Marc Provost, P.Eng., M.Eng.

Conducting research and development in the integration of renewable energy technologies to remote and northern microgrids, and empowering communities in their transition towards clean energy solutions.
Current research and/or projects
At Natural Resources Canada’s CanmetENERGY in Varennes laboratory, I work on a variety of research projects aiming to better understand the technical challenges in integrating renewable energy technologies into northern and remote microgrids. These networks have a higher sensitivity to the changes brought about by distributed power generation and intermittent energy sources: my work therefore aims to find technical solutions that will aid electric power providers in delivering a stable and reliable source of clean energy. Through this work, I am also committed to contributing to remote and northern Indigenous communities’ energy self-determination by conducting research that can lead to braiding knowledge systems and supporting their self-governance in decision making processes.
Research and/or project statements
- Evaluate the electric distribution grid’s distributed solar photovoltaic energy hosting capacity within the community of Quaqtaq in Nunavik.
- Estimate the photovoltaic potential of rooftops suitable for the installation of building-applied photovoltaic (BAPV) systems in remote Québec communities.
- Perform feasibility studies for renewable energy systems in various Canadian Arctic locations, or study the performance of systems already installed.
- Respond to internal and external requests for information on solar photovoltaic energy and the integration of renewable energies into autonomous and northern grids, and provide expert advice in these fields.
Professional activities / interests
- Professional engineer registered with the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec
- Participation in multidisciplinary working groups on renewable energy
- Participation in interdepartmental working groups and organization of a community of practice on Indigenous people in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
Education and awards
Degrees
- M.Eng. Energy Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, 2018
- B.Eng. Engineering Physics (energy concentration), Polytechnique Montréal, 2016
Awards
- Energy Technology Sector Merit Award—Excellence in Science—Contribution to the Remote Community Renewable Energy Analysis Tool (ReCREAT) for clean energy policy development for the North.
Key publications
Technical Reports and Whitepapers
- M. Provost, "État de l’art des fonctions étendues des onduleurs et applications dans le Nord québécois", CanmetENERGY, Varennes, 2021. (available in French only)
- S. Gualteros, M. Provost and L. Fauteux, "Solar PV Integration in Cold Climates" Nergica, Gaspé, 2020. Available: https://nergica.com/en/whitepapersolar-cold-climate/
- M. Provost, “Summary Report on the Solar Photovoltaics Integration Potential in Northern Québec”, CanmetENERGY, Varennes, 2019.
- M. Provost, “Rooftop PV Potential in Northern Quebec”, CanmetENERGY, Varennes, 2019.
- M. Provost, "Study on the Potential for the Development of Photovoltaic Energy in Northern Québec”, CanmetENERGY, Varennes, 2018.
Seminars, conferences and other
- M. Provost, "L’intégration de l’énergie solaire photovoltaïque dans les réseaux autonomes du Nord québécois : comment évaluer et améliorer leur capacité d’accueil?", 89e congrès de l’Acfas, Colloque 203 – Production et utilisation durables de l’énergie dans le Nord : observations, solutions, enjeux et défis pour toutes les disciplines, Québec, 2022. (available in French only)
- S. Gualteros et M. Provost, "L’intégration de l’énergie solaire photovoltaïque dans le Nord canadien : un étonnant paradoxe", Webinar, 2020. Available: https://nergica.com/webinairesolaire-climat-froid/. (available in French only)