In his role as a new professor at Niagara College in the Electrical Engineering program, Bryan Mewhiney isn’t wasting any time lending his skills to projects at Niagara Research.

Bryan is a project lead on an exciting venture with a local industry partner, supervising one full-time student working on a cutting edge new method of solar-power generation that could prove to be up to 40 times more efficient and cost-effective than current processes.

The project, funded by FedDev Ontario, is also helping the student expand his skill set, learning how to work with AutoCAD 3D. A product prototype is expected within months, with a tentative release date set for next summer.

Bryan said the new project could be revolutionary, with no limits on marketplace impact and local economic development benefits given the province of Ontario’s Green Energy Act renewable energy policy.

Before coming to Niagara College in January 2011, Bryan worked at Priva, a climate control company, in the North American office in Vineland. He gained invaluable experience with design, building and testing a climate control automation panel for greenhouses, one of which is installed at the Niagara College Teaching Greenhouse.

He graduated from Niagara College’s Electrical Engineering Technology (Co-op) program in 2006, returning shortly after to reach his goal of becoming involved in post-secondary education.