SFU team looks to tackle climate change with 'energy-harvesting' technology
A Simon Fraser University professor has created a network of the world's greatest energy harvesting experts in an attempt to help tackle climate change.
Vincenzo Pecunia and over 100 internationally recognized scientists are working together to document ways to improve a product that can convert energy into clean power.
"These materials have the ability to convert ambient energy from various sources, including light, heat, radiofrequency waves (like those from Wi-Fi and mobile signals), and mechanical vibrations," says Pecunia.
He refers to all of this ambient energy as "wasted energy," and says the small chip can be inserted anywhere energy or friction is produced, including on sidewalks and clothing.
"It's essential to develop energy-harvesting materials that can efficiently capture this energy and convert it to electricity," Pecunia says. "Another important priority is to develop energy harvesters that can be applied on all types of surfaces and objects, which requires energy harvesting materials that are mechanically flexible."
As Canada and countries around the world look to combat climate change while developing goals to achieve net-zero emissions over the next few decades, Pecunia says this technology could come in handy.
Since September, he has been joined by several students who are also contributing to the project.
Javith Mohammed moved to Surrey from India in the fall, specifically to learn about sustainable energy and obtain his graduate degree.
"My dream is to develop prototypes that involve sustainable energy to help society," said Mohammed.
He is now receiving hands-on experience in the field and helping pave the way for Pecunia's vision to become a reality.
At this time, Pecunia says the energy-harvesting technology is only being produced at a small scale, but has the potential to be manufactured in larger qualities.
"We're at the stage where there are some companies that are being established, and there are some big actors in Canada specifically making those materials and upscaling the production," says Pecunia.
In the meantime, Pecunia says his team of researchers is working to make the material more efficient, in the hope of rolling it out to the public in the near future.
Correction
A previous version of this story misspelled Javith Mohammed's name.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson airport: police
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International airport last year, Peel Regional Police said Wednesday.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archaeological site in southwest France.
10 years in U.S. prison for Canadian man who stole millions with fake psychic fraud
A former Montreal resident has been sentenced to 10 years in a United States federal prison for a multi-decade fraud that manipulated more than one million Americans into sending money to fake psychics.
'Enormous sum of money': Actor Hugh Grant settles privacy lawsuit against tabloid
British actor Hugh Grant has settled a lawsuit against the publisher of Rupert Murdoch's tabloid newspaper, The Sun, over claims journalists used private investigators to tap his phone and burgle his house, he said on Wednesday.
O.J. Simpson was chilling with a beer on a couch before Easter, lawyer says. 2 weeks later he was dead
O.J. Simpson's last robust discussion with his longtime lawyer was just before Easter, at the country club home Simpson leased southwest of the Las Vegas Strip. About a week later, on April 5, a doctor said Simpson was 'transitioning.'
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.