about

Sutubra Research is a consulting firm focused on helping clients make better and more robust decisions about decarbonizing their energy systems. Since we started in 2021, we’ve worked with a variety of organizations, including government agencies, utilities, non-profits, and universities. Our expertise lies in mathematical optimization, integrated resource planning, and energy system model development.

How We Work

• Advanced Models: We use well-established energy system models to give you useful and practical advice.
• Tailored Solutions: We know that every client is different, so we adjust our models or create bespoke ones to better fit your specific needs.
• Working with Experts: We collaborate with leading academics to improve our methods and stay at the forefront of new developments.
• Staying Informed: We keep up with the latest research to make sure our methods and models are up-to-date.
• Thorough Analysis: We use rigorous mathematical and computing methods to make sure our advice is both useful and reliable.

By putting all these pieces together, we aim to help you not just adapt to the energy transition, but to be a part of leading the change.

People

Cameron Wade is the Founder and Principal of Sutubra Research. Before establishing Sutubra, he was affiliated with the Institute for Integrated Energy Systems at the University of Victoria. During his tenure there, he innovated new modeling techniques and conducted in-depth analyses of energy transition pathways in Western Canada. Cameron has co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles and is a regular presenter at international conferences on energy system modeling. He earned a BSc in Physics and Mathematics as a double major from Acadia University, where he distinguished himself as a University Scholar and a three-time All-Canadian in football. In addition to this, he holds an MSc in Physics and another MSc in Mathematical Engineering. Prior to his focus on energy systems, he was a member of the Advanced Concepts Team at the European Space Agency.

work

Ongoing

Model Intercomparison Project

We're participating in a model intercomparison project aimed at benchmarking four leading open-source power system planning models. The goal is to identify the most cost-effective transition pathways for the U.S. power system across various scenarios, while rigorously evaluating the robustness of decarbonization plans and comparing the performance of each model.

Supported by the Sloan Foundation, the project involves four modeling platforms: Temoa (Carnegie Mellon University, NC State University, and Sutubra Research), GenX (Princeton and MIT), SWITCH (University of Hawaii and Environmental Defense Fund), and USENSYS (Environmental Defense Fund).

Model Development

We're collaborating with experts from Carnegie Mellon University and NC State University to enhance the widely-used open-source energy system model, Temoa, as well as its companion project, the Open Energy Outlook (OEO).

Our contributions primarily center on the ongoing refinement of the Temoa energy system optimization model, where we apply state-of-the-art practices from mathematical optimization and macro-energy systems. In addition, we work closely with team members to conceptualize, execute, and interpret scenarios for the OEO, a project that "examines U.S. energy futures to inform energy and climate policy efforts by applying the gold standards of policy-focused academic modeling."

Long Duration Energy Storage

We're leading a research project funded by Nova Scotia's Net Zero Emerging Concepts and Technologies Research Program. The project aims to explore the role of long-duration energy storage in decarbonizing Nova Scotia's electricity system by 2050. We're building upon the open-source Atlantic Canada Energy System model, originally developed by Sutubra Research. This endeavor is a collaborative effort with Dr. Lukas Swan of the Renewable Energy Storage Laboratory at Dalhousie University, and aims to both leverage and enhance the existing model.

Pan-Canadian Energy System Model

We're collaborating with teams from the University of Toronto and the University of Calgary to create an open-source, pan-Canadian energy system model. This advanced planning tool is designed to assess the impact of proposed policies and explore diverse national energy futures by capturing complex interactions across regions, timeframes, and sectors.

Previous (selected)

Wind Resource Characterization

We developed an interactive tool to explore and characterize Atlantic Canada's wind power resource. Outputs from this tool were then integrated into a power system capacity expansion model to deliver insights related to the future of wind power development — and the power sector transition more broadly — in the region.

ACES Model Development

We led the technical development of the Atlantic Canada Energy System (ACES) Model. Funded by both Federal and Provincial governments and orchestrated by Net-Zero Atlantic, this project culminated in a decision-support tool that empowers Atlantic Canadians to explore "what-if" scenarios concerning the long-term evolution of our energy system.

Portfolio Optimization

We developed bespoke decision-support tools and delivered unbiased analyses to assist utilities in optimizing their resource planning strategies.

Project Evaluations

We've conducted in-depth techno-economic assessments of various generation, transmission, and storage projects, leveraging advanced power system capacity expansion models for precise evaluations.