Jim Sandercock
Jim Sandercock, Chair, Alternative Energy School of Applied Sciences and Technology
NAIT
Jim is the Chair of the Alternative Energy diploma program at NAIT. This two-year program has prepared nearly 200 highly qualified personnel who can design and assemble renewable energy systems such as solar PV, model energy efficiency measures such as geothermal and improved building envelopes, and recommend conservation measures through energy auditing and energy management planning. Jim has taught in multiple programs, ranging from trades to degrees, and helped create new training programs, including Nanotechnology and Alternative Energy. Prior to teaching at NAIT, Jim studied the production of fuel-grade ethanol using locally-sourced feedstocks. He completed a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Biotechnology at the University of Alberta, studying fully biodegradable plastics.
In 2023, Jim and his family completed a net-zero retrofit of their 1950s Edmonton home using a panelized wall system similar to the Dutch EnergieSprong method. If you can achieve a net-zero retrofit in Edmonton, you can do it in pretty well any major city on Earth!
Jim serves Alberta as a member of Edmonton’s Energy Transition and Climate Resiliency Committee, Vice Chair of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education, and as a Board Director of Solar Alberta.