Enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) take advantage of heat deep beneath the Earth’s surface, forcing water through an engineered set of fractures at high pressure. The resulting steam can then be used to generate electricity or to heat buildings. However, this complex process is vulnerable to short-circuiting— a positive feedback loop in which the thermal contraction of cooled regions of the reservoir leads to increased fluid flow through these regions and diversion of fluid away from…

Exploiting geothermal power is easy in volcanic regions like Iceland, where geology brings heat from the Earth’s core close to the surface. In other places, however, accessing this source of renewable energy requires enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). 

These systems use a network of channels created by hydraulic fracturing. Water pumped down one borehole extracts heat from rocks a kilometre or more underground as it travels through those channels and then brings it to the surface via a second…

Shifting electricity generation from diesel to greener options like wind or solar power would cut greenhouse gas emissions in off-grid communities. But not all technologies are compatible with local land use and community values, so how do the people who live there feel about renewables?

To find out, the NunatuKavut Community Council’s Director of Research, Amy Hudson, invited WISE researchers Nicholas Mercer and Paul Parker and Inuk researcher Debbie Martin to southeast Labrador, where their…

One of the crucial jobs of North American grid operators is keeping the frequency of the electricity as close to 60 hertz as possible. Mismatches between electricity generation and demand can shift that number higher or lower, damaging equipment, triggering blackouts and causing other problems. 

To keep the system within safe margins, operators temporarily speed up or slow down the massive turbines at conventional generating plants, releasing or absorbing energy as required. But with renewables…

In recent years, there has been a significant deployment of battery energy storage systems (BESSs) in the electricity grids around the world. The important characteristics of BESS such as ability to act both as generation and load, fast response time, high ramp rate etc. makes them promising and viable options for the system operators to reduce the peak demand, facilitate renewable energy integration. 

In jurisdictions where electricity is bought and sold through wholesale markets, BESS owners…

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere keep rising, warming up our planet. And that has many researchers looking at two key catalytic reactions — photocatalysis and electrocatalysis — that can convert CO₂ into hydrocarbons. It’s an exciting idea, using either sunlight or electricity to activate a catalyst that transforms CO₂ pollution into fuels and other valuable chemicals. 

However, current techniques tend to create products with just a single carbon atom. That’s a problem, because…

More than a third of the world’s electricity comes from coal-fired generating plants — and so does a hefty chunk of carbon emissions. WISE researcher Xiao-Yu Wu and his colleagues set out to make the process greener.

In the next-generation coal-fired plants, integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is used to increase power output. High pressure and temperature is used to convert coal into syngas — a mix of carbon and hydrogen — that is burned to drive turbines. The more carbon you can…

Microgrid managers face a big challenge: ensuring the smooth flow of electricity between intermittent energy sources (such as wind, solar and hydro), storage systems and energy users. WISE researchers want to help. John Simpson-Porco, Mehrdad Kazerani and their Chilean colleagues have developed a distributed control system that overcomes many of the weaknesses of existing models.

Distributed control systems serve as automated checkpoints and traffic police that help regulate frequency, manage…

Some days are windier than others. So when you’re relying on wind farms for electricity, you need a way to store unused energy, creating a buffer between supply and demand. 

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) offers a solution. This approach uses excess energy to pressurize and cool air, storing it in underground caverns. When energy is needed, that stored potential can be released by heating and expanding the air. 

The promise is strong. What has been lacking, however, are comprehensive…