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Sustainable Energy Engineering Undergraduates
Sustainable Energy Engineering program offers an interdisciplinary learning environment that empowers you to become a global leader in clean technology.
SEE Project Showcase
Welcome to the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering's project showcase. Learn more about the innovative projects that our students are working on to tackle real-world problems and promote sustainable practices. Explore the projects from our undergraduate students below.
2025
Dynamo Powered Water Filter
Team: Amped for Change
Team members: Jagos Pesic, Viktor Pesic, Hana Bigelow, Caitlin Swan
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This project includes a hand crank powered, two-stage water filtration system that provides safe drinking water for the user. The system is a two phase process which includes a sand filter for removing larger particulates and a UV chamber for inactivating bacterial contaminants.
Piezoelectric Pressure Plate
Team: Tech Wreck
Team members: Anny Lou, Annie Zhang, Karim Fathalla, Nicholas Lasell, Yiyao Chen
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This device uses a pressure plate mechanism to apply pressure to rows of stacked piezoelectric cells, producing a voltage to light a small LED bulb.
Sustainable Power Bank
Team: Evolve Electronics
Team members: Charlize Mae Abban, Matthew Chifan, Lili Mizuno, Brandon Twaites
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Evolve Electronics project repurposes used lithium-ion batteries into a functional power bank to reduce battery waste and promote sustainable energy use! It works to demonstrate safe and sustainable energy storage and charging with a practical application focus.
Solar Powered Air Filter
Team: The Sustainable Amigos
Team members: Harshaun Mann, Khaled Abu nawwas, Anika Prem, Tu Le, Trinity Tadros
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Our project focuses on sustainably powering a fan via solar energy. Using a high grade filter, the system will purify air in closed areas such as classrooms, offices and homes.
Integrated Wind Energy Solution
Team: KALMZ
Team members: Karanveer Sehra, Annika Tan, Leila Davies, Max Cabanillas, Ziad Sabry
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Our design focuses on generating consistent wind power and opitmizing its efficiency through a 3D printed turbine with optimized blade angles as well as determining the Tip Speed Ratio (TSR). Our design also incorporates Arduino to display real time current in 1 second increments as well as voltage through a multimeter.
Heating and Ventilation Systems
Team: LG2
Team members: Yaseen Khawaja, Jim Nosella, Leen Saleh, Francisco Sandoval
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Using only passive solar energy input, the team built two different models of a Passive Housing concept without using any fans or heaters; a Trombe wall. One for heating, and the other for ventilation.
Pumped Hydropower Storage
Team: CLAM
Team members: Hayden Lazar, Elijah Chaichian, Lauren Ajaero, Kevin Mahendra
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The team created an energy storage system, where water and gravity act together as the power source. A hand pump is included to show how pumped hydropower allows energy to be stored sustainably.
Plant Microbial Fuel Cell
Team: Power Rangers
Team members: Cohen Gill, Rex Indaheng, Shawn Bhatti, Shayma Mutwafy
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Our project is a plant microbial fuel cell, so it uses energy generated by bacteria that feeds off plant matter, sending electrons to the anode, which is harnessed into a current through a wire. While the circuit is complete through connecting it to a separate cathode, the external circuit produces power. Multiple cells can be stacked to improve power generation.
2024
Water Filtration Device
Team members: Shawn, Ben, Jasmina, Tessa, Serena
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This project, called 鈥淪ea Spray,鈥 demonstrates water filtration. By using an interactive hand pump, water is forced through a series of filters including a reverse osmosis filter to purify it.
Rotary Generator
Team members: Ario, Nick, Jacob, Sebastian
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The team developed a portable system that generates energy to charge an electronic device. The user pulls on the belt, generating mechanical energy through gears which is used to charge a battery. This project demonstrates how motion can be converted into electricity.
Hand Crank Generator/Battery
Team members: Annie, Ian, Emeric, Simrin
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This project demonstrates how electricity can be produced by using a hand crank. By turning the crank, rotational energy is used to generate power and light up the lightbulb.
Solar Powered Remote-Controlled Car
Team members: Sebastian, Tara, Rafia, Sarah
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This project uses solar power to produce electrical energy. By placing solar panels on top of a remote-controlled car, light is absorbed to power the toy.
Gravity Battery
Team members: Evan, Arjun, Jeffer, Diego, Murat
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The team developed a model of an electrical storage device that stores potential gravitational energy. When the weight is dropped, it spins the turbine and generates energy which is stored in a battery.
Smarthome
Team members: Sammy Sukhdeep, Vinhara, Ajayi
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This project illustrates how hydropower could be used to generate electricity to power a house. Rainwater is collected in a tank on top of the house, and when it is released, it produces a current which spins a turbine to create electricity.
Vertical Garden
Team members: Braidyn, Chenuka, Justin, Mikhail
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The team developed a gardening system that demonstrates vertical farming and could be used for an individual. Unlike traditional gardens, this project illustrates how plants can grow in water without soil. This project also aims to address food scarcity concerns.
Piezoelectric Insole
Team members: Zachary, Matteo, Jack, Leo, Lucas
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This project demonstrates how electrical energy is generated by mechanical stress. By applying pressure on the shoe insole, electricity is produced and displayed on a multi-meter.
2023
Hydroelectricity Education
Team members: Adrienne, Calla, Landon, Nolan and Prashant
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This project focuses on sustainable energy generation. As hydroelectricity is the leading source of sustainable power in B.C., the team wanted to develop a prototype to help educate students on the significance of producing energy through hydropower. They used a tank of water and gravitational force to make a water turbine spin which generated electricity.
Wave Energy Generation
Team members: James, Andrew, Ryan and Jimena
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This project aims to develop a mechanical system that converts wave motion into electrical energy. The linear motion of the waves moves a magnet inside a solenoid to generate power. The goal of this project is to demonstrate the various types of natural resources that are capable of generating clean energy.
Hydroponic Solution for All
Team members: Avry, Esther, Gripen, Quin and Relena
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The team developed a system for in-door gardening that allows individuals to grow food in their own home. This project strives to bring awareness to the impact of agriculture and deforestation as well as decentralize global systems.
Ultrasonic Acoustic Wave Filtering
Team members: Mark, Matthew, Yayha, Sofia and Alexander
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This project aims to tackle concerns regarding microplastic in our environment. The team created an apparatus that can collect and filter microplastics from the ocean by using sound waves.
Steps for Sustainability: Piezoelectric Platform
Team members: Gavin, Aidan, Mahdi, Jacob and Paul
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This project focuses on the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy. By stepping on the platform, the crystalline materials used in the prototype are deformed which produces an electrical voltage. The project aims to help reduce the reliance on fossil fuels.
Chargeable Crank Flashlight
Team members: Ahmed, Delraj, Ella, Rawad and Tavleen
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The team developed a rechargeable flashlight that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. By turning a hand crank, energy is produced and stored in a capacitor which recharges the light鈥檚 battery.
Sun Tracking Solar Panel
Team members: Jaiden, James, Omar and Sam
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This project aims to convert sunlight into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect. By using photoresistors to analyze light intensity and a duo access rotation panel, the solar panels have the ability to move toward the best source of light.
In-Pipe Hydroelectric Generator
Team members: Aisha, Cameron, Clover, Kaidan and Sonia
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This project focuses on producing hydropower through the flow of water. Gravitational force can increase the velocity of water in pipelines in order to spin the turbines used to produce electricity.
Water Quality Sensor
Team members: Claudia, Ana, Kabir, Vedder and Justin
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This project strives to improve the accessibility of clean drinking water around the world. As current methods are complex and expensive, this portable device aims to simplify water purity testing by assessing the pH and temperature of water.
2022
Solar-Charger
Team members: Alexandra Szilagyi, Amy Drysdale, Justin Ocampo and Scott McCormick
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This project focuses on the development of an off-grid sustainable solar charger. Its design was based off the most recent iteration of the iPhone charger. As the name of the project indicates, the charger uses the sun to supply power. As grid-based power is not always available and uses unsustainable materials, off-grid solar power offers a solution to this issue as an alternative power source.
Electric Household Composter
Team members: Ashir Waseem, Joshua Yau, Michael Chen, Nathaniel King and Tianna Sequeira
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This project aims to convert food waste into compost that can re-enter the earth鈥檚 soil as opposed to a landfill. Food scrap disposal is time consuming and leads to food waste. A substantial amount of British Columbia鈥檚 landfill waste is made up of food that does not get composted. Therefore, this project aims to make a household system that streamlines the composting process for end.
Power Preserver
Team members: Ani Beaubien, Anna Lamontagne, Nalyssa Runge, Jay Vyas and Rowan Arkell
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The aim of this project is to develop a household voltage sensing device to reduce unnecessary consumption of power. Have you ever left you phone in the charger beyond one hundred percent? People often leave their electronics plugged into electrical outlets sapping up power that goes to waste. These instances add unnecessary costs to people鈥檚 electric bill and wastes energy. To mitigate this, the project aims to switch off the current of energy that devices receive when it detects a certain voltage.
Personal Vertical Farm Design
Team members: Annelise Jenson, DJ Cuthbert, Keira Lai, Victor Muresan and Yan Ning Tang
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The aim of this project is to provide homeowners a product in their homes that facilitates sustainable living by allowing people to farm and grow their own food. Due to bulk purchasing of food products, a large amount of food does not get consumed and goes to waste. This project seeks to transcend traditional outdoor farms through its ease of use, convenience and control which helps to promote sustainable living and reduces food waste through making farming more accessible.
Hydro-Turbo
Team members: Amrit Brar, Clara Park, Elliot Roy, George Pavlov and Yeji Kang
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The aim of this project is to generate electricity using a renewable hydro energy source. Other sources of renewable power generation can be inconsistent such as solar and wind. Since British Columbia has an abundance of water, a small-scale hydro turbine can generate a consistent source of clean energy on a small scale. This project is portable, lightweight, durable and inexpensive to make. The idea is to provide a small scale, personal hydro energy source for outdoor enthusiasts and remote locations.
E-Bike Kit
Team members: Andrew Nathan, Ethan Stiller, Gabriel Rubio, Jordan Takama and Stephen Tran
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The aim of this project is to develop a budget friendly and reliable electric bike converter kit. In Canada, the transportation sector makes up a substantial portion of greenhouse gas emissions. This project showcases how a sustainable transportation option like electric bikes can massively contribute to reducing gas, power and energy usage required to operate most cars, trucks and buses.
Automated Garbage Sorting and Disposal System
Team members: Ken Chisholm, Marlon Buchanan, Mohammed Niamul Haq and Obayda Tayeh
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This project addresses the buildup of organic waste in landfills. This phenomenon leads to greenhouse gas pollution and land destruction. Furthermore, landfills make up a substantial amount of emissions. Improper disposal and sorting of organic waste exacerbate this issue. This project sorts garbage into the right bin for proper recycling or disposal.
Water Filtration Device
Team members: Shawn, Ben, Jasmina, Tessa, Serena
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The aim of this project is to develop an app that is integrated with the transit system to help minimize the environmental impact of public transportation by removing the need for a physical plastic Compass Cards. Considering that these cards are not recyclable due to the chip contained in them, this app offers a more environmentally sustainable solution. The Scoot app manages users鈥 Compass Cards and contains bus and SkyTrain schedules. The app is convenient and reduces plastic waste.



Energy Demand of Electrified Residential and Personal Transportation Sectors in Surrey, B.C.
Team: Hannah Chan, Emma Hannaford, Clara (Yoonsoo) Park
As Surrey moves towards electrifying its residential and personal transportation sectors, the electric grid may require changes to accommodate rising demands. This project models electricity demand after electrification of townhouses, condominiums, single-family homes, and personal vehicles. An eQUEST model is generated to forecast electricity demands by simulating annual building operations. A spreadsheet is used to combine the building and home electric vehicle charging profiles. The results show large increases in electricity demand when comparing the baseline and electrified scenarios, especially throughout winter. The demand profiles can be used to address grid development. However, policy-making and city planning requires further research.



Comparison Between Conventional and Passive House Certified Apartment Buildings in Metro Vancouver
Team: Danielle Arciaga, Kaylee Meschke, Isaac Yoon
The eQUEST building energy modelling software was used to model a five-story apartment building constructed between 1980 and 1990 in Metro Vancouver, and a Passive House certified retrofit of the same building. Comparisons of electricity and gas consumption showed that retrofitting the building led to an increase in electricity consumption and a decrease in gas consumption. Discovering these results is important because of the increase in population and the COVID-19 pandemic. With more people staying home, the energy consumption of the residential sector will increase and could impede the 2050 net-zero emission target in place within Metro Vancouver.


Investigating the Energy Consumption, Carbon Emissions and Cost Savings of Retrofitting a Multi-Unit Low-Rise Residential Building in Surrey, B.C.
Team: Taryn Chang, Simran Pandher, Tayme Stewart
In line with the City of Surrey鈥檚 climate action plan, our project investigated changes in energy usage, emissions and costs of retrofitting and electrifying a 1990 low-rise multi-unit residential building. By comparing 鈥榦riginal鈥 and 鈥榬etrofitted鈥 models, we found that electrifying building systems and improving the building envelope can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the building envelope upgrade is acheived at a relatively high cost. Finally, our analysis on installing electric vehicle charging stations may help promote the technology in retrofitted buildings. Expanding the steps to meet newer building energy standards is essential to support retrofitting and electrification.
2025
Design of Carbon Capture and Utilization Module
Sponsor: Delta Controls
Team members: Erin Flood, Jasleen Sandhu, Megan Zelasky, Michael La Grange
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Carbon Capture and Utilization Unit for HVAC - Sponsored by Delta Controls - We, JEMM Carbon, focuses on reducing building emissions of HVAC systems. Our team designed a coconut shell-based activated carbon, retrofittable carbon capture unit to address this challenge by adsorption carbon capture and reutilization of the carbon dioxide to create sustainable concrete. This project aims to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the building industry, which currently produces 37% of global emissions, contributing to advancements in decarbonization for existing HVAC systems.
People's Choice Award Winner
Coal Plant Dryer Hydrogen Retrofit
Sponsor: EVR
Team members: Lucas Federucci, Omar Abumuaileq, Kaleb Carlson, Ben Jansen-Budzik
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Industrial Dryer Hydrogen Retrofit - Sponsored by EVR - We, the Hydrogen Heroes, focus on reducing the Greenhouse Gas emissions from an industrial coal dryer. Our team retrofitted the system to use hydrogen as an alternative fuel to address this challenge through hydrogen's zero-emission combustion. This project aims to promote sustainability in the steel-working coal industry while encouraging natural gas companies to adopt hydrogen as a viable, eco-friendly alternative, driving advancements in the future of energy for industrial applications.
Designing a Solution to Collect Electric Vehicle Charging Data
Sponsor: FortisBC
Team members: Darren Granale, Amun Randhawa, Changle Yu, Mohammad Niamul Haq
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We, PlugIN-IQ (PIQ), specialize in enhancing charging data collection for electric vehicles (EVs). Our team designed the PlugIN-IQ Ecosystem to bridge the gap between utility and non-networked residential EV chargers (Level 2 and below). This ecosystem consists of two key components: the PIQ Adapter鈥 a device that collects real-time EV charging data (output current and voltage)鈥 and the PIQ Relay, which securely transmits this information to energy utilities. By providing crucial load data, this project enables utility companies to improve energy forecasting and develop effective demand response programs, contributing to a more sustainable energy infrastructure.
Design of a Modular System to Improve Green Energy Utilisation When Using Hedgehog's Nimba Microgrid Controller
Sponsor: Hedgehog
Team members: Angel Niet, Mina Pavlovic, Alia Gola, Gurjit Thandi
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AI Algorithm for Electrical Load Forecasting in Remote Communities - Sponsored by Hedgehog Technologies - We, Sonic Sustainable Solutions, focus on increasing the share of renewable energy in remote communities, which are generally powered by diesel generators. Our team has designed an AI algorithm to anticipate electrical demand and balance it with incoming solar production. This strategy minimizes solar curtailment and leverages existing site resources to reduce emissions. This project implements a novel approach to renewable energy resource management with the goal of increasing the use of renewable energy.
Design of an improved air-hydrogen injection manifold for application in a diesel-hydrogen combustion
Sponsor: Hydra Energy
Team members: Philip Huynh, Hunter Housego, Scott McCormick, Mishak Taggart
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Hydrogen Injection Rail鈥 Modelling & Validation - Sponsored by Hydra Energy - We, Philhouse Mctagg Consulting, focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of the hydrogen's behaviour before it gets injected into a diesel engine. Our team designed a modelling process to address this challenge by both virtually modelling and then physically testing the rail. This project aims to explain how the rail behaves across different fuel injection parameters, contributing to advancements in clean transportation and dual fuel combustion engines.
Design of a solar powered portable water purification unit for remote and indigenous communities
Sponsor: SCG Process
Team members: Tyler Graham, Elizabeth Salvosa, Madeline Van Bruggen, Braden Harding
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We, SolAqua, focused on developing a reliable and sustainable water solution for remote and indigenous communities. Our team designed an automated, portable, and sustainable water filtration system using a PLC based system, solar panels, and three types of filtration. This project aims to provide potable water to communities in a sustainable way contributing to advancements in remote and indigenous communities quality of life.
Hydrogen generation using solar power located on abandoned oil and gas well sites
Sponsor: Solaris
Team members: Taranvir Gill, Manveer Shergill, Ryan Cordoni, Misbah Memon
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Hydrogen Generation Located on Abandoned Oil and Gas Well Sites - Sponsored by Solaris - We, HyRevive, are focusing on turning abandoned well oil and gas well sites (worth over $400 million in liabilities to property owners and municipal governments) into green hydrogen production sites. Our team designed a renewable energy system to address this challenge by implementing solar panels to power an AEM Electrolyzer which can produce up to 225 kg of hydrogen per day. This project aims to achieve the blending of green hydrogen into natural gas pipelines to help reduce the amount of natural gas we consume. This project contributes to advancements in hydrogen engineering and the economic impacts of sustainable energy capital projects.
Designing a data Pi for collecting environmental sensor data
Sponsor: SFU CSL
Team members: Michael Chen, Nathaniel King, Tianna Sequeira, William Le
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The Raspberry Pi Mesh Network for Environmental Sensor Data Monitoring is an open-source system designed to help individuals and organizations monitor environmental conditions safely and efficiently. By creating an expandable network of sensors and storage capacities, users can collect and analyze data for future forecasting and research. Developed in collaboration with the 尤物视频 Computational Sustainability Lab, this project aims to establish a user-friendly IoT framework for real-time environmental monitoring and data-driven decision-making for anyone to use.
Design of a reactor for hydrogen generation via water splitting using a tandem solar cell
Sponsor: SFU Pecunia Research Group
Team members: Francisco Sandoval, Kevin Mahendra, Rahyan Janfada, Dominic Botelho
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Hydrogen generation with solar electrolysis - Sponsored by Pecunia Research Group - We at team Solysis focused on renewable hydrogen generation using a simulated perovskite tandem solar cell. Our team designed a solar electrolyser to address this challenge by generating hydrogen from water using a combination of silicon solar cells and an external power supply to simulate the tandem solar cell which is still in developement. The project aims to generate green hydrogen, contributing to advancements in the growing sustainable fuel industry.