Opten Program: Advancing the Integration of Renewable Energy and Energy Storage

How can we make the most of renewable energy in microgrids, where even the slightest failure has real consequences for the communities that depend on them? This was the question that guided the Opten research program, conducted from 2016 to 2021.

We’ve committed to a cross-disciplinary approach to research. Rather than working in isolation, we’ve brought together at Nergica a group of researchers from various disciplines, a dozen partners across Canada, and full-scale testing facilities. Together, these forces have set out to develop and validate innovative solutions to optimize the integration of renewables and energy storage into microgrids.

This approach directly addresses the innovation needs of a network of industrial partners. Companies bring their real-world challenges, researchers propose solutions that have been field-tested, and the results are returned to industry ready for deployment. This short feedback loop between the laboratory and the power grid accelerates the adoption of reliable technologies in remote communities.

Opten is pursuing a second goal that is just as important to us: training the next generation. Each year, about ten college faculty members and students participate in our projects and gain familiarity with cutting-edge energy issues.

As part of the strategic research plan of the Cégep de la Gaspésie et des Îles and Nergica, the program reflects a long-held belief of ours: the energy transition in remote regions is achieved by bringing together knowledge, people, and communities.