Research Focus

Combining both academic and industry expertise, CSEE examines local energy and environmental challenges that also have global resonance.

That expertise has already had success solving one problem: CSEE’s own energy management. Not only does the CSEE building achieve outstanding reductions in emissions and energy consumption, it also contributes to a campus that is working to provide 100 per cent of its own power through biomass, geothermal, and wind energy.

Our strategic focus also stretches beyond the campus – to areas where CSEE is not only leading the research, but is also creating commercial opportunities for the energy and environmental industries. CSEE research focuses on two key areas:

• Environmental Management (including mine water management and environmental remediation technology)
• Cleaner Energy (including renewable energy and clean carbon energy)

Our Environmental Management research confronts an important question in Cape Breton and around the world: after years of industrial development, how do we deal with contaminated sites? CSEE researchers and industry partners are already global pioneers in this area, and the long-term integrity of these sites requires ongoing innovation.

Our Cleaner Energy research confronts the question of the millennium: how do we transform to a cleaner energy supply; and along the way, how do we use carbon-based energy more cleanly? Cape Breton has been called the Saudi Arabia of both wind and coal energy – CSEE research is focused on exploiting that energy in a way that makes sense.

Cape Breton University has a cluster of existing research specialists surrounding and supporting these areas, including the Institute for the Development of Energy Alternatives (IDEAS) and the Bras d’Or Institute for Marine Ecosystem Research.