For the first time, as part of its partnership with the Nergica research centre, the Yukon Research Centre at Yukon College participated in an intern exchange recently.

Nergica hosted Noah Sternbergh, a general science program student student and research assistant at Yukon College, for four weeks in Quebec.

Camille St-Arneault, an intern with Nergica and a student at CÉGEP de la Gaspésie et des Îles, was hosted by the Northern Energy Innovation (NEI) team at Yukon College.  

Nergica, based in Gaspé, Que., is a centre of applied research.

It stimulates innovation in the renewable energy industry through research, technical assistance, technology transfer and technical support for businesses and communities.

Yukon College partnered with Nergica on the collaborative “opten” project. That venture brings together many players in the renewable energy industry to address common industry problems.

One specific piece is looking at the smart integration of renewable energies and storage technologies onto microgrids.

During her time in Whitehorse, St-Arneault worked on solutions aimed at reducing power consumption at peak times in the winter.

Sternbergh worked on model validation, on models used by NEI for power system impact studies, to determine the impact of renewables on the electric power grid. 

Sternbergh ran tests on Nergica’s live micro grid, which will later be repeated on simulated models of the Nergica grid. The purpose was to test the accuracy and validity of NEI’s modelling techniques. 

“Participating in this research program has allowed me to engage directly in the field I am interested in, and has provided me an understanding of what my career could be like,” Sternbergh said this week.

“I met lifelong friends in Gaspé and got to explore a new and beautiful part of the country,” she added.

Sternbergh will head off to Victoria this fall to complete an engineering transfer program at Camosun College. She plans to attend the University of Victoria in 2020 for electrical engineering. 

St-Arneault first heard about the applied energy research being done at Yukon College this past spring.

At that time, Dr. Michael Ross, the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Northern Energy Innovation at Yukon College, visited Gaspé.

She was not only excited to see how Yukon is adapting to climate change, but was also particularly interested in the Yukon energy grid.

“I love to travel and love to learn. When Dr. Ross came to Gaspé, he spoke about how energy works differently up north in the territories, not only physically but also with respect to working with communities; this really piqued my interest,” said St-Arneault.

“The mountains, and my travels around Yukon during my time there, were also a nice bonus,” she added. 

 “Partnering with other collegial institutions like CÉGEP de la Gaspésie et des Îles provide an opportunity to share expertise between institutions and help us create solutions for our local communities and industry,” said Ross.

“Furthermore, providing opportunities, like this exchange, to our students allows for a unique experience and can open doors in their chosen field and future careers.”

The results of Sternbergh ’s internship will be analyzed by this fall. They will help ensure that research conducted by NEI continues to be as rigorous and as accurate as possible.

“As the institution becomes the first university North of 60, Yukon University next year, they will seek more opportunities for students, faculty and researchers alike to partner and share knowledge across borders,” the college said in a statement.