Sunny forecast for a uOttawa start-up driving the shift to a zero-carbon future

By Bernard Rizk

Media Relations Officer, External Relations, University Of Ottawa

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In their lab at the University of Ottawa, University Research Chair in Photonic Devices for Energy Professor Karin Hinzer and Professor Henry Schriemer work with their team to develop new ways of harnessing the sun’s energy.

The appropriately named SUNLAB, located at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is a modelling and characterization laboratory for next generation optoelectronic devices and photovoltaic systems. It recently developed a new method for measuring the performance of bifacial solar panels to better represent outdoor conditions.

Now Enurgen Inc., a start-up born from their work in bifacial cell-to-system modelling, has been chosen as one of 10 companies out of 600 start-up applicants to participate in the Equinor & Techstars Energy Accelerator in Oslo, Norway.

Enurgen is helping to bring about the global transition to a zero-carbon future by leveraging its advanced modelling software to help generate clean, renewable, sustainable energy to power today’s electric grids.  The start-up employs former graduate students, researchers, and professors from the University of Ottawa.
 

Professor Karin Hinzer
SUNLAB + ENURGEN

“The program Equinor & Techstars Energy Accelerator will provide us with the opportunity to work with international clean energy industry experts”

Professor Karin Hinzer

— Vice-dean, research at the Faculty of Engineering and founder & director of SUNLAB

“Enurgen is set to participate in a three-month accelerator program in Oslo this spring,” explained Professor Karin Hinzer, who is both president of Enurgen as well as vice-dean, research at the Faculty of Engineering and a founder and director of SUNLAB. “The program will provide us with the opportunity to work with international clean energy industry experts, something we wouldn’t have been able to do had we not earned a top spot in the Equinor & Techstars Energy Accelerator. We’re very excited to see what this may lead to.”

Enurgen is one of many industry-academia start-ups at the University of Ottawa, which fosters collaborative research and knowledge exchange between industry, government, and other partners.