Our Team
Meet our team of highly competent individuals from all over the world working for a greener future.
Founder & Director
Muhammad Taha Manzoor
Taha is the founder and director of the Renewable Thermal Lab at the University of Alberta. His team actively investigates and develops high-temperature Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems. His research program focuses on the thermal design optimization of advanced solar-to-thermal energy conversion and storage systems. Taha’s contributions extend to designing the largest experimental solar simulator facility in Canada. He is also knowledgeable about traditional energy storage technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, and the commercial aspects of energy storage systems. He has assisted Canadian government-owned utilities in procuring battery energy storage systems for remote sites. Taha has trained multiple Highly Qualified Personnel (HQPs) in the field of renewable thermal energy. His trainees now serve in world-renowned institutions like Oxford and ETH Zurich
Students
PhD Student
Mojolaoluwa Keshiro
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Graduate Student
Abdul Saboor
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Graduate Student
Mariem Sahbani
Growing up in Tunisia, a small and wonderful country, Mariem received her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT), one of my country’s leading universities. It was there where she learned a lot about the fascinating world of mechanical engineering. Mariem began working on concentrating solar thermal energy systems as a final-year project at the University of Calgary, which inspired her to pursue Master’s studies in that field in order to delve deeper, improve her knowledge, and create solutions to improve the efficiency of existing systems. She is currently focusing on volumetric solar receivers and working with an incredible team at the University of Alberta.
Interns
Undergraduate Student
Owen
Owen is a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Alberta, set to graduate with distinction in May 2025.Owen has gained valuable research experience through his work in the Asphalt Pavement Lab and the Renewable Thermal Lab at the University of Alberta. In the Asphalt Pavement Lab, he contributed to testing and analyzing asphalt samples and studied the impact of axle loads on road strain using KENPAVE software. Currently, in the Renewable Thermal Lab, Owen focuses on improving mathematical models for simulating temperature distributions in molten salt systems.
Undergraduate Student
Tasankha Kandage
Thasanka Kandage is an undergraduate Software Engineering student at the University of Alberta. He is currently working on a Genetic Algorithm optimization project on liquid-based volumetric solar thermal receivers as part of his academic work. Thasanka is also an active member of one of the university’s robotics club, RoboMaster, where he is a member of the software team and further explores his deep interest in computer vision. Outside of academics, he enjoys sports, music, and film, and is always excited to talk these topics.
Undergraduate Student
Roshan Banisetti
Roshan Banisetti is from India and has lived in Qatar for the past several years. He is an undergraduate Honours Computer Science student at the University of Alberta, where he is developing expertise in algorithms, machine learning, and software development. As a research assistant, Roshan is supporting a project focused on optimizing the performance.
Undergraduate Student
Bhuvana Veeravalli
Bhuvana Chandar Veeravalli is originally from India but was born and raised in Dubai, UAE. He is currently an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science at the University of Alberta. He is part of a research team exploring advanced computational techniques, leveraging various algorithms, including genetic algorithms, to optimize the efficiency and temperature uniformity of liquid-based volumetric solar thermal receivers. In his free time, Bhuvana enjoys volunteering in his community, binge-watching shows, and playing and watching sports, especially cricket.
Alumni
Undergraduate Student
Muhammad Taha Naveed
Thasanka Kandage is an undergraduate Software Engineering student at the University of Alberta. He is currently working on a Genetic Algorithm optimization project on liquid-based volumetric solar thermal receivers as part of his academic work. Thasanka is also an active member of one of the university’s robotics club, RoboMaster, where he is a member of the software team and further explores his deep interest in computer vision. Outside of academics, he enjoys sports, music, and film, and is always excited to talk these topics.
Undergraduate Student
Sobhan Shoaib
Muhammad Soban Shoaib is an undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science at the University of Alberta. He was part of the Renewable Thermal Laboratory in the summer of 2024, working on optimizing liquid-based volumetric solar thermal receivers using a genetic algorithm. Soban is also an avid sports fan and loves to play soccer outside of school.