks at institutional policies, operational data, alumni impact and national data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and World Bank.</p> <p>To determine environmental impact, the ranking evaluates environmental education, research and sustainability. For social impact, it examines&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-among-top-15-universities-globally-graduate-employability-times-higher-education">employability and outcomes</a>, equality, health and well-being, impact of education and knowledge exchange. And for governance, the ranking looks at indicators such as student representation and transparent financial reporting.&nbsp;</p> <p>吃瓜爆料 performed particularly well in the social impact category this year, moving up three spots to first globally. It also ranked fifth in the world for environmental impact and tied for 23<sup>rd</sup>&nbsp;<a href="/news/how-u-t-s-secret-sauce-governance-model-set-it-five-decades-success">in governance</a>.</p> <p>吃瓜爆料鈥檚 performance led a robust showing by Canadian universities. The University of British Columbia shared fifth spot with University College London, making Canada the only country to have two universities in the top five. Two other Canadian universities placed in the top 50: McGill University (15<sup>th</sup>) and Western University (30<sup>th</sup>).</p> <p>The QS sustainability ranking comes as 吃瓜爆料 forges ahead with a host of climate-focused initiatives on its own campuses including:&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-cut-carbon-emissions-half-st-george-campus-2027">Project Leap</a>, a $138-million infrastructure project that will cut emissions on the St. George campus in half by 2027;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/green/home/climate-positive/distribute#:~:text=Utilities%20Plant%20Tunnel-,Project%20SHIFT,-Dubbed%20Project%20SHIFT">Project SHIFT</a>, a 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga initiative to speed up the transition from natural gas to electricity; and a combination of new climate-responsible constructions and energy retrofits to older buildings at 吃瓜爆料 Scarborough.</p> <p>Spurred by these and other efforts, the university鈥檚 three campuses last year made <a href="/news/u-t-s-plan-become-climate-positive-expanded-all-three-campuses">a&nbsp;landmark commitment</a>&nbsp;to reduce more greenhouse gases than they emit in the coming years. And 吃瓜爆料 continues to make progress on&nbsp;its <a href="/news/u-t-divest-fossil-fuel-investments-create-climate-positive-campus">pledge to divest from fossil fuel investments&nbsp;in its endowment fund</a>.</p> <p>At the same time, 吃瓜爆料 is working to enhance Canada鈥檚 green energy sector through projects like the&nbsp;<a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/grid-modernization-centre/">Grid Modernization Centre</a>, a state-of-the-art facility led by&nbsp;<a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/">Climate Positive Energy</a>, an&nbsp;<a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiative</a>,&nbsp;that will serve as a hub for testing, development and commercialization.</p> <p>吃瓜爆料 is also playing a leadership role in sustainability by engaging with regional, national and international partners. For example, the university acted as a founding member of the City of Toronto鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/net-zero-homes-buildings/better-buildings-partnership/green-will-initiative/">Green Will Initiative</a>, collaborated with the&nbsp;<a href="https://urbanclimateactionproject.ca/">Urban Climate Action Project</a>&nbsp;to help implement the city鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/environmentally-friendly-city-initiatives/transformto/">TransformTO</a>&nbsp;climate action strategy and contributed to the Toronto Region Board of Trade鈥檚&nbsp;<a href="https://bot.com/Resources/Resource-Library/Banking-on-Green-Playbook"><em>Banking on Green</em></a>&nbsp;playbook, which helps Ontario organizations fund green retrofit projects.</p> <p>Globally, 吃瓜爆料 has convened networks aimed at mobilizing multi-sector partnerships, including the U7+ Alliance of World Universities, the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3) and the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN). 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 sustainability leaders have also been asked to share knowledge and experiences with other universities in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Germany and other countries.</p> <p>Most important, 吃瓜爆料 is actively creating a new generation of sustainability leaders. Supported by the&nbsp;<a href="https://sustainability.utoronto.ca/ceccs-home/">President鈥檚 Advisory Committee on the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability (CECCS)</a>, which recently created a new&nbsp;<a href="https://sustainability.utoronto.ca/ceccs-subcommittees/student-leadership-subcommittee/">student leadership subcommittee</a>, more than 2,000 undergraduate courses in 2024-25 now&nbsp;have <a href="https://sustainability.utoronto.ca/resources/inventories/sustainability-course-inventory/">a sustainability orientation</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>Students also have the option of exploring sustainability from various lenses through the&nbsp;<a href="https://sustainability.utoronto.ca/ceccs-subcommittees/teaching-and-learning/sustainability-pathways-program/#:~:text=U%20of%20T%20Sustainability%20Pathways,%2C%20methodological%2C%20and%20practical%20perspectives.">Sustainability Pathways program</a>, or to contribute to projects on- and off-campus via the&nbsp;<a href="https://sustainability.utoronto.ca/ceccs-subcommittees/operations/campus-as-a-living-lab/">Campus as a Living Lab</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://experientiallearning.utoronto.ca/learningtype/community-engaged-learning/">Community-Engaged Learning&nbsp;programs</a>.</p> <p>Overall, 吃瓜爆料 continues to be the highest-ranked Canadian university and one of the top-ranked public universities in the five most closely watched international rankings:&nbsp;<em>Times Higher Education鈥檚</em>&nbsp;World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings, ShanghaiRanking Consultancy鈥檚 Academic Ranking of World Universities,&nbsp;<em>U.S. News &amp; World Report鈥檚</em>&nbsp;Best Global Universities and National Taiwan University World University Rankings.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">On</div> </div> Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:12:41 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 310934 at President Meric Gertler highlights 吃瓜爆料 community's achievements in holiday message /news/president-meric-gertler-highlights-u-t-community-s-achievements-holiday-message <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">President Meric Gertler highlights 吃瓜爆料 community's achievements in holiday message</span> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-12-10T09:35:13-05:00" title="Tuesday, December 10, 2024 - 09:35" class="datetime">Tue, 12/10/2024 - 09:35</time> </span> <div class="field field--name-field-youtube field--type-youtube field--label-hidden field__item"><figure class="youtube-container"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fHNFlrcwcUA?wmode=opaque" width="450" height="315" id="youtube-field-player" class="youtube-field-player" title="Embedded video for President Meric Gertler highlights 吃瓜爆料 community's achievements in holiday message" aria-label="Embedded video for President Meric Gertler highlights 吃瓜爆料 community&amp;#039;s achievements in holiday message: https://www.youtube.com/embed/fHNFlrcwcUA?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </figure> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/geoffrey-hinton" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Hinton</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/nobel-prize" hreflang="en">Nobel Prize</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rankings" hreflang="en">Rankings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/rhodes-scholars" hreflang="en">Rhodes Scholars</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">鈥淭o all our students, faculty, librarians, staff, alumni, volunteers, supporters and partners: Thank you for your contributions to our success鈥</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto community had a lot to celebrate over the past year, 吃瓜爆料 President&nbsp;<strong>Meric Gertler</strong> says.</p> <p>In his annual holiday message, President Gertler highlighted 吃瓜爆料鈥檚<a href="/news/u-t-ranked-world-s-most-sustainable-university-second-year-row"> top spot in the QS sustainability rankings</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/">University Professor</a>&nbsp;Emeritus&nbsp;<strong>Geoffrey Hinton鈥檚</strong>&nbsp;<a href="/news/geoffrey-hinton-wins-nobel-prize">Nobel Prize in Physics</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/news/changemakers-u-t-students-awarded-prestigious-rhodes-scholarships">two students&nbsp;who were recognized with prestigious Rhodes Scholarships</a>.</p> <p>And that was just the beginning.</p> <p>鈥淲e completed state-of-the-art landscapes and buildings on each of our three campuses,鈥 he says in a video. 鈥淲e broke new ground for several more. We made progress in the ongoing work of reconciliation. And we opened a new chapter in our history with&nbsp;<a href="/news/profound-sense-responsibility-wes-hall-installed-u-t-s-35th-chancellor">the installation of our 35th chancellor</a>.鈥</p> <p>Most importantly, he adds, more than 20,000 students graduated with 吃瓜爆料 degrees, joining a global community of more than 700,000 alumni.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭o all our students, faculty, librarians, staff, alumni, volunteers, supporters and partners: Thank you for your contributions to our success.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:35:13 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 310963 at 吃瓜爆料 and Siemens Canada partner to transform energy grid /news/u-t-and-siemens-canada-partner-transform-energy-grid <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">吃瓜爆料 and Siemens Canada partner to transform energy grid</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-11/043A0017-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=fbMDzZ7o 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-11/043A0017-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=FEq5k1bD 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-11/043A0017-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=awcxNObR 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-11/043A0017-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=fbMDzZ7o" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-11-22T15:11:53-05:00" title="Friday, November 22, 2024 - 15:11" class="datetime">Fri, 11/22/2024 - 15:11</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Siemens Canada CEO and President Faisal Kazi (L), and Leah Cowen, 吃瓜爆料's vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, shake hands after signing an institutional partnership agreement focused on advancing sustainability energy systems (photo by Liz Beddall)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6907" hreflang="en">Sayyeda Masood</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-positive-energy" hreflang="en">Climate Positive Energy</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/industry-partnerships" hreflang="en">Industry Partnerships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/institutional-strategic-initiatives" hreflang="en">Institutional Strategic Initiatives</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/leah-cowen" hreflang="en">Leah Cowen</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Strategic industry-academic collaboration aims to accelerate adoption of green energy technologies</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The University of Toronto has signed a multi-year agreement with Siemens Canada that seeks to transform the energy grid and boost Canada鈥檚 ability to provide clean energy to communities.</p> <p>The partnership will bring together 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 cutting-edge research, commercialization and policy expertise with Siemens鈥檚 industry-leading experience in sustainable energy management and intelligent infrastructure 鈥 all with a view to advancing Ontario鈥檚 energy transition goals and contributing to Canada鈥檚 target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.</p> <p>鈥淭he University of Toronto is delighted to strengthen our relationship with Siemens by entering into this institutional partnership agreement,鈥 said&nbsp;<strong>Leah Cowen</strong>, 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives, at a signing ceremony held Nov. 21 at Hart House.</p> <p>鈥淭his framework agreement will generate broad and deep mutual value enabling both Siemens and 吃瓜爆料 to build a green future together as global organizations with global ambitions.鈥</p> <p>The partnership expands on 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 existing ties with Siemens: the company is partner in 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 <a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/grid-modernization-centre/">Grid Modernization Centre</a>, which brings together companies and 吃瓜爆料 researchers to advance decarbonization of the electric grid while supporting innovation in clean energy technologies, policy advocacy and financing. The centre is led by&nbsp;<a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/">Climate Positive Energy</a>, a 吃瓜爆料&nbsp;<a href="https://isi.utoronto.ca/">institutional strategic initiative</a>&nbsp;that leverages research expertise across the university to support efforts to curb carbon emissions, reimagine energy systems and facilitate an equitable transition to a clean energy future in Canada and globally.</p> <p>鈥淲e are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with the University of Toronto through signing this framework agreement,鈥 said <strong>Faisal Kazi</strong>, president and CEO of Siemens Canada. 鈥淭oday marks not just another step but the continuation of a collaborative journey we鈥檝e nurtured over many years. I look forward to seeing continued leadership and innovation as a result of this agreement.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>The partnership with Siemens Canada is part of ongoing efforts across the university to address grid modernization and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future powered by clean energy.</p> <p>For example, researchers on all three campuses are currently contributing to efforts to transform Canada鈥檚 energy grid 鈥 and the infrastructure that powers homes, buildings and electric vehicles 鈥 into an intelligent and secure grid. The resulting 鈥渟mart grid鈥 will leverage the latest advances in AI to appropriately direct energy to the points of highest need at critical times to avoid power outages.</p> <p>The undertaking combines two areas where 吃瓜爆料 is among the world leaders 鈥 sustainability and AI.&nbsp;吃瓜爆料 was named the <a href="https://defygravitycampaign.utoronto.ca/news-and-stories/u-of-t-ranked-worlds-most-sustainable-university/">most sustainable university in the world</a> in the 2024 QS World University Rankings, and is a longstanding leader in AI research, thanks in part to the efforts of luminaries like <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/complete-list-university-professors/">University Professor</a> Emeritus <strong>Geoffrey Hinton</strong>, whose foundational discoveries and inventions were recently&nbsp;<a href="/news/geoffrey-hinton-wins-nobel-prize">recognized with a Nobel Prize</a>.</p> <p>At the same time, 吃瓜爆料 researchers are also at the forefront of addressing emerging challenges associated with the transition to a smart grid. That includes security considerations 鈥 which will be among the key areas of focus for 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 partnership with Siemens, a leading supplier of electrical components to utilities.</p> <p>For example, Professor&nbsp;<strong>Deepa Kundur</strong>, chair of the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering, leads a research group that鈥檚 exploring&nbsp;<a href="/news/u-t-researcher-leads-effort-protect-power-utilities-quantum-attacks">exploring how to defend power utilities from cyberattacks</a>.</p> <p>Working with industrial partners across different sectors, these and other 吃瓜爆料 researchers are helping companies make better use of resources and enabling safe access to emerging green technologies.</p> <p>Going forward, 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 collaboration with Siemens will expand beyond energy systems to encompass other crucial sectors such as AI, automation and advanced manufacturing.</p> <h3><a href="https://bluedoor.utoronto.ca/">Learn more about industry partnerships at 吃瓜爆料</a></h3> <h3><a href="https://cpe.utoronto.ca/">Learn more about Climate Positive Energy</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 22 Nov 2024 20:11:53 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 310660 at First-year student to highlight 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga's sustainability initiatives on a global stage at COP29 /news/first-year-student-highlight-u-t-mississauga-s-sustainability-initiatives-global-stage-cop29 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">First-year student to highlight 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga's sustainability initiatives on a global stage at COP29 </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-11/1107VeraAllue006.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=dg2oA8uR 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-11/1107VeraAllue006.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=aCvvHpIx 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-11/1107VeraAllue006.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=fJI1PWIQ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-11/1107VeraAllue006.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=dg2oA8uR" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-11-11T10:14:23-05:00" title="Monday, November 11, 2024 - 10:14" class="datetime">Mon, 11/11/2024 - 10:14</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Vera Allue, a first-year 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga student from Spain, is heading to the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/megan-easton" hreflang="en">Megan Easton</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-change" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international-students" hreflang="en">International Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening at UTM is truly inspiring, and it鈥檚 an honour to spread awareness about it in the global community鈥 </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When <strong>Vera Allue </strong>learned that she would represent the University of Toronto Mississauga at <a href="https://cop29.az/en/home">COP29 in Azerbaijan</a>, it reaffirmed her belief that she made the right choice as an international student dedicated to climate action.&nbsp;</p> <p>A first-year student from Spain, Allue says she didn鈥檛 realize the scale of 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 leadership in <a href="/news/tags/sustainability?page=0">sustainability</a> until she came to the university.</p> <p>鈥淚 knew everything here was very modern, and I noticed all the small but important ways that the campus promotes sustainability in areas like waste management and food services 鈥 but I didn鈥檛 know about the systems and infrastructure behind it,鈥 says Allue, who is pursuing a double major in economics and political science with a minor in environmental law and policy.</p> <p>鈥淭hen I read <a href="https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/green/transforming-our-campus">UTM鈥檚 [Climate Positive Plan]</a> to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2043.鈥</p> <p>The plan, which includes a commitment 鈥 <a href="https://sustainability.utoronto.ca/operations/climate-positive-tri-campus-commitment/">adopted by all three campuses</a> 鈥 to become climate-positive by 2050, is one of several initiatives that Allue will spread the word about at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference, beginning Nov. 11 and ending Nov. 22.</p> <p>She鈥檚 also going to showcase 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga鈥檚 local strategies to address climate change, in addition to its array of educational and research programs on environmental issues 鈥 efforts that have contributed to 吃瓜爆料 being named the most sustainable university in the world <a href="/news/u-t-named-most-sustainable-university-world">in the 2024 QS World University Rankings</a>.</p> <p>鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening at UTM is truly inspiring, and it鈥檚 an honour to spread awareness about it in the global community,鈥 says Allue, who also looks forward to sharing her learnings from the conference with the 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga community when she returns.</p> <p>For Allue, attending the pre-eminent global gathering on climate change is a culmination of her efforts to engage with and raise awareness about climate issues.</p> <p>When she was only 15 years old, she started a recycling and wastewater project in her hometown of Soria in northern Spain. 鈥淚 wanted to educate my peers about what they could do, because climate action is often perceived as something that belongs to powerful stakeholders,鈥 she says.</p> <p>Allue has also been involved with several international organizations that encourage youth to participate in politics and civil society, with a strong focus on environmental issues: she鈥檚 currently a European Union (EU) Young European Ambassador and a member of the European Youth Energy Network, which she will also represent at COP29.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-11/1107VeraAllue004.jpg?itok=_tGvwSxQ" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Vera Allue started a recycling and wastewater management project in her community when she was 15 (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>During her short time at 吃瓜爆料, Allue has gotten involved in several sustainability initiatives, including the UTM Sustainability Ambassador program and the Student Association for Geography, Geomatics and the Environment (SAGE).</p> <p>She says the support she has received from 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga鈥檚 Sustainability Office in attending COP29 is proof of the university鈥檚 steadfast belief in students鈥 potential to effect change.</p> <p>鈥淲hat I'm really looking forward to is bringing to COP29 the sense of belonging and pride that I feel in UTM鈥檚 climate action,鈥 says Allue.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲hen I first started contributing to the environmental field, I felt like my voice was barely heard. Now I feel so much optimism because I鈥檝e found spaces like UTM that actively encourage young people to speak up and participate.鈥&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:14:23 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 310549 at 吃瓜爆料 experts use machine learning to analyze where bike lanes should be located for maximum benefit /news/u-t-experts-use-machine-learning-analyze-where-bike-lanes-should-be-located-maximum-benefit <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">吃瓜爆料 experts use machine learning to analyze where bike lanes should be located for maximum benefit </span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-10/GettyImages-2177868956-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=czUJDPSG 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-10/GettyImages-2177868956-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=6YOsh4g9 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-10/GettyImages-2177868956-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=N67V74z8 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-10/GettyImages-2177868956-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=czUJDPSG" alt="a woman rides her bike in a bike lane along Danforth Avenue in Toronto"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-10-23T10:07:11-04:00" title="Wednesday, October 23, 2024 - 10:07" class="datetime">Wed, 10/23/2024 - 10:07</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Researchers from 吃瓜爆料's Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering used novel computing approaches to compare utilitarian and equity-driven approaches toward expansion of protected bike lanes (photo by Michelle Mengsu Chang/Toronto Star via Getty Images)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tyler-irving" hreflang="en">Tyler Irving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-mechanical-and-industrial-engineering" hreflang="en">department of mechanical and industrial engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">鈥淚f you optimize for equity, you get a map that is more spread out and less concentrated in the downtown areas"</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A team of researchers from the department of civil and mineral engineering in the University of Toronto鈥檚 Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering are wielding machine learning to understand where cycling infrastructure should be located in order to benefit the most people.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4687610">paper published in the <em>Journal of Transport Geography</em></a>, researchers used novel computing approaches to compare two strategies for expansion of protected bike lanes 鈥 using Toronto as a model.</p> <p>鈥淩ight now, some people have really good access to protected biking infrastructure: they can bike to work, to the grocery store or to entertainment venues,鈥 says&nbsp;post-doctoral fellow and lead author&nbsp;<strong>Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher</strong>, who <a href="/news/shifting-gears-how-data-science-led-madeleine-bonsma-fisher-studying-germ-models-bike-lanes">previously researched interactions between bacteria and viruses before applying her data analysis skills to active transportation</a>.&nbsp;鈥淢ore lanes could increase the number of destinations they can reach, and&nbsp;previous work shows&nbsp;that will increase the number of cycle trips taken.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淗owever, many people have little or no access to protected cycling infrastructure at all, limiting their ability to get around. This raises a question: is it better to maximize the number of connected destinations and potential trips overall, or is it more important to focus on maximizing the number of people who can benefit from access to the network?鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>To delve into the question, Bonsma-Fisher and co-authors used machine learning and optimization, a challenge that required them to explore new computational approaches.</p> <p>鈥淭his kind of optimization problem is what鈥檚 called an 鈥楴P-hard鈥 problem, which means that the computing power needed to solve it scales very quickly along with the size of the network,鈥 says <strong>Shoshanna Saxe</strong>赂 associate professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering and one of Bonsma-Fisher鈥檚 two co-supervisors alongside Professor <strong>Timothy Chan</strong> of the department of mechanical and industrial engineering. 鈥淚f you used a traditional optimization algorithm on a city the size of Toronto, everything would just crash.鈥</p> <p>To get around the problem, PhD student&nbsp;<strong>Bo Lin</strong> invented a machine learning model capable of considering millions of combinations of over a thousand different infrastructure projects in order to test where the most impactful places are to build new cycling infrastructure.</p> <p>Using Toronto as a stand-in for any large, automobile-oriented North American city, the team generated maps of future bike lane networks along major streets, optimized according to two broad types of strategies.&nbsp;</p> <p>The first strategy, dubbed the utilitarian approach, focused on maximizing the number of trips that could be taken using only routes with protected bike lanes in under 30 minutes 鈥 without regard for who those trips were taken by.&nbsp;</p> <p>The second, an equity-based strategy, sought to maximize the number of people who had at least some connection to the network.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚f you optimize for equity, you get a map that is more spread out and less concentrated in the downtown areas,鈥 says Bonsma-Fisher.&nbsp;鈥淵ou do get more parts of the city that have a minimum of accessibility by bike, but you also get a somewhat smaller overall gain in average accessibility.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>This results in a trade-off, says Saxe. 鈥淭his trade-off is temporary, assuming we will eventually have a full cycling network across the city, but it is meaningful for how we do things in the meantime and could last a long time given ongoing challenges to building cycling infrastructure.鈥</p> <p>Another key finding was that certain routes appeared to be essential no matter what strategy was pursued 鈥 for example, protected bike lanes along Bloor Street West.</p> <p>鈥淭hose bike lanes benefit even people who don鈥檛 live near them and are a critical trunk to maximizing both the equity and utility of the bike network. Their impact is so consistent across models that it challenges the idea that bike lanes are a local issue, affecting only the people close by,鈥 Saxe says. 鈥淥ptimized infrastructure repeatedly turns out in our model to serve neighbourhoods quite a distance away.鈥&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The team is already sharing their data with Toronto鈥檚 city planners to help inform ongoing decisions about infrastructure investments. Going forward, the researchers hope to apply their analysis to other cities as well.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淣o matter what your local issues or what choices you end up making, it鈥檚 really important to have a clear understanding of what goals you are aiming for and check if you are meeting them,鈥 says Bonsma-Fisher.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭his kind of analysis can provide an evidence-based, data-driven approach to answering these tough questions.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 23 Oct 2024 14:07:11 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 310035 at Large-scale adoption of electric vehicles can lead to human health benefits: Study /news/large-scale-adoption-electric-vehicles-can-lead-human-health-benefits-study <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Large-scale adoption of electric vehicles can lead to human health benefits: Study</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-10/GettyImages-1765608761-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=JDMQlHEh 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-10/GettyImages-1765608761-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=-sg3HUcS 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-10/GettyImages-1765608761-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=o3m8zqq1 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-10/GettyImages-1765608761-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=JDMQlHEh" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-10-21T10:05:14-04:00" title="Monday, October 21, 2024 - 10:05" class="datetime">Mon, 10/21/2024 - 10:05</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Researchers from 吃瓜爆料's Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering used computer models to simulate the impact of large-scale adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. (photo by: Plexi Images/Glasshouse Images/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/tyler-irving" hreflang="en">Tyler Irving</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">"Our simulation shows that the cumulative public health benefits of large-scale EV adoption between now and 2050 could run into the hundreds of billions of dollars"</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Large-scale adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could lead to significant health benefits for populations, according to a new study from the department of civil and mineral engineering in the University of Toronto鈥檚 Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering.</p> <p>Researchers used computer simulations to show that aggressive electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, coupled with an ambitious roll-out of renewable electricity generation, could result in health benefits worth between US$84 billion and 188 billion by 2050.&nbsp;</p> <p>Even scenarios with less aggressive grid decarbonization mostly predicted health benefits running into the tens of billions of dollars.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲hen researchers examine the impacts of EVs, they typically focus on climate change in the form of mitigating&nbsp;CO2&nbsp;emissions,鈥 says Professor&nbsp;<strong>Marianne Hatzopoulou</strong>, one of the co-authors of the study, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2320858121">which was&nbsp;published in <em>PNAS</em></a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淏ut&nbsp;CO2&nbsp;is not the only thing that comes out of the tailpipe of an internal combustion vehicle. They produce many air pollutants that have a significant, quantifiable impact on public health. Furthermore, evidence shows that those impacts are disproportionately felt by populations that are low-income, racialized or marginalized.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>The research team previously used their expertise in life-cycle assessment to build computer models that&nbsp;simulated the impact of large-scale EV adoption in the U.S. market.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Among other things, they showed that while EV adoption will have a positive impact on climate change, it is not sufficient on its own to meet the&nbsp;Paris Agreement&nbsp;targets. They recommended that EV adoption be used in combination with other strategies, such as investments in public transit, active transportation and higher housing density.&nbsp;</p> <p>In their latest study, the team sought to account for the non-climate benefits of EV adoption. They adapted their models to simulate the production of air pollutants that are common in fossil fuel combustion, such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and small particles known as PM2.5.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淢odelling these pollutants is very different from modelling CO2, which lasts for decades and ends up well-mixed throughout the atmosphere,鈥 says study co-author <strong>Daniel Posen</strong>, an associate professor in the department of civil and mineral engineering.</p> <p>鈥淚n contrast, these pollutants, and their associated health impacts, are more localized. It matters not only how much we are emitting, but also where we emit them.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>While EVs do not produce tailpipe emissions, they can still be responsible for air pollution if the power plants that supply them run on fossil fuels. This also has the effect of displacing air pollution from busy highways to the communities that live near those power plants.&nbsp;</p> <p>Another complication is that neither the air pollution from the power grid nor that from internal combustion vehicles is expected to stay constant over time.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭oday鈥檚 gasoline-powered cars produce a lot less pollution than those that were built 20 years ago, many of which are still on the road,鈥 says <strong>Jean Schmitt</strong>, post-doctoral fellow and lead author of the study.</p> <p>鈥淪o, if we want to fairly compare EVs to internal combustion vehicles, we have to account for the fact that air pollution will still go down as these older vehicles get replaced. We can also see that the power grid is getting greener over time, as more renewable generation gets installed.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>The team, which also included Professor <strong>Heather MacLean</strong> of the department of civil and mineral engineering and <strong>Amir F. N. Abdul-Manan</strong> of Saudi Aramco鈥檚 Strategic Transport Analysis Team, chose two primary scenarios to simulate to the year 2050. In the first, they assumed that no more EVs will be built, but that older internal combustion vehicles will continue to be replaced with newer, more efficient ones.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>In the second scenario, they assumed that by 2035, all new vehicles sold will be electric. The researchers described this as 鈥渁ggressive,鈥 but it is in line with the stated intentions of many countries. For example, Norway plans to eliminate sales of non-electric vehicles next year, and Canada plans to follow suit by 2035.&nbsp;</p> <p>For each of these scenarios, they also considered various rates for the transition of the electric grid to low-emitting and renewable energy sources.&nbsp;</p> <p>Under each set of conditions, the team simulated air pollution levels across the U.S. and used calculations commonly used by epidemiologists, actuaries and policy analysts to correlate pollution levels with statistical estimates of the number of years of life lost, as well as with estimates of economic value.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淥ur simulation shows that the cumulative public health benefits of large-scale EV adoption between now and 2050 could run into the hundreds of billions of dollars,鈥 says Posen.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭hat鈥檚 significant, but another thing we found is that we only get these benefits if the grid continues to get greener. We are already transitioning away from fossil fuel power generation, and it鈥檚 likely to continue in the future. But for the sake of argument, we modelled what would happen if we artificially freeze the grid in its current state.</p> <p>鈥淚n that case, we鈥檇 actually be better off simply replacing our old internal combustion vehicles with new ones 鈥 but again, this is not a very realistic scenario.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>This finding raises the question of whether it鈥檚 more important to decarbonize the transportation sector through EV adoption, or to first decarbonize the power generation sector that鈥檚 the ultimate source of pollution associated with EVs.</p> <p>To that, Hatzopoulou notes that vehicles sold today will continue to be used for decades. 鈥淚f we buy more internal combustion vehicles now, however efficient they may be, we will be locking ourselves into those tailpipe emissions for years to come, and they will spread that pollution everywhere there are roads,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e still need to decarbonize the power generation system 鈥 and we are 鈥 but we should not wait until that process is complete to get more EVs on the road.</p> <p>鈥淲e need to start on the path to a healthier future today.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:05:14 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 310034 at 吃瓜爆料 researcher tracks 1,000 years of sea ice /news/u-t-researcher-tracks-1000-years-sea-ice-change <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">吃瓜爆料 researcher tracks 1,000 years of sea ice</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-10/Minoli-Dias-by-Natasha-LeClerc-CROP.jpg?h=520a578a&amp;itok=CuhxuOba 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-10/Minoli-Dias-by-Natasha-LeClerc-CROP.jpg?h=520a578a&amp;itok=9Xmvs1cq 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-10/Minoli-Dias-by-Natasha-LeClerc-CROP.jpg?h=520a578a&amp;itok=5XtzzZCm 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-10/Minoli-Dias-by-Natasha-LeClerc-CROP.jpg?h=520a578a&amp;itok=CuhxuOba" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-10-15T13:18:44-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 15, 2024 - 13:18" class="datetime">Tue, 10/15/2024 - 13:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Minoli Dias, a PhD student at 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga, examines coralline algae, which live for approximately 1,500 years and grow in annual layers, to construct a record of changes in sea ice cover over time (photo by Natasha Leclerc)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/kristy-strauss" hreflang="en">Kristy Strauss</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/arctic" hreflang="en">Arctic</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/climate-change" hreflang="en">Climate Change</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/earth-sciences" hreflang="en">Earth Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-students" hreflang="en">Graduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Mississauga</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Minoli Dias says the baseline data she and her fellow researchers are constructing could "inform model projections that predict what future conditions will look like鈥 <br> <br> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Minoli Dias</strong>鈥檚 interest in sea ice began in an unlikely place: polar bear poop.&nbsp;</p> <p>She was studying microplastics in polar bear feces and intestinal tracts as part of a research project during her undergraduate years at Queen鈥檚 University.</p> <p>鈥淚t was a smelly job, but it was really interesting,鈥 says Dias, who is now a PhD student in the鈥痙epartment of Earth sciences at 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga.</p> <p>Her early work revealed some troubling trends: for instance, declining sea ice levels meant that certain species of polar bears were being driven inland 鈥 with&nbsp;garbage and landfills increasingly serving as their food sources.&nbsp;At the same time, members of northern communities, particularly the Inuit, had noted in their own experiences, observations and research that鈥痙eclining sea ice levels had impacted access to essential needs 鈥 such as transportation, food security through hunting, and other culturally important activities.&nbsp;</p> <p>It wasn't long before Dias decided she wanted to pursue sea ice research 鈥 and ultimately chose to study at 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga after speaking with&nbsp;<strong>Jochen Halfar</strong>, a paleoclimate and paleontology professor and researcher in 吃瓜爆料 Mississauga鈥檚 Climate Geology Research Group.&nbsp;鈥淯TM gave him a wonderful lab, and we have incredible facilities. But his research and his passion for the work was what really drew me,鈥 she says.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Now part of Halfar鈥檚 research group studying changes in sea ice cover in northern Labrador, Dias and her co-researchers are developing sea-ice cover records for the past 1,000 years off the coast of Nunatsiavut and are examining coralline algae as part of their research. &nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-10/Sea-Ice-Minoli-Dias-crop.jpg?itok=zEWiH9VV" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Minoli Dias's view from the research vessel off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador (photo by Minoli Dias)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Dias says that coralline algae live for approximately 1,500 years and they grow in annual layers (like tree rings). The growth, she explains, is dependent on light. When the algae have more light, meaning there鈥檚 less sea ice in the water, they grow a lot thicker. When they have less light, meaning there鈥檚 more sea ice cover, the layers grow thinner. By examining these variations and growth over time along with chemical tracers, the research team can essentially watch the sea ice cover change.&nbsp;</p> <p>Dias conducted field work in the community of Agvituk (Hopedale), N.L. this past summer. The lab also explored multiple sites in Greenland, Norway, Nunavut and the Labrador coast.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚f we can create a network of these types of ocean reconstructions, we鈥檒l be able to have this baseline data going back several centuries that can then hopefully inform model projections that predict what future conditions will look like,鈥 she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>Since joining the lab, Dias says she has had some incredible experiences 鈥 including a recent opportunity to work with members of the Hopedale community.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淲e鈥檙e not the experts. We don鈥檛 live there. It鈥檚 the people who live along the coast 鈥&nbsp;and actually live the change and see the change 鈥&nbsp;who are the experts,鈥 she says. 鈥淲hen you speak to community members, they have a clear understanding of how changes occurred over time, and what is the importance of sea ice to these ecosystems.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Once she completes her PhD, Dias hopes to continue pursuing climate research by either working directly with impacted communities or working to address the effects of pollution or climate change.&nbsp;</p> <p>Dias says she feels inspired by the many women scientists who came before her, including her female professors who have served as role models in what traditionally has been a male-dominated field.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭hey paved the way for us to be able to do the work that we do, and to do it in relative comfort,鈥 she says. 鈥淗aving these women to look up to is what makes it possible for me to do the type of work that I do, and I hope I can make a similar contribution and pay it forward to the women that are coming after me.鈥&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 15 Oct 2024 17:18:44 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 309798 at Harmony Commons becomes Canada's largest building with passive house certification /news/harmony-commons-becomes-canada-s-largest-building-passive-house-certification <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Harmony Commons becomes Canada's largest building with passive house certification</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-09/20240918-HARMONY-COMMONS-PHOTOS-EXT-10-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=BzDOUREY 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-09/20240918-HARMONY-COMMONS-PHOTOS-EXT-10-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=inX3JHLe 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-09/20240918-HARMONY-COMMONS-PHOTOS-EXT-10-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=_oIthkvl 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-09/20240918-HARMONY-COMMONS-PHOTOS-EXT-10-crop.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=BzDOUREY" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-09-25T12:57:52-04:00" title="Wednesday, September 25, 2024 - 12:57" class="datetime">Wed, 09/25/2024 - 12:57</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>吃瓜爆料 Scarborough鈥檚 Harmony Commons residence is the largest passive house-certified building in Canada and the largest passive house dormitory in the world (photo by Ruilin Yuan)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/u-t-scarborough-staff" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Scarborough Staff</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The 746-bed student residence at 吃瓜爆料 Scarborough touted as 鈥渁n example to the world of what Canada is doing in high-performance buildings鈥</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Harmony Commons student residence is already turning heads at the University of Toronto Scarborough thanks to its eye-catching design and comfortable living spaces&nbsp;鈥 but its biggest impact may well be in the realm of sustainability.</p> <p>The building, which first opened its doors to students last year, recently received passive house certification from the <a href="https://passivehouse.com" target="_blank">Passive House Institute</a> during a recent ceremony on campus.&nbsp;The certification is given to buildings that exhibit exceptional energy efficiency, particularly when it comes to heating and cooling.&nbsp;</p> <p>Harmony Commons now has the distinction of being the largest passive-certified building in Canada and largest passive house dormitory in the world.</p> <p>鈥淭his is an example to the world of what Canada is doing in high-performance buildings,鈥&nbsp;said&nbsp;<strong>Chris Ballard</strong>, president and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.passivehousecanada.com" target="_blank">Passive House Canada</a>.</p> <p>鈥淚t鈥檚 a beacon to institutions and governments around the world that passive house buildings on this scale are doable.鈥</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-09/EMBED_IMG_2264.jpg" width="540" height="360" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Harmony Commons received a passive house classic certification during a ceremony on Sept. 18 (photo by Ruilin Yuan)&nbsp;</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Passive house construction is generally achieved through an airtight and well-insulated envelope that prevents heat from escaping, allowing buildings with the designation to consume up to 90 per cent less energy compared to conventional structures.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭he responsibility of sustainability falls on everybody,鈥 said&nbsp;<strong>Andrew Arifuzzaman</strong>, 吃瓜爆料 Scarborough鈥檚 chief administration and strategy officer.</p> <p>鈥淲e have expertise in building technologies and systems, but if we鈥檙e putting up conventional buildings and not driving innovation, then we鈥檙e falling short.</p> <p>鈥淚t became clear that this type of building concept made sense and aligned closely with our values.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>The first group of students moved into the nine-storey, 746-bed residence in September 2023, marking the first dormitory-style residence at 吃瓜爆料 Scarborough. In keeping with passive house standards, Harmony Commons is well-ventilated and has better air flow than conventional buildings 鈥&nbsp;with the improved air quality intended to help with sleeping and studying.&nbsp;</p> <p>One of the building鈥檚 key innovations is that heat captured from various systems, including exhaust air from kitchens and showers, is used to heat spaces throughout the structure.&nbsp;</p> <p>In fact, the building is so efficient that the energy it uses to make more than 3,000 meals each day in its dorms and dining hall is less than that used by two average households.</p> <p>Designed by Handel Architects, Harmony Commons is also fully electric. Since no fossil fuels are burned in heating and cooling the building, it has extremely low carbon emissions.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-09/Harmony--Commons-%2825%29-crop.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption>Harmony Commons has an airtight and well-insulated envelope that prevents heat from escaping. It's also well-ventilated with improved air flow compared to conventional buildings &nbsp;(photo by Tom Arban)</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>Patricia Escobar</strong>, manager of sustainability at 吃瓜爆料 Scarborough, notes that&nbsp;typical buildings in Toronto rely on fossil-fuel-based heating systems, but Harmony Commons reduces the amount of heat needed to be generated in the first place.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭his results in significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which supports our goal of becoming <a href="/news/u-t-s-plan-become-climate-positive-expanded-all-three-campuses">a climate positive campus</a>,鈥 she says.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>While passive house certification is mostly attempted for small-scale buildings, applying the concepts to a building as large and complex as a dormitory-style residence came with a unique set of challenges 鈥 and opportunities.</p> <p>Arifuzzaman says that building Harmony Commons effectively 鈥渄e-risked鈥 future large-scale passive house buildings.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淚t shows the industry that this type of project can be done in this market and at this scale. It proves that passive house is an attainable standard for future large-scale developments,鈥 he says.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>He adds it also allowed many local people working in the trades to be trained in new construction methods for high-performance, sustainable buildings.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭his was a great opportunity to realize that you can contribute to reducing global climate change impact and still live a great quality of life,鈥 he says.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:57:52 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 309508 at Battery-powered EV chargers 鈥 co-developed at 吃瓜爆料 鈥 installed on St. George campus /news/battery-powered-ev-chargers-co-developed-u-t-installed-st-george-campus <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Battery-powered EV chargers 鈥 co-developed at 吃瓜爆料 鈥 installed on St. George campus</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-09/Jule-charger-Skule-logo-updated-crop_1.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=F7isGI9F 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-09/Jule-charger-Skule-logo-updated-crop_1.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=ldP6gqw0 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-09/Jule-charger-Skule-logo-updated-crop_1.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=793hWnZE 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-09/Jule-charger-Skule-logo-updated-crop_1.jpg?h=81d682ee&amp;itok=F7isGI9F" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rahul.kalvapalle</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-09-20T10:34:25-04:00" title="Friday, September 20, 2024 - 10:34" class="datetime">Fri, 09/20/2024 - 10:34</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>The Level 3+ battery-powered EV charging stations are available in 吃瓜爆料's Landmark Garage, located beneath King's College Circle on the St. George campus (photo by Safa Jinje)&nbsp;</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/taxonomy/term/6738" hreflang="en">Safa Jinje</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/department-mechanical-and-industrial-engineering" hreflang="en">department of mechanical and industrial engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/facilities-and-services" hreflang="en">Facilities and Services</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-applied-science-engineering" hreflang="en">Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/landmark" hreflang="en">Landmark</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The rapid-charging stations were developed by Canadian EV tech company Jule in collaboration with experts at the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The historic core of the University of Toronto鈥檚 St. George campus is now home to a pair of next-generation electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that utilize technology co-developed at the university.</p> <p>The two new stations use direct current (DC)-sourced EV chargers boasting integrated battery energy storage systems 鈥 novel technology that minimizes strain on the electrical grid.</p> <p>Located in the&nbsp;<a href="http://transportation.utoronto.ca/landmark-hart-house-circle/">Landmark Garage</a>&nbsp;beneath King鈥檚 College Circle, the chargers are rated Level 3+, meaning they can charge EVs in under&nbsp;30 minutes, and bring the total number of EV charging stations in the garage to 50.</p> <p>The technology underpinning the new charges was&nbsp;developed by Jule, an <a href="https://www.julepower.com/">energy storage and EV solutions company</a> co-founded by Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering alumnus <strong>Carmine Pizzurro</strong>, in collaboration with 吃瓜爆料 faculty members.</p> <p>Jule embarked on its first research collaboration with 吃瓜爆料 shortly after its founding in 2009, teaming up with the <a href="https://www.ece.utoronto.ca/research/centres/centre-applied-power-electronics-cape/">Centre for Applied Power Electronics</a> led by Professor <strong>Reza Iravani</strong> at the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering.</p> <p>It also worked closely with the city's electric utility.</p> <p>鈥淥ne of our first collaborations was with Toronto Hydro, which led to us being the first company in the world to put lithium-ion batteries on the distribution grid to provide backup power during outages and reduce stress on the grid during peak periods,鈥 says Pizzurro, who earned his bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in mechanical engineering at 吃瓜爆料.</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-09/tmslab-1-crop.jpg?itok=B97NXlUc" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Cristina Amon and Carlos Da Silva (fourth and fifth from left, respectively, in the front row) pose with students and staff in the Thermal Management Systems lab (photo by&nbsp;Aaron Demeter)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>Pizzurro went on to install Jule鈥檚 first battery-powered fast chargers in northern Canada as part of a collaboration with Natural Resources Canada.</p> <p>But the company needed to address a longstanding challenge with lithium-ion batteries: they鈥檙e temperature-sensitive and must be able to operate reliably in both hot and cold environments if they are to help power a net-zero future.</p> <p>To tackle this issue, Jule in 2018 expanded its partnership with the Faculty of Applied Science &amp; Engineering to include <a href="https://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/university-professors/complete-list-university-professors/">University Professor</a> <strong>Cristina Amon</strong> and senior research associate <strong>Carlos Da Silva</strong> of the <a href="https://atoms.mie.utoronto.ca/">Advanced Thermofluids Optimization, Modelling and Simulation (ATOMS) laboratory</a> in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering.</p> <p>The ATOMS experts have been developing computational models and experimental characterization to optimize Jule鈥檚 battery thermal management systems 鈥 work that is being carried out in a state-of-the-art battery testing facility that received funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ontario Research Fund.</p> <p>鈥淭hermal management鈥痠s an issue that impacts both aspects of Jule鈥檚 EV fast charging technology: the power electronics to enable the charging, as well as their unique integrated battery storage system,鈥 says Da Silva, who is also executive director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://electrification.utoronto.ca/">吃瓜爆料 Electrification Hub</a>.&nbsp;鈥淭hermal management is critical for mitigating battery degradation. It requires regulating the temperature in such a way that you keep the battery within an optimal range that will extend its life span.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>Jule鈥檚 fast chargers use energy stored in batteries, rather than drawing it directly from the electrical grid in the manner of traditional fast chargers. That means they don鈥檛 cause grid overloading during peak usage times and can be charged during off-peak hours when electricity is less costly; they also don鈥檛 require significant investments in electricity upgrades.</p> <p>鈥淭he battery storage system is charged using current from the electrical grid, which is alternating current (AC); and then this larger battery, which uses direct current (DC), charges the smaller battery in the electric vehicle,鈥 says Amon. 鈥淚t is more efficient to fast-charge from a&nbsp;stationary battery to an EV 鈥 DC to DC 鈥 than it is to fast-charge an EV from the electrical grid, which requires converting AC to DC power.鈥&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Jule鈥檚 Level 3+ charging station can provide up to 200 kilowatts of power output, yet only needs 45 kilowatts of input power. Amon says this rapid charging speed can help alleviate range anxiety among EV users: 鈥淪ome drivers fear that EV batteries may not have enough energy to reach a desired destination. But if charging time is much closer to the time required to fill up a tank of a gas-powered car, that can reduce this worry.鈥&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-center"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/styles/scale_image_750_width_/public/2024-09/EV-fast-charging-station-ribbon-cutting-12-crop_0.jpg?itok=b3v1Rb5R" width="750" height="500" alt="&quot;&quot;" class="image-style-scale-image-750-width-"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>L-R: Professor Reza Iravani, Jule co-founder Carmine Pizzurro, 吃瓜爆料 Electrification Hub Executive Director Carlos Da Silva, University Professor Cristina Amon and 吃瓜爆料 Engineering Dean Christopher Yip (photo by Safa Jinje)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>The Level 3+ stations are joining&nbsp;48 Level 2 chargers that are already available for public use&nbsp;at the Landmark Garage.</p> <p>This increases the campus鈥檚 charging capacity to over 25,000 charges per year, which can eliminate over 700 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 Sustainability Office.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淗osting these first-of-their-kind EV chargers right here on campus extends beyond providing a new and exciting sustainability service to our community,鈥 says <strong>Ron Saporta</strong>, 吃瓜爆料鈥檚 chief operating officer, property services and sustainability.&nbsp;鈥淚t represents just one example of how we are supporting the intersection of research, learning and commercialization of sustainable innovations developed by members of our very own 吃瓜爆料 community.鈥&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>The charging stations will also serve as a living lab to test future thermal innovations jointly developed by 吃瓜爆料 Engineering researchers and Jule.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淗aving these chargers on campus enables us to have a greater capacity to test the system in ways we are limited by doing in a lab setting,鈥 says Da Silva.&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:34:25 +0000 rahul.kalvapalle 309506 at Research project explores how urban agriculture can reduce emissions and increase access to food /news/research-project-explores-how-urban-agriculture-can-reduce-emissions-and-increase-access-food <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Research project explores how urban agriculture can reduce emissions and increase access to food</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-09/0U1A4051-crop.jpg?h=9f3ee59d&amp;itok=xrIgCp2W 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2024-09/0U1A4051-crop.jpg?h=9f3ee59d&amp;itok=VVIhNFJj 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2024-09/0U1A4051-crop.jpg?h=9f3ee59d&amp;itok=1UFlJsyD 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2024-09/0U1A4051-crop.jpg?h=9f3ee59d&amp;itok=xrIgCp2W" alt="A researcher harvests a large squash from the roof of a UTSC building"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>Christopher.Sorensen</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2024-09-19T14:37:29-04:00" title="Thursday, September 19, 2024 - 14:37" class="datetime">Thu, 09/19/2024 - 14:37</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item"><p><em>Urban agriculture, including growing food on roof tops, may hold the key to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing access to food in cities (photo by Don Campbell)</em></p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/don-campbell" hreflang="en">Don Campbell</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/sustainability" hreflang="en">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">吃瓜爆料 Scarborough</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">The $3.9-million TOsustain project brings together 15 researchers, including 11 from 吃瓜爆料, and partner organizations involved in food production, food distribution and land management </div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>From raised garden beds under hydro corridors to apartment building roofs, researchers at the University of Toronto say urban agriculture may hold the keys to improving access to different types of food in large cities while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淯rban areas have so much food-growing potential, but our knowledge about how,&nbsp;where and what kind of crops can be grown in and around cities is limited,鈥 says&nbsp;<strong>Marney Isaac</strong>, a professor in the&nbsp;department of&nbsp;physical and environmental sciences&nbsp;and the department of&nbsp;global development studies&nbsp;at 吃瓜爆料 Scarborough.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-left"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-09/IMG_1105-crop.jpg" width="300" height="397" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Marney Isaac takes measurements of soil carbon levels at the Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute (BCI) urban farm (submitted photo)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淲e know even less about how well urban agriculture can capture and store carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is a major contributor to climate change.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>To help answer these and other questions, Isaac will lead a multifaceted project with a team of researchers and partners from the private and public sector called TOsustain (Toward Sustainable Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture for Net-zero Food Systems). It is&nbsp;being supported by a $3.9-million grant&nbsp;from the NSERC- and SSHRC-funded&nbsp;Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative.&nbsp;</p> <p>The first task is to create an inventory of current and potential land for agriculture in urban and peri-urban (the land immediately surrounding urban areas) spaces across Greater Toronto. This includes smaller farms and large-scale growing operations, public lands, hydro corridors, community gardens, green roofs and unused green spaces.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>The project will also look at measuring the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions urban agricultural land can potentially trap and store and identifying farm management practices that can reduce GHG emissions. It will also include research that looks at regulations and policies that either constrain or promote urban agriculture, and develop a model to estimate GHG emissions from urban agriculture.</p> <p>Isaac says there may be other benefits, too.&nbsp;</p> <p>She points to the added security of having to rely less on food imports 鈥 not to mention the additional emissions created by the need to ship it around the world.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淭he majority of our food is imported, so there鈥檚 a huge security element,鈥 says Isaac, who is an expert on making agriculture more sustainable.&nbsp;</p> <figure role="group" class="caption caption-drupal-media align-right"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/2024-09/IMG_5872.jpg" width="300" height="403" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> </div> <figcaption><em>Postdoctoral researcher&nbsp;Lutchmee Sujeeun at the Black Creek Community Farm (submitted photo)</em></figcaption> </figure> <p>鈥淭his really came to light during the pandemic. If we can do more to localize food production and enhance crop diversity, it can help make our food system more resilient.鈥&nbsp;</p> <p>The researchers also want to explore how sustainable agricultural practices 鈥 those that require less intensive use of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation 鈥&nbsp;in urban areas can help reduce GHG emissions compared to conventional agricultural systems. Isaac adds that greater urban food production might also help reduce the pressure on converting forests to farmland in rural areas, a major environmental concern and contributor to climate change.</p> <p>The project brings together an interdisciplinary team of 15 researchers, including 11 from 吃瓜爆料, with expertise in soil biogeochemistry, crop biology, microbial ecology and urban food systems, among others. It also includes eight partner organizations from the private and public sectors that are involved in food production, food distribution and land management.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Adam Martin</strong>, an assistant professor in 吃瓜爆料 Scarborough鈥檚 department of physical and environmental sciences and project co-lead, says urban farming isn鈥檛 about replacing large-scale agricultural systems that supply wheat, for example. Rather, he says it can produce relatively large quantities of fruits and vegetables that can bring economic benefits to urban households.&nbsp;</p> <p>Martin adds that improving access to food in urban areas has a host of positive downstream effects.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淟ocal food banks rely heavily on local small-scale farms and community gardens for fresh produce, and food bank use is on the rise,鈥 he says, noting that many urban communities are located in so-called 鈥渇ood deserts,鈥 where the cost of accessing certain food, particularly fresh produce, is much higher than in other communities.&nbsp;</p> <p>鈥淏y increasing people鈥檚 access to nutritious and affordable food, it can go a long way in addressing these social and economic challenges.鈥</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 19 Sep 2024 18:37:29 +0000 Christopher.Sorensen 309452 at