Electrified Transportation, Emergency Power, and Microgrid Design for Indigenous, Remote, and Local Communities
Summary
This project explores integrated solutions for sustainable transportation and energy in Indigenous, remote, and northern communities. While some communities operate microgrids that reduce carbon emissions, transportation remains fossil-fuel based.
The project will assess hybrid and electric vehicle options suitable for cold climates. Issues such as range extension, reliability, maintainability, recycling, and heating using novel solar-powered heat pump systems will be examined. The potential of EVs as emergency power sources will also be evaluated. In parallel, standardized utility-grade microgrid reference designs will be developed, incorporating renewables, energy storage, demand response, and electric vehicles to improve reliability and reduce diesel reliance.
The project includes an equity-focused study, examining how EV design intersects with gender, Indigeneity, and socioeconomic factors in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 5. By addressing transportation, power resilience, and social inclusion together, this research aims to develop scalable transportation and energy solutions that respond to the unique needs of indigenous, remote and northern communities.
Key details
| Principal investigator | Pragasen Pillay, Concordia University |
| Co-principal investigators | Andreas Athienitis, Concordia University Tanja Tajmel, Concordia University Bala Venkatesh, Toronto Metropolitan University Mohammadreza Arani, Toronto Metropolitan University Muthu Packirisamy, Concordia University |
| Areas of Research | Modelling and Design Technologies, Monitoring Technologies, Control, Systems, and Access Technologies, Transportation-related Technologies, Building and Building Envelope Technologies, Infrastructure/Utility Technologies, Battery and Energy Storage Technologies, Equity and Accessibility to Renewable Energy or Renewable Energy Technologies, Public Policy and Governance of Energy or Energy-related Technologies, Knowledge Mobilization of Decarbonization and Electrification Processes |
| Non-academic partners | Pituvik Landholding Corporation, Ecotuned, Hydro One, Hypertonic Technologies Inc, Share the Warmth, Opal-RT, CAPSolar |
Publications:
M. Muthusamy, M. Boby, A. M. Aljehaimi, J. Hendershot and P. Pillay, "Experimental Validation of a Spoke Type PMSM With SMC Stator Core for Traction Applications," in IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 61, no. 6, pp. 9204-9215, Nov.-Dec. 2025, doi: 10.1109/TIA.2025.3579415. June 12, 2025
B. S. Abdel-Mageed, A. M. Aljehaimi and P. Pillay, "Analysis of Design Topologies for Variable Flux Permanent Magnet Motors," in IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, doi: 10.1109/TIA.2025.3594638. July 31, 2025.
Accepted publications in national and international conferences:
N. Kalarikkal and P. Pillay, "Common Mode Rejection in Single DC-Link Fed PHIL Emulator," 2025 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), Toronto, ON, Canada, 2025, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/ISIE62713.2025.11124801.
A. Kermanizadeh, P. Angers and P. Pillay, "Performance Investigation of Induction Motor Mechanical Torque Limiting Method," 2025 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), Toronto, ON, Canada, 2025, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/ISIE62713.2025.11124645.
H. Tchakounte, A. M. Aljehaimi, and P. Pillay, “Single Phase Isolated Bidirectional Inverter with Battery Interface for Solar Energy Applications,” in 2025 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), Toronto, ON, Canada: IEEE, June 2025, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/ISIE62713.2025.11124796.
A. Kermanizadeh and P. Pillay, “Induction Motor Temperature Prediction via Transfer Learning on Physics-Based Synthetic Data Using Deep Neural Networks,” in 2025 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), Toronto, ON, Canada: IEEE, June 2025, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/ISIE62713.2025.11124601.
S. S. Shiekh and P. Pillay, “Inclined Eccentricity Fault Diagnosis in Induction Motors Using Deep Learning,” in 2025 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), Toronto, ON, Canada: IEEE, June 2025, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/ISIE62713.2025.11124652.
H. Eltouni and P. Pillay, “Comparison of Series-Hybrid Variable-Flux Synchronous Motors Considering Two Types of Rare-Earth Magnets,” in 2025 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), Toronto, ON, Canada: IEEE, June 2025, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/ISIE62713.2025.11124660.
K. C. Odo and P. Pillay, “A New Hybrid Modelling Technique for Predicting Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Parameter Changes due to Temperature and Load,” in 2025 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), Toronto, ON, Canada: IEEE, June 2025, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/ISIE62713.2025.11124680.
B. S. Abdel-Mageed and P. Pillay, “Rare-Earth and AlNiCo Magnets Interaction in Hybrid Magnet Variable Flux Machines,” in 2025 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE), Toronto, ON, Canada: IEEE, June 2025, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/ISIE62713.2025.11124822.
Andreas Athienitis: Distinguished Achievement Award, International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA); August 26, 2025
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