Acadia University Launches Acadia Tidal Energy Institute

Sketch of Clarkson’s conception of the Cape Split tidal energy project, 1915-1916. Courtesy of the Acadia University Archives.
Sketch of Clarkson’s conception of the Cape Split tidal energy project, 1915-1916. Courtesy of the Acadia University Archives.

Wolfville, NS, September 1, 2011 – Acadia University today announced the formation of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute. This Institute is the only research institute in North America focused solely on assessing tidal energy resources and the associated environmental challenges and socio-economic opportunities.

Strategically located on the Bay of Fundy’s Minas Basin, the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute will develop partnerships and lead multi-disciplinary research projects and other initiatives that address knowledge gaps associated with the developing tidal energy industry. The Institute will focus on tidal energy resource assessment, environmental monitoring and impacts, socio-economic growth, sustainable communities, and the development and delivery of tidal energy educational programs and other support materials.

“Acadia is fortunate to be located immediately adjacent to a world class renewable energy resource and to have leading researchers involved in various aspects of tidal energy development among its faculty,” said Dr. Tom Herman, Acadia’s Vice-President Academic. “There is little doubt that the Bay of Fundy will contribute to reducing Nova Scotia’s carbon footprint and Acadia, through its public and private sector partnerships, will play a significant role. Acadia has a long history in tidal energy research and has a core group of highly regarded faculty who will lead research in areas crucial to the long range success of the tidal energy sector.”

The work of the Institute will be driven by new and existing internal, cross-disciplinary clusters of expertise from within all Faculties at Acadia, and will include researchers with expertise in oceanography, energy resource modeling, marine ecology, sustainable environments and communities, economics and finance.  Acadia has been strategically investing in faculty resources and infrastructure to build capacity in tidal energy research. Faculty and students associated with these clusters will work closely with collaborators from all three levels of government, industry, non-governmental organizations, communities, and other academic institutions to facilitate capacity building and further understanding of the available tidal energy resources, environmental effects, and socio-economic opportunities, particularly in local rural communities.

“This is an exciting time to be involved in tidal energy research and the testing of commercial in-stream tidal energy devices” said Dr. Anna Redden, Director of the Tidal Energy Institute. “Our understanding of the potential for harvesting locally available tidal energy and the likely environmental effects and socio-economic benefits has been rapidly growing. Our goal for the Institute is to help Nova Scotia address its renewable energy targets, and to establish this province as a global leader in tidal energy–related knowledge and expertise.”

Compared to many other energy sources, tidal energy is clean, predictable and available for harvesting most of the time. With some of the world’s best tidal energy sites, Nova Scotia has a unique opportunity to develop a sustainable tidal energy industry. In particular, the Bay of Fundy tides represent an enormous resource of untapped renewable energy, with the potential to contribute significantly to Nova Scotia’s ambitious renewable energy targets of 40% by 2020.

Acadia’s link to tidal power development stretches back to 1915, when Acadia professor Ralph Clarkson developed an innovative proposal to harvest tidal energy from the Minas Channel at Cape Split. At that time, energy development was focused on readily available and relatively inexpensive fossil fuels. Clarkson’s renewable energy scheme was never realized.

Subsequent periodic escalations in the price of fossil fuels generated renewed interest in harnessing tidal energy. Studies on the tidal power potential and the environmental implications of development continued and, in 1984, the first and only tidal power plant in North America was installed at Annapolis Royal. Since that time, faculty and students from the Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research have played significant roles in addressing the environmental impacts of tidal energy. In 2009, Acadia faculty spearheaded the formation of the Fundy Energy Research Network, a regional tidal energy research forum for fostering collaborative efforts and information exchange between universities, government institutions, community groups and industry.  Acadia’s new Tidal Energy Institute will build on its long history of research activity and engagement with the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy and other tidal energy initiatives.

For further information, contact Dr. Anna Redden, the Director of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute, at tidalenergy@acadiau.ca or by telephone at 902-585-1732.

 

-30-

Wolfville, NS, September 1, 2011 – Acadia University today announced the formation of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute. This Institute is the only research institute in North America focused solely on assessing tidal energy resources and the associated environmental challenges and socio-economic opportunities.
 
Strategically located on the Bay of Fundy’s Minas Basin, the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute will develop partnerships and lead multi-disciplinary research projects and other initiatives that address knowledge gaps associated with the developing tidal energy industry.  The Institute will focus on tidal energy resource assessment, environmental monitoring and impacts, socio-economic growth, sustainable communities, and the development and delivery of tidal energy educational programs and other support materials.
 
“Acadia is fortunate to be located immediately adjacent to a world class renewable energy resource and to have leading researchers involved in various aspects of tidal energy development among its faculty,” said Dr. Tom Herman, Acadia’s Vice-President Academic. “There is little doubt that the Bay of Fundy will contribute to reducing Nova Scotia’s carbon footprint and Acadia, through its public and private sector partnerships, will play a significant role. Acadia has a long history in tidal energy research and has a core group of highly regarded faculty who will lead research in areas crucial to the long range success of the tidal energy sector.”
 
The work of the Institute will be driven by new and existing internal, cross-disciplinary clusters of expertise from within all Faculties at Acadia, and will include researchers with expertise in oceanography, energy resource modeling, marine ecology, sustainable environments and communities, economics and finance.  Acadia has been strategically investing in faculty resources and infrastructure to build capacity in tidal energy research. Faculty and students associated with these clusters will work closely with collaborators from all three levels of government, industry, non-governmental organizations, communities, and other academic institutions to facilitate capacity building and further understanding of the available tidal energy resources, environmental effects, and socio-economic opportunities, particularly in local rural communities.
 
“This is an exciting time to be involved in tidal energy research and the testing of commercial in-stream tidal energy devices” said Dr. Anna Redden, Director of the Tidal Energy Institute. “Our understanding of the potential for harvesting locally available tidal energy and the likely environmental effects and socio-economic benefits has been rapidly growing. Our goal for the Institute is to help Nova Scotia address its renewable energy targets, and to establish this province as a global leader in tidal energy–related knowledge and expertise.”
 
Compared to many other energy sources, tidal energy is clean, predictable and available for harvesting most of the time. With some of the world’s best tidal energy sites, Nova Scotia has a unique opportunity to develop a sustainable tidal energy industry.  In particular, the Bay of Fundy tides represent an enormous resource of untapped renewable energy, with the potential to contribute significantly to Nova Scotia’s ambitious renewable energy targets of 40% by 2020.
 
Acadia’s link to tidal power development stretches back to 1915, when Acadia professor Ralph Clarkson developed an innovative proposal to harvest tidal energy from the Minas Channel at Cape Split. At that time, energy development was focused on readily available and relatively inexpensive fossil fuels.  Clarkson’s renewable energy scheme was never realized.
 
Subsequent periodic escalations in the price of fossil fuels generated renewed interest in harnessing tidal energy. Studies on the tidal power potential and the environmental implications of development continued and, in 1984, the first and only tidal power plant in North America was installed at Annapolis Royal. Since that time, faculty and students from the Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research have played significant roles in addressing the environmental impacts of tidal energy. In 2009, Acadia faculty spearheaded the formation of the Fundy Energy Research Network, a regional tidal energy research forum for fostering collaborative efforts and information exchange between universities, government institutions, community groups and industry.  Acadia’s new Tidal Energy Institute will build on its long history of research activity and engagement with the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy and other tidal energy initiatives.
 
For further information, contact Dr. Anna Redden, the Director of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute, at tidalenergy@acadiau.ca or by telephone at 902-585-1732.
 
 
 
Wolfville, NS, September 1, 2011 – Acadia University today announced the formation of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute. This Institute is the only research institute in North America focused solely on assessing tidal energy resources and the associated environmental challenges and socio-economic opportunities.
 
Strategically located on the Bay of Fundy’s Minas Basin, the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute will develop partnerships and lead multi-disciplinary research projects and other initiatives that address knowledge gaps associated with the developing tidal energy industry.  The Institute will focus on tidal energy resource assessment, environmental monitoring and impacts, socio-economic growth, sustainable communities, and the development and delivery of tidal energy educational programs and other support materials.
 
“Acadia is fortunate to be located immediately adjacent to a world class renewable energy resource and to have leading researchers involved in various aspects of tidal energy development among its faculty,” said Dr. Tom Herman, Acadia’s Vice-President Academic. “There is little doubt that the Bay of Fundy will contribute to reducing Nova Scotia’s carbon footprint and Acadia, through its public and private sector partnerships, will play a significant role. Acadia has a long history in tidal energy research and has a core group of highly regarded faculty who will lead research in areas crucial to the long range success of the tidal energy sector.”
 
The work of the Institute will be driven by new and existing internal, cross-disciplinary clusters of expertise from within all Faculties at Acadia, and will include researchers with expertise in oceanography, energy resource modeling, marine ecology, sustainable environments and communities, economics and finance.  Acadia has been strategically investing in faculty resources and infrastructure to build capacity in tidal energy research. Faculty and students associated with these clusters will work closely with collaborators from all three levels of government, industry, non-governmental organizations, communities, and other academic institutions to facilitate capacity building and further understanding of the available tidal energy resources, environmental effects, and socio-economic opportunities, particularly in local rural communities.
 
“This is an exciting time to be involved in tidal energy research and the testing of commercial in-stream tidal energy devices” said Dr. Anna Redden, Director of the Tidal Energy Institute. “Our understanding of the potential for harvesting locally available tidal energy and the likely environmental effects and socio-economic benefits has been rapidly growing. Our goal for the Institute is to help Nova Scotia address its renewable energy targets, and to establish this province as a global leader in tidal energy–related knowledge and expertise.”
 
Compared to many other energy sources, tidal energy is clean, predictable and available for harvesting most of the time. With some of the world’s best tidal energy sites, Nova Scotia has a unique opportunity to develop a sustainable tidal energy industry.  In particular, the Bay of Fundy tides represent an enormous resource of untapped renewable energy, with the potential to contribute significantly to Nova Scotia’s ambitious renewable energy targets of 40% by 2020.
 
Acadia’s link to tidal power development stretches back to 1915, when Acadia professor Ralph Clarkson developed an innovative proposal to harvest tidal energy from the Minas Channel at Cape Split. At that time, energy development was focused on readily available and relatively inexpensive fossil fuels.  Clarkson’s renewable energy scheme was never realized.
 
Subsequent periodic escalations in the price of fossil fuels generated renewed interest in harnessing tidal energy. Studies on the tidal power potential and the environmental implications of development continued and, in 1984, the first and only tidal power plant in North America was installed at Annapolis Royal. Since that time, faculty and students from the Acadia Centre for Estuarine Research have played significant roles in addressing the environmental impacts of tidal energy. In 2009, Acadia faculty spearheaded the formation of the Fundy Energy Research Network, a regional tidal energy research forum for fostering collaborative efforts and information exchange between universities, government institutions, community groups and industry.  Acadia’s new Tidal Energy Institute will build on its long history of research activity and engagement with the Fundy Ocean Research Center for Energy and other tidal energy initiatives.
 
For further information, contact Dr. Anna Redden, the Director of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute, at tidalenergy@acadiau.ca or by telephone at 902-585-1732.
 
About AcadiaAcadia University, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, has long been recognized as one of Canada’s premier post-secondary institutions. With its nationally and internationally recognized undergraduate and graduate research initiatives, small classes and technology-rich teaching and learning environment, Acadia offers students an experience that includes academic achievement combined with personal growth and development. Acadia also offers distance learning, certificate programs, language training and other university extension programs through Open Acadia. For more information about Acadia University, visit our website at www.acadiau.ca.

Go back