Ali Hooshyar, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto in his lab in Toronto on June 19.Canadian professors say outdated curriculums and a dearth of research opportunities have put the country behind in its adoption of energy storage systems – a key component in transitioning to renewable energy.
. Some, such as Hydro-Québec’s subsidiary EVLO, have been under way for decades. Others, such as BC Hydro’s energy storage incentive and SaskPower’s battery storage facility, are only just getting started, so the nationwide work force required to scale up these technologies is still just not there yet.
“There just isn’t an abundance of people available that are trained in advanced battery manufacturing,” Dr. Dahn said. “They’re saying, ‘Yes, this master’s program is drastically needed. Come on, hurry up and get it done,’ ” Dr. Dahn said.