Professors say Canadian universities are falling behind in training students on energy storage technologies

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Canadian professors say outdated curriculums and a dearth of research opportunities have put the country behind in its adoption of energy storage systems – a key component in transitioning to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.

Only a handful of options exist for students in Canada looking to study electrochemical energy storage systems, such as batteries, said Linda Nazar, a professor at the University of Waterloo and Canada research chair in solid state energy materials.

While Waterloo and Dalhousie University both have programs or labs dedicated to the topic, such as the Ontario Battery and Electrochemistry-research Centre at Waterloo, Dr. Nazar said Canada’s role in training a work force at the university level has been inadequate.

“There are little spots of research areas where one professor is doing electrochemical energy storage, but we’re talking about a critical mass that you need to train students at the undergrad, but especially at the graduate level,” she said.

The federal government is putting more emphasis on renewable energy, such as solar or wind, as it strives to meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. However, these green energy sources have proven inconsistent owing to factors such as weather and can be less reliable than traditional, planet-warming fuels such as natural gas or coal. To improve consistency, energy storage systems such as batteries are being used to compensate for differences in production and consumption that challenge the grid.

Across Canada, a growing number of energy storage projects are popping up, with at least 11 of 13 provinces and territories having facilities in place or under development. 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.

Ali Hooshyar, a professor at the University of Toronto and Canada research chair in electric power systems, said that because more and more utilities are installing energy storage facilities, he and his colleagues are advocating for refreshed curriculums to meet the work force demand.

“There has been a monumental shift in industry over the past two decades, but that shift has not been properly reflected in our academic curriculum,” Dr. Hooshyar said.

At Dalhousie, Jeff Dahn is one of several researchers working on opening the Canadian Battery Innovation Centre in 2026. The facility will be the first of its kind in a university setting, where researchers will be able to make battery prototypes and develop new technologies. He hopes it will help Canadian companies train their workers in every step of the battery-making process, instead of just one spot on an assembly line.

“There just isn’t an abundance of people available that are trained in advanced battery manufacturing,” Dr. Dahn said.

Currently, new battery manufacturers setting up shop in Canada are bringing in foreign workers until they can train local talent, he said.

To help increase the Canadian talent pool, Dr. Dahn and his colleagues are working on a battery technologies master’s program, to be launched around the same time as the new centre. He said the lab-based program will initially accept 25 students and offer lessons on battery creation, assembly and degradation, followed by an eight-month internship.

He said international companies such as Northvolt, Umicore and Volkswagen’s PowerCo Canada Inc. have been very vocal in their support of the program.

“They’re saying, ‘Yes, this master’s program is drastically needed. Come on, hurry up and get it done,’ ” Dr. Dahn said.

However, he said the fact that it has taken so long for Dalhousie to begin work on the program is indicative of the cash squeeze holding schools back. “Universities, at the moment, don’t have any spare cash.”

In March, a report by the Council of Ontario Universities said the province’s recent investment of $1.3-billion in the postsecondary sector “falls far short of what the sector needs to be financially sustainable.” Even with additional funding aimed specifically at STEM programs, such as battery technologies, the council said at least eight universities in the province are still forecasting operating deficits this year.

For training purposes, Dr. Dahn said, investments don’t need to be massive to make a difference.

“We have to do more with less all the time and to establish a new program without contributions from elsewhere. It’s very difficult,” he said.

Dr. Hooshyar said he has been struggling to work independently to update courses and curriculums without a systematic, organized initiative.

“Individuals have limited power. You need to have organizational power behind these big changes,” he said.

But organized change requires the co-ordination of several actors, trickling down from the federal government through to university departments, Dr. Nazar said.

“The government needs to show that this is a priority for Canada. And now it’s doing that. And then once everyone realizes that, oh, this is a priority at the university level and then ultimately at the department level, then strategies need to be put in place to address this,” she said.

For now, she said, the work being done at universities such as Dalhousie and Waterloo is inspiring – a sign that the work force needed to carry out Canada’s energy transition is still possible.

“I see that there’s a big change in the wind and I’m very optimistic that we’ll be able to address these needs in the future.”