Year 3 annual report: Message from our board chair

It gives me great pleasure to introduce NESTNet’s 2017-2018 annual report, which allows me to reflect on how far the network has come in three short years.

NESTNet research has rapidly accelerated beyond the lab with technologies, policies and papers developed that are ready to be applied and adopted in the real world. 

This past summer, Ryerson University hosted another successful NESTNet Week, with more than 180 participants attending events across four days at Mattamy Athletic Centre, the historic former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs. We invited speakers from the California Independent System Operator and General Electric, as we look to strengthen ties with energy storage experts in the United States and around the world.

Also during NESTNet Week, students took part in a unique design challenge aimed at grounding their work in the particular and multifaceted challenges of energy storage.

In year three, NESTNet trained and developed almost 100 highly qualifed personnel. These are the engineers, urban planners and policy experts that will drive the technology forward over the coming decades, enabling us to transition to a thriving clean-energy economy. Having met many of them during NESTNet Week, I know that the future is in safe hands.

NESTNet’s 26 industry and government partners continue to provide their vital input and support. A special thanks to Hydro-Québec for hosting one of our three winter schools at their energy technology laboratory in Shawinigan, Que. And to Dalhousie University and the University of Waterloo who played host to the other two.

The progress of the network so far, under the leadership of Bala Venkatesh and the stewardship of my fellow board members, has been exciting to see. We will continue to deliver on our vision for a network that helps build a strong domestic energy storage industry that is also competitive in the global marketplace.