Sheridan's Integrated Energy Systems Laboratory opens its doors to the public on October 4

On Saturday, October 4, Sheridan’s Integrated Energy Systems Laboratory (IESL), located at the Davis Campus in Brampton, will hold an Open House from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.  This technology showcase will demonstrate how energy from different renewable sources can be collected and distributed through a microgrid system.

Sheridan’s open house is part of the province-wide Green Energy Doors Open initiative, organized by the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association. Visit http://greenenergydoorsopen.ca/  to learn more.

“The IESL is a model of how multiple renewable energy sources can be captured and distributed to power a home, a business facility, a small community, or an institution like Sheridan,” says Dr. Jonathan Kim, Principal Investigator at IESL and Sheridan professor in the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

 The IESL has completed its first phase and is collecting energy from solar thermal units and solar photo-voltaic panels installed on the roof of the Davis Campus C-wing building. The laboratory is also equipped with an Energy Management System, based on energy meters and the SCADA system, to monitor energy production from each energy source as well as consumption to provide energy to virtual loads, including a Tim Hortons coffee shop. IESL is a continuous work in progress, with plans for integrating additional energy sources, such as wind, micro hydro, fuel cell, etc., and upgrading with new energy technology.

“This lab provides a tremendous hands-on learning environment for students in our mechanical and electrical engineering programs,” says Kim.  “It also provides great opportunities for collaborating with industry on applied research projects.”

The IESL is also integral to Sheridan’s Mission Zero goals, which are targeting a 50% reduction of energy consumption in existing college buildings by 2020, relative to Sheridan’s 2010 baseline energy consumption.

The IESL is located at Sheridan’s Davis Campus, 7899 McLaughlin Road in Brampton.

Above: Dr. Jonathan Kim, Principal Investigator at IESL and Sheridan professor in the School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering