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Annual Workshop

Every year, the Ontario Network for Sustainable Energy Policy (ONSEP) hosts a two day workshop at a venue in Ontario. The workshop features presentations by academics, professionals and graduate researchers working in this policy space. The event aims to enhance the energy policy debate by bringing together researchers from multiple disciplines and encouraging open dialogue and the development of new ideas.

The workshop offers participants the opportunity to network, share ideas and build new collaborations. Previous workshops have explored issues surrounding: conservation and demand-side management; policy analysis and future low-carbon transitions in energy contexts; industrial, market and regulatory issues in renewable electricity; challenges related to communities and sustainable energy; and, future issues for Ontario

Workshops

2018 Annual Workshop

2017 Annual Workshop

2016 Annual Workshop

2015 Annual Workshop

2014 Annual Workshop

2013 Annual Workshop

2012 Annual Workshop

2011 Annual Workshop

2010 Annual Workshop

News and Updates

ONSEP 2018 Workshop Programme

Submitted by James Gaede on Tue, 04/17/2018 - 09:18

Monday, 23 April

4:00pm: Check in and registration

5:00-6:00pm: Opening meeting & keynote (Conference Room)

                Brendan Haley. Dalhousie. The politics and public administration of low-carbon transition organizations

6:00-7:00pm: Reception & social (Amelia’s Garden)

7:00pm: Dinner

Tuesday, 24 April (all sessions in Conference Room)

7:00-8:30am: Breakfast (Amelia’s Garden)

9:00-10:30am: Energy transitions (Chair: James Meadowcroft)

  1. James Gaede & Ian Rowlands. Waterloo. A Canadian energy storage activity database.
  2. Susan Wyse. York. Barriers to the adoption of heat pump technology in Ontario.
  3. Hassan Qudrat-Ullah. KFUPM/York. Understanding the dynamics of stocks and flows of energy systems and energy policy.

10:30-11:00am: Break

ONSEP 2018 Annual Workshop - Call for Papers

Submitted by James Gaede on Thu, 01/18/2018 - 09:40

The Ontario Network for Sustainable Energy Policy (ONSEP) brings scholars together from a variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives for its annual workshop focused on energy policy. This is the ninth workshop of ONSEP, a network of researchers dedicated to developing a greater understanding of the policies, technologies and strategies surrounding sustainable energy.

The workshop welcomes unpublished working papers that focus on analysis and evaluation of energy policies, with an aim of promoting understanding and discussion of effective approaches to reducing the environmental burden of the energy system. Although we especially welcome papers with a focus on Ontario, we also welcome papers that focus on the application of energy policies in other jurisdictions.

We are receptive to a wide range of perspectives and methods including but not limited to empirical research, theory development, formal theoretical modeling, law, sociology, planning, and experimental methods. Papers presented at our previous workshops have come from a variety of disciplines including political science, economics, management, law, geography, environmental studies, and engineering. Papers spanning multiple disciplines are especially encouraged. 

2017 Annual Workshop - Draft Programme

Submitted by James Gaede on Wed, 03/15/2017 - 16:44

 

Monday, 24 April

4:00pm: Check in and registration

5:00-6:00pm: Opening session. (Conference Room)

6:00-7:00pm: Reception & social (Amelia’s Garden)

7:00pm: Dinner 

Tuesday, 25 April (all sessions in Conference Room)

7:00-8:30am: Breakfast (Amelia’s Garden)

8:30-10:30am: Energy efficiency & demand management (Chair: Don Dewees)

1)     Nic Rivers. U of Ottawa. Does Daylight Savings Time Save Energy? Evidence from Ontario.
2)     Joan Ang. Waterloo. A Review of Energy Management in Ontario’s Broader Public Sector.  
3)     Abhilash Kantamneni, U of Guelph. Barriers to energy retrofitting social housing.
4)     Stephanie Whitney. Waterloo. Motivations of building managers to engage in sustainable practices.

10:30-11:00am: Break

11:00-12:30pm:  Energy Storage (Chair: Nic Rivers)

ONSEP 2017 Annual Workshop - Call for Papers

Submitted by James Gaede on Wed, 11/30/2016 - 09:57

The Ontario Network for Sustainable Energy Policy (ONSEP) brings scholars together from a variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives for its annual workshop focused on energy policy. This is the eighth workshop of ONSEP, dedicated to developing a greater understanding of the policies, technologies and strategies surrounding sustainable energy.  

The workshop welcomes unpublished working papers that focus on analysis and evaluation of energy policies, with an aim of promoting understanding and discussion of effective approaches to reducing the environmental burden of the energy system. Although we especially welcome papers with a focus on Ontario, we also welcome papers that focus on the application of energy policies in other jurisdictions.

We are receptive to a wide range of perspectives and methods including but not limited to empirical research, theory development, formal theoretical modeling, law, sociology, planning, and experimental methods. Papers presented at our previous workshops have come from a variety of disciplines including political science, economics, management, law, geography, environmental studies, and engineering. Papers spanning multiple disciplines are especially encouraged. 

2016 Workshop Presentations

Submitted by James Gaede on Thu, 04/28/2016 - 14:12

Renewables & conservation (Chair: Nic Rivers)    

  1. Christine Koenig, Ontario Sustainable Energy Association. Feasibility of 100% renewables for Ontario. 
  2. Maya  Papineau, Katrina Jessoe & David Rapson, Carleton. Measuring Split Incentives in Commercial Electricity Usage.  
  3. Madeleine McPherson & Bryan Karney, U of T. Application of the SILVER model to simple, high variable renewable energy penetration, Ontario-­‐based scenarios. 
  4. Samiha Tahseen, Bryan Karney & Jennifer Drake, U of T, Increased hydropower potential at Niagara: A scenario-­‐based analysis. 

Wind policy (Chair: Madeleine McPherson)    

  1. Margaret Loudermilk, Western. Renewable energy policy and Ontario wind turbine development. 
  2. Martin Heintzelman, Clarkson. Wind energy development and property value. 

2016 Annual Workshop registration now available!

Submitted by James Gaede on Thu, 03/10/2016 - 14:23

After reviewing the many great abstracts submitted this year, the ONSEP review team has selected 15 papers for presentation at the upcoming Annual Workshop.  We would like to thank everyone who submitted an abstract for their interest in the workshop, and encourage those who were not accepted to try again in the future.  

The Annual Workshop will be held at the Waring House in Prince Edward County, April 20-22.  The registration form is now available at the link below.  Please note that there are student and non-student rates, both of which are for two nights.  We strongly encourage anybody interested in registering for the Workshop to attend all three days.  If you are interested in one of the limited availability shared rooms, or if you are interested in only one night accomodation, please contact the ONSEP Coordinator, James Gaede.  All registration proceeds go to supporting the Workshop. 

ONSEP 2016 Annual Workshop - Call for Papers

Submitted by James Gaede on Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:16

The Ontario Network for Sustainable Energy Policy (ONSEP) brings scholars together from a variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives for its annual workshop focused on energy policy. This is the seventh workshop of ONSEP, a network of researchers dedicated to developing a greater understanding of the policies, technologies and strategies surrounding sustainable energy.

The workshop welcomes unpublished working papers that focus on analysis and evaluation of energy policies, with an aim of promoting understanding and discussion of effective approaches to reducing the environmental burden of the energy system. Although we especially welcome papers with a focus on Ontario, we also welcome papers that focus on the application of energy policies in other jurisdictions.

We are receptive to a wide range of perspectives and methods including but not limited to empirical research, theory development, formal theoretical modeling, law, sociology, planning, and experimental methods. Papers presented at our previous workshops have come from a variety of disciplines including political science, economics, management, law, geography, environmental studies, and engineering. Papers spanning multiple disciplines are especially encouraged. 

2015 Presentations

Submitted by James Gaede on Mon, 11/09/2015 - 14:12

Session I: Renewables

Harris Berton, Daniel Rosenbloom & James Meadowcroft. Carleton. Unlocking innovation in Ontario's rooftop PV installation market: Preliminary results from a survey of rooftop solar PV installation companies in Ontario

Matthias Purdon. Trent University. Contested Countrysides: Landscape Identities and Wind Energy Planning

Jennifer Taylor. U of T. Fact or fiction? Exploring the rhetorical dimension of the scientific debate over the health impacts of wind turbines

Chad Walker & Jamie Baxter. Western. Health as a driving force: Theories describing Ontario’s wind turbine resistance movement

 

Session II: Electricity & grids I

Bronwyn Lazowski, Paul Parker & Ian Rowlands. Waterloo. Stimulating Residential Electricity Consumption Shifts Using Smart Grid Tools

Madeleine McPherson & Bryan Karney. U of T. A Novel Variable Renewable Energy Integration Model for Evaluating Electricity System Policies

 

Session III: Electricity & grids II

2014 Presentations

Submitted by James Gaede on Mon, 11/09/2015 - 14:09

Panel on wind politics in Ontario

Tanya Christidis, Tim Heinmiller, Stephen Hill

Session I: Sustainable energy policy

Louis Simard. Electricity, regulation and tools in Canada: the return of the State?

Jodi Adams & Doug Macdonald. Influence of the renewable energy industry on Ontario electricity policy.

Douglas Bessette, Joseph Arvai & Victoria Campbell-Arvai. A decision support framework for developing regional energy strategies.

Bruce Pardy. Can the Ontario Government cancel renewable energy contracts?

Session II: Grids and transmission policy

Philip Walsh. Will the consolidation of Ontario's municipally-owned electrical distribution companies lead to more sustainable energy practices?

Konstantinos Karanasios & Paul Parker. Renewables vs. grid extension: Evaluation approaches and criteria for electricity system options in Northern Ontario remote communities.

Warren Mabee & Stewart Fast. Balancing wind output with biomass: assessing the potential for dispatchable hybrid renewable generation sites in Ontario.

Session III: Local sustainable energy policy