NSERC invests $5 million in research network

It’s good news for Concordia that the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is providing $5 million in funding over five years to the Smart Net-Zero Energy Buildings Strategic Network (SNEBSN).

Housed within Concordia's Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, the brand-new network will undertake research that will increase the existence of net-zero energy buildings.

The innovative solar panel system on the John Molson School of Business Building, conceived by Concordia professor Andreas Athienitis and his team, will generate enough electricity over a year to light 1,250 light bulbs and enough thermal energy to heat seven Canadian homes. | Photo by Concordia University

It will help to develop the most effective methods for establishing individual buildings and ultimately entire neighbourhoods that generate as much energy as they use over the course of a year.

“The research this network will undertake will solve real-world problems and boost the bottom line of its partners in industry,” said NSERC President Suzanne Fortier in making the announcement on November 1. “It exemplifies NSERC’s goal of connecting and applying the strength of the academic research system to addressing the opportunities and challenges of building prosperity for our country.” 

SNEBSN will build on the solid foundation established by the NSERC Solar Buildings Research Network  based at the university during the past five years and led by Concordia professor Andreas Athienitis, who served as its scientific director.

Andreas Athienitis

Athienitis will again play a leadership role, taking the helm of the new network. He will oversee the research by colleagues aimed at facilitating the widespread adoption of optimized net-zero energy building design and operation concepts in key regions of Canada by 2030.

NSERC’s Strategic Network Grants help accelerate research in support of the federal government’s science and technology priorities. The funded networks provide enhanced training for highly qualified personnel to facilitate the transfer and mobilization of knowledge from research and development to implementation in local Canadian communities.

Related Links:
•  Smart Net-Zero Energy Buildings Strategic Network
•  Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science
•  Solar Buildings Research Network
•  Andreas Athienitis