EPEC2015 Finds Tutorials a Lesson in Marketing

My Experience at
Western University Booth

Elizabeth Tomaszewski; Photo credit: Dennis Michaelson

I n my volunteer role I assisted the conference organizers in directing conference attendees, answering questions, and setting up the presentation rooms. I also spent time at the information table sponsored by Western University answering questions about the different programs Western Engineering offers. I had the opportunity to chair one of the technical sessions. Learning about cutting edge research while networking with other engineers from around the world was the highlight of my volunteer experience.

After witnessing first hand the work that goes into organizing a conference like EPEC I gained a new appreciation for the hard-working members of my section. Volunteering at EPEC was a rewarding opportunity which convinced me to take on a more active role in my local section. As a result, I am now currently serving on the executive committee of the IEEE London Ontario Section as the section secretary for 2016.

Elizabeth Tomaszewski holds a Master of Engineering Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Power Systems from Western University, GPA: 4.0/4.0. She is now with Entegrus Powerlines as a Junior Distribution Engineer.

Solar Tour Report by Yue Li

Yue Li

EPEC 2015 was a great opportunity for people from all over the world to perform their professions and increase communication in electric power and energy fields. Significantly, the conference provided tours for participants to have a better knowledge about energy systems in Ontario. It was my great pleasure to join the Renewable Energy Tour on the first day of the conference. Bathed in sparkling sunshine, we started our journey from London to Sarnia in a shuttle bus. Along the way, Allan Van Damme, IEEE Canada volunteer from London Hydro, explained some basic knowledge about the city of Sarnia. An hour north of Detroit and an hour west of London, Sarnia is a medium-size city. The economy is driven by petrochemical and agricultural industries. After passing by lots of solar projects and wind turbines along the road, we arrived at the Enbridge Sarnia 80MV Solar Farm. Before we took a walk in the farm, our hosts from Enbridge introduced details about the 80MW Solar Farm. One of Canada’s largest solar farms, it includes 1,310,280 solar panels and covers 1,100 acres. There are small areas that are not covered by solar panels in the farm in order to keep ecological balance.

The tour participants stop at a data centre at the Enbridge Sarnia Solar Farm Photo credit: Murray MacDonald

In the operation room we learned about the sophisticated controls in place. Any alarms alert both local safety personnel as well as technicians in the US. as well as his phone. Then we were back in the shuttle bus, and slowly entered the solar farm It was a very amazing experience being surrounded by thousands of solar panels. We got off our shuttle bus at the centre of the solar farm adjacent to a data centre, looked at some panels up-close, and posed for a few pictures. In each data room is a nexus module that collects practical data; this particular room represents 30,000 solar panels. Operators compare data from these rooms in the farm with weather station data to spot problems.

I appreciated this engaging educational tour experience from IEEE. The tour guides were welcoming of the abundant questions, answering each with a fine sense of humour. As one of the participants, I felt welcomed and look forward to attending more conferences held by IEEE.

Yue Li is a recent electrical engineering graduate of Western University, currently looking for an entry-level position. One of her placements during the program was with Hanergy Holding Group Limited. In addition to data collection and analysis, she served as a host to visiting guests during facility tours.

IEEE Canada is a Member Society of the Engineering Institute of Canada

National Library of Canada, ISSN 1481-2002

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Last update / 2016-12-01 / la dernière mise à jour

Fall / Automne 2016, No. 76