Our Vision
To be a global leader in renewable energy education, we focus on empowering energy professionals through accessible, practical, and innovative training, including specialized hydropower training, that drives operational excellence, sustainability, and resilience.
Our Approach
At Sunbird | Power Academy, we prioritize being operators first. Our energy professionals training is grounded in decades of hands-on experience running hydropower and renewable energy facilities, rather than just theory. We focus on empowering professionals with practical knowledge and proven practices that have been effective in the field for years. By offering flexible, self-paced programs, we enable busy operators, engineers, and asset managers to enhance their skills through our renewable energy education and apply what they learn directly to their daily work.
Authors & Contributors
Babar Khan
- Babar Khan is a Professional Engineer with over 20 years of experience in hydropower operations, maintenance, rehabilitation, asset management, and technical advisory. His work spans the full lifecycle of hydropower assets, from development and commissioning through commercial operation, optimization, and long-term asset management.
- He has supported utilities, independent power producers, Indigenous power companies, and institutional stakeholders on hydropower projects across North America and international markets. His experience includes plant operations, modernization programs, lifecycle asset strategies, and independent engineering due diligence for conventional and pumped-storage hydropower assets.
- Through Sunbird Power Academy, Babar developed the Hydropower O&M Essentials Training Program to bridge practical plant-level experience with modern maintenance, reliability, and asset management principles.
- Babar holds an Executive MBA in Global Leadership and currently works in the hydropower sector supporting asset owners, utilities, and investors across North America. The program is developed independently through Sunbird Power Academy.
James Florance
- James is a seasoned hydropower operator and site manager with more than two decades of hands-on experience in plant operations, maintenance, troubleshooting, and rehabilitation. His work includes SCADA and HMI upgrades, electromechanical rebuilds, major maintenance planning, and day-to-day operational management across hydropower facilities in Canada.
- At Sunbird Power Academy, James helps ensure the training reflects real-world operating conditions, practical O&M practices, and the safety and reliability expectations of modern hydropower facilities.
- His field-based expertise and clear, direct teaching style make him a trusted trainer for operators, maintainers, engineers, and asset managers.