Concordia’s Next-Generation Cities Institute (NGCI) recently brought on board seven partner businesses and organizations to collaborate on addressing sustainable urban-development issues. The move will help ensure the institute’s research is delivering real-world solutions.

One of those partners, Gestion Immobilière Quo Vadis, recently employed NGCI doctoral student Mostafa Saad on a part-time basis. He will continue his PhD in building engineering studies while applying his research to help the Montreal real estate developer fulfill its commitment toward making its buildings reach zero-carbon emissions.

The Egyptian native applied to Concordia due to his familiarity with the work of Ursula Eicker, founding co-director of the NGCI and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Communities and Cities.

“I’m researching city-scale decarbonization strategies for buildings,” Saad explains. “Buildings are among the biggest CO₂ polluters, especially if they are not energy efficient and operate on emissive energy sources.”

His research has gained more currency given the City of Montreal’s recent commitment to have all new city buildings be zero carbon — that is, fully powered by renewable energy — by 2025, and all buildings at zero carbon by 2040. Incorporating fully renewable energy means using only electricity — which adds another challenge since Quebec’s electrical grid can’t accommodate all the buildings that would need to plug in.

Keep reading on concordia.ca

• 
•