Research and
development
projects

ESMIA’s cutting-edge models are used by many esteemed scientists and academia alike for advanced energy and climate change research.

R&D projects for developing optimization models

2022-2025

Hydrogen and Climate Partnership – A new hydrogen network between Canada and Germany as a key component of a climate-neutral energy system (H2Clip)

Funding from the National Research Council of Canada (Canada)

2021-2023

Energy Modeling Forum – EMF 37: high electrification scenarios for North America

Funding from the H3Hub at HEC Montréal (Canada)

2018-2022

Data valorization and robust optimization to guide the energy transition towards smart grids with a strong renewable component (VORTEX)

IVADO (institute for data valorization) funding program for fundamental research (Prof. Olivier Bahn, HEC Montréal, Canada)

2018-2021

Modelling and decision-making practices for transportation and climate policy – Quebec, Ontario, Vermont and California

Funding from the joint clean climate transport research partnership. Partnership Development Grants (Prof Mark Purdon, University of Quebec in Montreal).

2018-2021

Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by replacing Portland cement with carbonation-activated slag

Funding from nature and technologies research fund of the Government of Quebec (Prof. Shao, McGill University, Canada)

Peer-reviewed papers and works using NATEM

Pedinotti-Castelle M., Pineau P.-O., Vaillancourt K., Amor B. (2022).

Freight transport modal shifts in a TIMES energy model: Impacts of endogenous and exogenous modeling choice.

Applied Energy 324: 119724.

Aliakbari Sani S., Maroufmashat A., Babonneau F., Bahn O., Delage E., Haurie A., Mousseau N., Vaillancourt K. (2022).

Energy Transition Pathways for Deep Decarbonization of the Greater Montreal Region: An Energy Optimization Framework.

Energies 15(10): 3760.

Kouchaki-Penchah H., Bahn O., Vaillancourt K., Levasseur A. (2022).

The contribution of forest-based bioenergy in achieving deep decarbonization: Insights for Quebec (Canada) using a TIMES approach.

Energy Conversion and Management 252: 115081.

Pedinotti-Castelle M., Pineau P.-O., Vaillancourt K., Amor B. (2021).

Changing Technology or Behavior? The Impacts of a Behavioral Disruption.

Sustainability 13(11): 5861.

Giarola S., Molar-Cruz A., Sarmiento L., Vaillancourt K., Bahn O., Hawkes A., Brown M. (2021).

The role of energy storage in the uptake of renewable energy: a model comparison approach.

Energy Policy 115: 112159.

Koasidis K., Karamaneas A., Nikas A., Neofytou H., Hermansen E. A.T., Vaillancourt K., Doukas H. (2020).

Many Miles to Paris: A Sectoral Innovation System Analysis of the Transport Sector in Norway and Canada in Light of the Paris Agreement.

Sustainability 12: 5832.

Avraam H., Bistline J., Brown M., Vaillancourt K., Siddiqui S. (2020).

North American Natural Gas Market and Infrastructure Developments Under Different Mechanisms of Renewable Policy Coordination.

Energy Policy 148: 111855.

Huntington H., Bhargava A., Daniels D., Weyant J., Avraam C., Bistline J., Edmonds J.A., Giarola S., Hawkes A., Hansen M., Johnston P., Molar-Cruz A., Nadew M., Siddiqui S., Vaillancourt K., Victor N. (2020).

Key findings from the core North American scenarios in the EMF34 intermodel comparison.

Energy Policy 144: 111599.

Bistline J., Brown M., Siddiqui S., Vaillancourt K. (2020).

Electric sector impacts of renewable policy coordination: A multi-model study of the North American energy system.

Energy Policy 145: 111707.

Siddiqui S., Vaillancourt K., Bahn O., Victor N., Nichols C., Avraam C., Brown M. (2020).

Integrated North American Energy Markets Under Different Futures of Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure.

Energy Policy 142: 111658.

Vaillancourt K., Bahn O., EL Maghraoui N. (2020).

History and recent state of TIMES optimization energy models and their applications for a transition towards clean energies. In T. Sidki Uyar (ed). Springer Lecture Notes in Energy: Accelerating the Transition to a 100% Renewable Energy Era:

113-130.

Bahn O., Vaillancourt K. (2020).

Implications of EMF 34 scenarios on renewable deployment and carbon abatement in Canada: Insights from a regionalized energy model.

Energy Policy 142: 111518.

Astudillo MF., Vaillancourt K., Pineau P-O., Amor B. (2019).

Human Health and Ecosystem Impacts of Deep Decarbonization of the Energy System.

Environmental Science & Technology 53 (23): 14054- 14062.

Vaillancourt K., Bahn O., Levasseur A. (2018).

The role of bioenergy in low-carbon energy transition scenarios: A case study for Quebec (Canada).

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 102: 24-34.

Vaillancourt K., Bahn O., Sigvaldason O. (2018).

The Canadian contribution to limiting global warming below 2°C: An analysis of technological options and regional cooperation. In G. Giannakidis K., Karlsson M., Labriet B., Ó Gallachóir (eds). Springer Lecture Notes in Energy: Limiting Global Warming to Well Below 2°C:

Energy System Modelling and Policy Development: 223-242.

Solano-Rodríguez B., Pizarro-Alonso A., Vaillancourt K., Martin-del-Campo C. (2018).

Mexico’s transition to a net-zero emissions energy system: near term implications of long-term stringent climate targets. In Gs. Giannakidis K., Karlsson M., Labriet B., Ó Gallachóir (eds). Springer Lecture Notes in Energy: Limiting Global Warming to Well Below 2°C:

Energy System Modelling and Policy Development: 316-333.

Astudillo MF., Vaillancourt K., Pineau P-O., Amor B. (2018).

Integrating energy system models in life cycle management. In Benetto E., Gericke K. (eds). Designing Sustainable Technologies, Products and Policies: from Science to Innovation. Springer, Luxembourg.

Vaillancourt K., Bahn O., Patreau V., Roy P.O. (2018).

Is there a future for new hydrocarbon projects in a decarbonizing energy system? A case studies for Quebec (Canada).

Applied Energy 218: 114-130.

Astudillo MF., Vaillancourt K., Pineau P.-O., Amor M.B. (2017).

Can the household sector reduce global warming mitigation costs? Sensitivity to key parameters in a TIMES techno-economic energy model.

Applied Energy 205: 486-498.

Levasseur A., Bahn O., Beloin-Saint-Pierre D., Marinova M., Vaillancourt K. (2017).

Assessing butanol from integrated forest biorefinery: A combined techno-economic and life cycle approach.

Applied Energy 198: 440-452.

Vaillancourt K., Bahn O., Frenette E., Sigvaldason O. (2017).

Exploring deep decarbonization pathways to 2050 for Canada using an optimization energy model framework.

Applied Energy 195: 774-785.

Vaillancourt K., Alcocer A., Bahn O. (2015).

An Analysis of the Impacts of New Oil Pipelines Projects on the Canadian Energy Sector with a TIMES Model for Canada. In G. Giannakidis, M. Labriet, B. Ó Gallachóir and G.C. Tosato (eds). Springer Series Energy Systems:

Informing energy and climate policies using energy systems models: 247-260.

PhD theses using NATEM

2018-ongoing

Hamed Kouchaki-Penchah, PhD. Construction engineering, École de technologie supérieure (ETS).

Integrated environmental and economic analysis of different scenarios for developing biofuels and other forms of bioenergy in Canada.

Professors: Annie Levasseur (ETS), Olivier Bahn (HEC) and Mathias Glaus (ETS).

2017-ongoing

Marianne Pedinotti-Castelle, PhD. Civil engineering, University of Sherbrooke.

Behavioural change disruptions and reduction of energy demand: A combined analysis with the NATEM energy model and a consequent LCA.

Professors: Ben Amor (Sherbrooke), Pierre-Olivier Pineau (HEC).

2015-2019

Miguel Fernandez Astudillo, PhD. Civil engineering, University of Sherbrooke.

Consequential life cycle assessment of changes in heating systems – A dynamic prospective approach. Involving the combination of the NATEM-Quebec model and a life cycle inventory database.

Professors: Ben Amor (Sherbrooke), Pierre-Olivier Pineau (HEC).

Peer-reviewed papers and works with ProsumArise

Kuznetsova E., Anjos M. F. (2021).

Electrification and deep decarbonization of Canada’s energy system with small-scale residential prosumers: A case study of Ontario.

Canadian Energy Modelling Initiative

Kuznetsova E., Anjos M.F. (2021).

Prosumers and energy pricing policies: When, where, and under which conditions will prosumers emerge? A case study for Ontario (Canada).

Energy Policy 149: 111982

Kuznetsova E., Anjos M.F. (2020).

Combined Strategic Planning and Power Dispatch Optimization Framework to Simulate the Emergence of Small-Scale Residential Prosumers. General Meeting of IEEE Power and Energy Society, August 2-6, 2020, Montréal, Canada.

Kuznetsova E., Anjos M. F. (2020).

Challenges in energy policies for the economic integration of prosumers in electric systems: A critical survey with a focus on Ontario (Canada).

Energy Policy 142: 111429

Academic institutions we work with

Department of Construction Engineering (Professor Levasseur), École de technologie supérieure (QC, Canada)

Techno-economic modelling of forest management strategies, bio-energy, biogenic carbon accounting.

Department of wood and forest sciences (Professor Thiffault), Laval University (QC, Canada)

Wood and forest sciences, forest engineering, forest ecology, role of the forest sector for climate change mitigation, forest management strategies.

School of Policy Studies (Professor Mabee), Queen’s University (ON, Canada)

Forest operations, wood chemistry, pulp and paper science, advanced forest products, bioenergy and biotechnologies, circular economy strategies

e3 Hub (Professor Bahn), HEC Montréal (Canada) and GERAD – Research Center in Decision Analysis (QC, Canada)

Techno-economic modelling, Robust optimisation, linear and non-linear programming

Department of Civil Engineering (Professor Shao), McGill University (QC, Canada)

Carbon-free building block engineering as replacement for cement

Department of Mechanical Engineering (Professor Bernier), Polytechnique Montréal (QC, Canada)

Building archetypes, demand load curves, and big data from smart meters for energy models

LIRIDE—Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory in Life Cycle Assessment and Circular Economy (Professor Amor), Université de Sherbrooke — (QC, Canada)

Life-cycle analysis

Research Chair in Energy Sector Management (Professor Pineau), HEC Montréal (Canada)

Electricity markets analysis

Collaborative Applied Research in Economics (Professor Locke), Memorial University of Newfoundland (NL, Canada)

Oil forecast modelling
Macroeconomic modelling

Department of Strategy, Social and Environmental Responsibility (Professor Purdon), Université du Québec à Montréal (QC, Canada)

Transportation and GHG modelling

Sustainable Energy Systems Integration & Transitions (SESIT) Group, university of Victoria (BC, Canada)

Urban scale electricity modelling

IMSP—Institute of Mathematics and Physics (Benin)

Open-source energy system modelling in Africa

VITO—Flemish Institute for Technological Research (Belgium)

Assessment of nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in developing countries

IEECP—Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (Netherlands)

Management of large-scale Horizon 2020 European projects on Integrated Assessment Modelling for global mitigation scenarios

NTUA - National Technical University of Athens

Management of large-scale Horizon 2020 European projects on Integrated Assessment Modelling for global mitigation scenarios