Over the past year, the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Academy at the Alex Fraser Research Forest (AFRF) has welcomed participants from Indigenous, remote, and forest-dependent communities across Canada to explore a question that many communities are asking: how can local forest resources help build a more resilient energy future?
“Communities across Canada are looking for practical solutions that can strengthen local energy resilience while creating economic opportunities,” said Mustafa Onder Ersin, Project Manager of the CHP Academy Community Bioenergy Systems Training Program. “The CHP Academy was created to help communities explore those opportunities through hands-on learning, practical demonstrations, and knowledge sharing.”
Hosted at the AFRF, managed by UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, the Academy provides a unique setting where participants can learn about renewable energy systems within an operational forestry environment.
Over six training sessions, the Academy hosted 47 participants representing 21 Indigenous communities and other local communities and regions across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Interest in the program exceeded expectations, with more than 100 applications received throughout the year.
Many participants travelled long distances from remote communities, some of which continue to rely on diesel-generated electricity and imported fuels. They arrived with diverse backgrounds in forestry, energy, economic development, community administration, and Indigenous governance, but they shared a common goal: learning how local resources could help support community energy independence and resilience.
Practical learning
Participants spent five days combining classroom instruction with hands-on field experience at the AFRF. The program explored the entire community bioenergy value chain, from sustainable forest management and biomass harvesting to fuel processing, bioheat systems, combined heat and power (CHP) technology, wildfire fuel reduction, and community energy planning.
A key focus of the training was demonstrating how low-value forest residues – materials often left behind after harvesting, thinning, or wildfire risk-reduction treatments – can be transformed into a valuable local energy resource.
At the center of the training was the operational Volter small-scale CHP system. Participants followed the complete journey of forest biomass as it moved through drying, fuel preparation, gasification, electricity generation, and heat recovery. Rather than learning solely through presentations, participants were able to interact directly with the equipment, ask questions, and observe daily operational challenges and opportunities.
“Many participants arrived with an interest in renewable energy but had never seen a community-scale bioenergy system operating in person,” said Noel McKinnon, Systems Technician & Operator at the CHP Academy. “Watching them connect forestry, wildfire mitigation, energy production, and community development into one integrated system was one of the most rewarding parts of the program. Our goal is not simply to teach technology – it is to help communities evaluate whether these solutions can work for their own needs and circumstances.”
Building capacity for communities
With the support of Natural Resources Canada and FPInnovations, the program covered travel, accommodation, and meal costs for many participants from Indigenous and remote communities. Removing these barriers helped create opportunities for communities that might otherwise have limited access to specialized technical training.
“The CHP Academy provided remarkably broad, yet practical, education in the challenges and opportunities of biomass energy systems. The exchange of ideas and insights between participants from across Canada was fantastic,” said Duncan McPherson, Partner, Energy, Bennett Jones LLP and participant of the Academy.
Participants shared experiences from their own regions, creating a collaborative learning environment where knowledge flowed in multiple directions—extending beyond technology to include community priorities, forest management, workforce development, local economic opportunities, and long-term energy planning. Several participants have already begun exploring how bioenergy systems could contribute to future projects in their own communities, while others have strengthened connections with fellow participants and industry partners.
Beyond energy
The next phase of development includes a regenerative farm and greenhouse demonstration project using recovered heat from the CHP system to support year-round food production. The project will provide a practical example of how a single biomass energy system can create multiple community benefits.
For many remote and northern communities, energy security and food security are closely connected challenges. The biomass-based greenhouse project will demonstrate how excess thermal energy from a CHP system can support local food production while improving the overall efficiency and value of community energy infrastructure.
In addition to producing food, the greenhouse will become an extension of the Academy’s training environment, allowing participants to explore how renewable energy systems can be integrated with agriculture, food sovereignty initiatives, and local economic development.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of the program has been watching participants return home with new ideas and new connections,” said Stephanie Ewen, director of AFRF. “While each community faces unique circumstances, many share common goals: strengthening energy security, creating local employment opportunities, making productive use of forest resources, and building resilience for future generations.”
Looking forward
After CHP Academy’s first year, the focus remains on supporting communities through practical learning, knowledge sharing, and demonstration projects that connect technology with real-world needs.
The Academy continues to demonstrate that forest residues are more than a by-product of forest management. They can become a resource for renewable energy, workforce development, wildfire risk reduction, food production, and community resilience.
Find more information about the CHP Academy here.
