As oil companies drill deeper in search of new reserves, Ottawa-based Magenn Power Inc. is looking high in the sky for energy with its Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) – a lighter-than-air buoyant device that rotates in response to wind, generating clean renewable electrical energy.
In 1980, Fred Ferguson, founder of Magenn Power, patented the Magnus Airship – a large spherical envelope that was filled with helium. As the sphere rotates during forward motion, lift is generated equal to the airspeed flowing over the sphere – proving that wind lifts and rotates objects. His invention received many awards, including the Canadian government Award of Excellence in 1984, and he was even invited to exhibit the original Magnus Airship permanently at the Smithsonian Institute.
In 2002, after reading an article about using traditional kites to generate electricity, Ferguson was inspired to look back at his Magnus Airship research and in 2004 he formed Magenn Power with an updated, energy-generating version of his previous work.
The helium filled MARS is a buoyant turbine made of Vectran – a bulletproof material that is stronger than steel of the same thickness – and is connected to the ground by an insulated conductive tether. The unit can rise to a height of 300 to 1,000 feet to take advantage of more constant and higher wind speeds at higher altitudes that conventional wind turbines are unable to reach.
While in the sky, the MARS turbine spins in the wind, generating electricity. The current is transferred down the tether for
battery storage or transmitted to a power grid.
In addition to city-wide bike trails, 35 annual festivals and having the second-highest percentage of people who speak
both French and English of any major Canadian city, Ottawa is also the most highly educated city in Canada – with 50% of Ottawa residents holding post-secondary degrees or diplomas. In fact, both Ottawa universities – Carleton University and University of Ottawa – offer aerospace engineering programs that could provide Magenn Power with employees in the near future as the company grows to include an expanded product line.
Ottawa also has a number of research institutions and government labs that Magenn Power can tap into for support
including the National Research Centre wind tunnel and the Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information – a key resource for Ottawa’s research community with access to most of the world’s research literature and information in all areas of science and engineering.
Conventional wind turbines require land, wide roads and heavy machinery for assembly. MARS units removes these limitations because the units do not require cranes or special roads for installation. Furthermore, given that winds are strong almost anywhere at altitudes of up to 1,000 feet, MARS units can be deployed close to demand centres – including both remote locations and urban centres – reducing infrastructure problems and transmission line costs. Finally, the units operate quietly and are bird and bat-friendly, unlike conventional wind turbines.
Magenn Power units will sell for a price per watt comparable to conventional wind turbines. However, given the ability to
access stronger winds at higher elevations, Magenn Power will generate electricity for the lowest cost per kWh in the
industry. In remote locations the true Magenn Power competitor is diesel power, estimated to cost between $0.50
and $0.99 per kWh – compared to Magenn Power units operating costs of $0.20 to $0.30 per kWh for small turbines
and $0.07 to $0.10 per kWh for larger turbines. A combined wind and diesel solution is ideal for remote areas with high diesel consumption, lowering pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while also reducing handling, transporting and storage costs of diesel.
Magenn Power has received serious customer inquiries from island nations and large companies that have remote power
requirements. Magenn Power expects to enter the market with a 100kW unit in 2009.
Magenn Power Inc.
613-599-0567
www.magenn.com
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Recognia offers a suite of web-based tools that help investors and traders make critical decisions about the risk and profitability of their portfolio as well as the buy and sell decisions that they must make to stay in the market. Recognia’s automated analysis and monitoring tools are private-labeled by leading financial firms. These firms, which include Fidelity, TD Waterhouse, E*TRADE, HSBC, Bloomberg, and Thomson Reuters, offer branded Recognia products to their users and account-holders to help them cut through the noise and focus on what is important in the market now.
Recognia was founded in June 2000 to apply sophisticated pattern recognition and quantitative analysis algorithms to publicly trading financial instruments (stocks, commodities, currencies, fixed income etc.). Recognia has built-out a Software as a Service (SaaS) infrastructure with the stated intent of continuously analyzing every publicly traded instrument in the world. E*TRADE, as lead customer, began offering our service to their account-holders in 2004. We launched our first commercial customers in 2005 and have never looked back. We now have over 40 private-label customers and our revenues are increasing by more than 100% year-over-year. Recognia has 25 employees located in Ottawa, with additional employees in sales offices in New Delhi and New York.
Ottawa has a deep talent pool of software development expertise and its successful entrepreneurs have a history of re-investing in new high-tech startups, providing access to investment capital, the life-blodd of a startup. A strong telecom presence has helped develop a workforce with inate technical ability to provide high quality service to millions of users daily. Along with a strong professional services community to serve our core business, Ottawa is ideally situated with easy access to the major financial centres where many of our major clients are located; Toronto can be reached by train and plane and there are direct flights to New York, Chicago, Frankfurt, and London (UK).
Ottawa is a tightly knit city with community support for small and medium enterprises ranging from OCRI’s multitude of networking and professional development events; Zone Five, TEB, Software Cluster, and support and training at the Entrepreneurship Centre. Co-op programs at Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and Algonquin College help integrate entry-level talent in business, international affairs as well as computer sciences and engineering.
Recognia’s mission is to enable investors to make better decisions about their investments. The company set out to apply telecom-like-thinking by providing products delivering five 9’s of service to millions of individual investors on a daily basis. The ROI is clear. Recognia products benefit investors by reducing risk and identifying profitable trading opportunities, and benefit brokerage firms by delivering actionable information to help them meet their business objectives.
Most investors use fundamental analysis to look at the characteristics of a company, and then they use some form of
analysis to determine when to enter or exit positions. For most investors, this means looking at the price trends for a stock, its support and resistance levels, and the price history of a stock to finalize their trading decision. This traditionally has required much time and experience. Recognia’s value proposition is based on the ability to analyze over 55,000 investment instruments each day, enabling prompt notification of significant trading opportunities. The core technology is derived from radar and sonar pattern recognition algorithms developed for military use. Target markets include online brokers and financial portals, as well as buy-side and sell-side institutions.
Having achieved significant success in the Indian market, Recognia plans to continue to reach out to additional international markets including Europe and the Middle East. The company is continually focused on new product development with the aim of bringing a greater level of automation to the investment decision making process. By including and expanding its use of leading web processes and technologies, such as Web 2.0 and rich media, it will be easier for people to engage and take advantage of its products. Recognia is expanding its range of educational products to help inform investors about their personal portfolios and the financial potential that awaits them. Building on its strong and loyal customer base, Recognia will continue to provide higher quality and more frequent analysis of stocks and instruments from around the world. Recognia will continue to market and brand itself through the “investor” and “trader” industry’s network of trade shows, seminars and user groups.
Recognia Inc.
smatthews@recognia.com
www.recognia.com
As one of only a few Canadian electricity generating companies whose facilities have received Federal Government
EcoLogo certification, Energy Ottawa – a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa – generates environmentally-friendly, renewable and reliable energy from Ottawa’s waterways and landfills.
Energy Ottawa owns and operates three hydroelectric generating stations – located along the Ottawa River adjacent
to Chaudière Falls, the birth place of Ottawa’s rich logging history. The generating stations offer the environmental perks
of hydro-electricity production , such as zero waste and carbon dioxide emissions. However, Energy Ottawa delivers added benefits because the sites construction did not require damming of the Ottawa River – the common method for
hydroelectric facility construction and a process that displaces wildlife and permanently changes landscapes.
The hydroelectric generating stations are dubbed ‘run-of-theriver’, which means that the natural flow and elevation drop of the Ottawa River is used to drive the electricity-producing turbines instead of constructing man-made falls and rises to manipulate water flow. The stations generate up to 125 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year and are linked up with the Ontario electricity grid through underground cables.
Increased demand for green and renewable energy encouraged Energy Ottawa to look to another resource – garbage – for energy generation and in January 2007 the company began operations at the Trail Road landfill gas generation site. The Ottawa-based site converts methane gas from garbage into electricity – generating enough energy to power 5,000 homes a year while reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 180,000 tonnes by preventing landfill gas from being released into the atmosphere.
The Ottawa River not only offers a source of electricity. It also provides recreational activities to Ottawa residents and visitors. In addition to beaches and boat clubs, the Ottawa River is home to Ontario’s most desirable whitewater rafting
locations. Located 90 minutes from the heart of Ottawa is Owl Rafting and Wilderness Tours where both beginner and
veteran rafters can enjoy white rapid excursions down the legendary Rocher Fendu Rapids of the Ottawa River.
The Ottawa River – which is 1,130 km long – also offers excellent fishing, especially for bass, walleye and catfish. In fact,
pro fisherman can participate in the many fishing tournaments, such as CatFest, that happen annually during the summer months. Recreational fisherman can take guided fishing trips which are available at nearly any point along the Ottawa River.
In 2002, the Ontario government removed restrictions on the energy market, opening it up for competition from nongovernment organizations. The move, which was intended to drive down electricity prices, resulted in the emergence of many small hydroelectric generating stations throughout the province. Energy Ottawa is a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa. As such, it has a 100-year long tradition of powering Ottawa. In addition to experience, Energy Ottawa is among the largest green energy generators in Canada, capable of powering 18,000 homes alone.
Energy Ottawa is one of only a few Canadian green energy generating companies recognized by EcoLogo – North
America’s most widely recognized and respected environmental certification. Acknowledgement from EcoLogo
signifies superior service and commitment to green and renewable energy because it is the only North American
standard that meets the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard for environmental labels.
Energy Ottawa is continually exploring alternative ways to generate green energy and the Ontario Standard Offer
Program – which offers $0.11 per kWh to producers of renewable energy – will financially assist Energy Ottawa in its
goal to expand current operations to include wind, biomass and solar energy.
Energy Ottawa Inc.
613-225-0418
www.energyottawa.com
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Driven by high fossil fuel prices and increased concern over environmental impacts, Canada’s roads and waterways are becoming more environmentally-friendly as Ottawa-based Topia GreenStop and Real Café Inc. fuels cars, buses, transport trucks and boats with BioDiesel and Ethanol, clean fuel alternatives made from plant and animal sources. Topia GreenStop’s Ottawa location is expanding its offerings by distributing various fuel blends, such as E10 and B20, a line of green household products and a wide selection of organic food.
As a founding partner of ‘Certified BioDiesel Driven’ – a program that promotes and certifies high-quality BioDiesel internationally – GreenStop and Real Café is North America’s first commercial all-renewable fuel station, selling BioDiesel and Ethanol.
BioDiesel, made from inedible animal fat, vegetable oil, and waste cooking oil does not contain petroleum, is nontoxic and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Ethanol, which is produced by grinding corn kernels to expose the starch, contains approximately 30% more octane than petroleum gasoline and helps to improve fuel efficiency as an oxygenate.
The fuel station not only sells exclusively renewable fuels, it also has a retail store. Topia GreenStop believes that small changes make a big difference. This philosophy is reflected throughout the Topia GreenStop product line – green cleaning supplies, organic food, fair-trade coffee and Green Starter Kits, which are full of simple household products that conserve energy, water and money.
Ottawa is a very climate-conscious city, with many volunteer environmental groups, including Ecology Ottawa and Enviro Educ-Action. Ottawa also has annual environmental fairs, such as The Ottawa Green Energy and Transportation Show – an exhibition that showcases the latest green technologies and trends in transportation. Health Canada and The National Department of Defense also host well attended green fairs.
Ottawa offers many opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors –including skating on the Rideau Canal, the world’s longest outdoor skating rink, and visiting La Fleche – an outdoor adventure camp, located only 45 minutes from downtown Ottawa. The camp offers cave tours and zip-cord courses through the Laurentian Forest. Ottawa also hosts 35 annual outdoor festivals, including Cisco Systems BluesFest.
The annual outdoor music festival showcases blues, rock and pop music each summer and, in fact, Topia supplied all the BioDiesel fuel required for staging, sound and lighting during BluesFest show in 2006. With a population base so focused on outdoor activities and an amazing environment for recreational pursuits, Topia GreenStop offers Ottawa citizens and visitors many simple ways to reduce their daily impact on the environment that they love.
Today’s consumer is climate conscious and looking for ways to decrease individual negative environmental impact in easy-to-do ways, such as converting from fossil fuels to BioDiesel. The use of BioDiesel can reduce life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions by up to 85%, according to a study by Natural Resources Canada. Carbon Dioxide is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
A report by Ricardo – a British engineering firm – concluded that diesel cars are just as energy efficient as gas/electric hybrids, and cost significantly less. Diesels offer 30% better mileage than fossil fuel counterparts, the equivalent or better than hybrids. Diesel cars fueled by BioDiesel perform even better and have health benefits that regular diesels lack, such as decreased emissions of cancer-causing compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – a carcinogenic released during the burning of diesel.
In addition to providing cleaner burning fuels, the Topia GreenStop and Real Café is constructed using sustainable materials, such as compressed recycle straw board cabinets and chemical free linoleum flooring. In-store materials, such as coffee cups and food packaging, are also made from recycled, compostable or biodegradable materials.
By mid summer 2008 Topia GreenStop hopes to offer customers E85 and B100, two biofuel blends that have a far higher percentage of renewable fuels compared to any other fuel station in the province.
The retail side of Topia Greenstop will also be expanding. Topia GreenStop will be offering a greater range of green household improvement products and food choices to create a one stop environmentally conscious destination.
As a response to interest across North America, Topia GreenStop is working with licensees to open new locations across North America.
Topia GreenStop and Real Café
613-594-4777
www,topiagreenstop.com
The enormous opportunities for solid-state lighting (SSL) technology inspired the formation of Ottawa’s Group IV Semiconductor in 2003. The world’s dependency on light to live and work in comfort and safety accounts for as much as 20% of all electricity consumption.
Group IV is a frontrunner in the race to create all-silicon solid-state light engines. Using semiconductor processes, instead of gases or filaments, to generate light, these devices can be far more efficient than conventional bulbs and have lower costs than LED alternatives. The same low cost materials and high volume production processes used for silicon-based SSL are used to make the chip sets for today’s electronic devices — everything from computers to cell phones.
Unlike compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), no mercury is used in Group IV’s all-silicon alternative. The company has concentrated its development on driving down the cost of the solid-state bulb because if the new bulb isn’t as affordable as a compact fluorescent, nobody will buy it and the energy savings potential will not be realized.
James Fraser, writing about Group IV for his Energy Blog, adds, “While compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) have caught on lately with their promise of energy savings, they’re still only about 20% to 25% efficient. Lamps with SSL technology, by comparison, can achieve efficiency levels as high as 80%.
Ottawa is an international centre of excellence in optoelectronics and home to global tech corporations and world-leading research institutions. Ottawa’s wealth of expertise is prized by the Group IV Semiconductor team — and gives the company access to Ottawa’s National Research Council’s Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre, a world-class facility.
Group IV investors include Canadian VC’s, Garage Technology Ventures Canada and BDC Venture Capital. Sustainable
Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and Canadian energy giant EnCana Corporation are providing funding for the development and demonstration of the Group IV technology.
Group IV’s management team has decades of experience in Ottawa Tech companies like Nortel, Newbridge, JDS Uniphase, Oprel Technologies, Mitel and Zarlink. This team knows the value of doing business in Ottawa and their backgrounds in engineering, advanced technology planning, semiconductor components market development and semiconductor optoelectronic and microelectronic technology contribute to the collective tech know-how of the Ottawa region — for the benefit of all.
According to the Ottawa Citizen’s Vito Pilleci, the 27-employee firm can be considered the ultimate “green” company. The company’s lighting technology is actually “recycled” from Ottawa’s world-leading infrastructure and know-how in optoelectronics for telecommunications.
The SSL solution is a powerfully bright idea. In 2011, regulations effectively outlawing the sale of traditional incandescent bulbs in Ontario, Australia and Britain come into effect. The U.S. is considering the same ban. A Forrester Research study states, “more than 50 percent of adults in the U.S. will pay more for a product simply because it is environmentally friendly.”
Consumers and corporations are sensitive to rising energy costs and the pressure to use greener sources of energy. Conservation makes sense, but requires some effort to put into practice when homes, businesses and public spaces are increasingly dependent on electronic systems and devices. SSL offers the means to cut back on energy consumption and its associated costs as SSL devices use 90% less energy and last up to 50 times longer than incandescent light bulbs.
US$12 billion is spent globally every year on lamps for general illumination. Yet conventional lighting is grossly inefficient. Compact fluorescents produce large amounts of waste heat — about 75% of the electricity used is lost in this way.
Remarkably efficient and versatile, solid-state lighting could save some 860 TWh of electricity per year and eliminate 200 million tons of annual carbon emissions worldwide. These huge numbers are tied directly to cost savings for consumers and businesses. That’s an undeniably compelling business case.
Group IV’s objective is to sell high-efficiency silicon light engines to lamp manufacturers, exploiting the industry’s transformation from the energy-wasting light sources of the past to the efficient solid-state technology of the future. Group IV plans working prototypes of its SSL technology to be ready by 2010 with the made-in-Ottawa light bulbs ready for commercialization soon thereafter.
To prepare for manufacturing and deployment, Group IV is collaborating with California’s Applied Materials Inc., a global leader in nanomanufacturing technology solutions. Low-cost and highly efficient, solid-state light solutions significantly reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) and criteria air contaminants (CACs) by cutting down on the need for electricity generation and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Contact information
Group IV Semiconductor Inc.
(613) 270-7882
email: info@groupivsemi.com
www.groupivsemi.com
Ottawa , Ontario – May 5, 2008 . Kaben Wireless Silicon Inc, one of the industry's leading wireless semiconductor design companies, announced today the it was chosen by the Selection Committee of the 2008 Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) as “One of Canada’s Hottest 20 Innovative Companies”.
CIX is an action-packed two-day conference event that showcases Canada’s hottest new and innovative technology companies while providing a nexus of multiple meeting and networking opportunities designed to enable investors to discover Canada’s next great companies.
Canada 's 20 Hottest Innovative Companies have been chosen! Coming from across the country and ranging from web to wireless, software to hardware, gaming and everything in between, the finalists for CIX Hot 20 Presenting Companies were adjudicated by the Selection Committee and presented live at CIX in Toronto on April 29-30, 2008.
"Innovation is a cornerstone of Kaben’s growth and success. Over the past several years, Kaben has invented and successfully pioneered key elements of the reconfigurable transceiver technology, that enables Next Generation wireless communications based on multiple standards such as Bluetooth, FM, GPS, Wi-Fi, W-USB, and WiMAX", said Dr. Paul Slaby, President & CEO of Kaben Wireless Silicon. He continued, "KABEN is now poised to capitalize on this technology by bringing a range of intelligent radio microsystem products to the market. We are pleased to see CIX Selection Committee acknowledge our achievements and be selected as one of the country’s leaders in technology innovation.”
“The committee had the impossible job of selecting just twenty companies from well over a hundred candidates from across the country”, stated Robert Montgomery, Co-Chair of CIX. “We were impressed by KABEN’s achievement and proud to feature the company among the country’s “Hot 20”.
ABOUT KABEN
Founded in 2000, Kaben is a leading developer of wireless microchips that enable Next Generation wireless communications based on multiple standards (Bluetooth, FM, GPS, Digital TV tuners,Wi-Fi, W-USB, WiMax). Kaben is also a leading provider of specialized, high performance RF component cores, such as on-chip tunable Filters and Frequency Synthesizers, for embedded and stand-alone use. Kaben delivers high-performance, proven designs to manufacturers in the wireless communications market, that significantly reduce risk, cost, and time to market. For more information, please visit our website at www.kabenwireless.com
For more information please contact:
Seste Dell'Aera
V.P. Marketing
Tel: 613-596-6646 ext 212
Fax: 613-596-1809
Email: seste.dellaera@kabenwireless.com
]]>Windmill Development Group (Windmill) is dedicated to transforming traditional development practices and demonstrating the viability and benefits of ecologically, socially and economically responsible development projects. Ottawa-based and established in 2003, this visionary company uses innovations that reduce and recycle the use of natural resources – land, water, air, energy – in the building industry. Windmill incorporates green design and waste management with smart building.
Windmill’s building projects include Dockside Green in Victoria BC, The Currents in Ottawa ON and White Water Village on the Ottawa River and The Acqua-Vento in Calgary AB –recipient of the first LEED Platinum certification for a multi residential building in North America. The range of Windmill services includes green building consulting, property management, development services, and micro-utility set-up and management.
Windmill's strategic area of focus – building commercial and residential developments that sustain ecosystems – is shaped by the company’s commitment to maximize green building potential and meeting market needs. North Americans spend 80 to 90% of their life in buildings. Buildings use a third of our total energy, two thirds of the electricity, are responsible for 16% of freshwater withdrawals and produce 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste is generated in the U.S. each year. Yet within one generation, nations can achieve a ten-fold increase in the efficiency with which they use energy, and natural resources – Windmill’s team operates with this in mind.
Ottawa ranks in the top 20 cities worldwide and residents have strong civic pride for the city’s outdoor spaces. Ottawans are just as likely to be proponents of green living as residents of any city, yet Ottawa’s character is defined by a workforce with the highest percentage of university graduates in the country, and the highest concentration of PhDs in North America, tied with Boston MA.
Windmill is building the green development movement. Windmill team members host training seminars and workshops and are active on various boards and committees in their local communities. Windmill’s aim is to have each of its projects be a positive reflection of its community’s needs, ethic, and nature. Ottawa’s residents are receptive to this type of co-participation. The ground floor of The Currents – Windmill’s environmentally friendly building that features 43 luxury downtown condominiums – was chosen as the new home of Ottawa’s historic Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC).
In 2006 Windmill signed a letter of intent with Ottawa’s Sierra Club of Canada and the Canadian Environmental Network for the creation of Canada’s first Earth Embassy Building – in the nation’s capital, Ottawa ON. This showcase green building will help educate the public on the benefits of green buildings and also house offices for leaders in Canada’s environmental movement.
A Windmill green building project is only successful when humans, ecosystems, and economics all benefit. Windmill’s green development model increases ROI with:
• Faster development approvals
• Improved site densities and up-zoning enhancements
• Better tenant retention, higher rents
• fast sell-out rates at premium prices
• improved labor productivity gains - between 6-16%
An online survey by Cahners Residential Group showed 89% of home buyers polled would prefer to buy more environmentally friendly homes and are willing to pay more for green features.
Planned as 1.3 million square feet of residential, office, retail and industrial space, Windmill’s Dockside Green is the biggest development of city land in Victoria's history – full occupancy (2500 people) targeted for January 2011. All sewage will be treated on site and treated water will be used to flush toilets and for irrigation. The first phase of the new development, which is entirely sold out, sold 85% of the units on the first official sales day.
Windmill offers investment opportunities with three specific funds – development, brownfield and micro-utility. Investments are generally assembled on a project by project basis.
Westeinde Group, a leader in the construction industry for 25 years, is the driving force behind Windmill. Westeinde has completed over CDN $1B in projects for various commercial, government and private clients in addition to its principal development activities.
Says CEO and co-owner, Jonathan Westeinde, development is all about “getting towards the goal of a zero impact building. That is not just about zero energy or zero water use in terms of a building’s operating efficiency, but the life-cycle ability to allow 100% reuse after the lifetime of the building.”
Windmill strives to be the driving force behind the creation of a landmark portfolio of "green" real estate that demonstrates competitive advantage over the traditional real estate model for the long-term. Windmill management’s plans are to leave a green legacy for future generations.
Windmill Development Group
(613) 820.5600 x158
www.windmilldevelopments.com
Ottawa’s Advanced BioRefinery provides farmers and foresters with economical waste disposal systems capable of recovering original investment in under five years through energy savings.
Hidden within Canada’s agricultural and forestry business is a wealth of potential energy known as biomass – biological materials that can be used to make fuel. Advanced BioRefinery Inc. (ABRI), an Ottawa-based research and development company provides farmers and foresters with waste management solutions by converting biomass – livestock and forestry waste – into renewable and environmentally friendly Bio Oil . Bio Oil, which is similar to crude oil, can be used as fuel, fertilizer and char. ABRI, through pyrolysis – chemical decomposition of biological materials by heating in the absence of oxygen – is able to reduce waste amounts, provide fuel and offer a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels because the conversion of waste to Bio Oil does not release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – the leading cause of greenhouse gases.
ABRI further increased its technologies environmental benefits by developing portable biorefineries – the facility required for pyrolysis. The biorefineries are capable of going anywhere a car can – saving transportation costs, cutting fuel consumption and allowing for individual control over waste management. ABRI initially developed its technology to prevent waste from becoming landfilled and causing environmental harm. However, its biorefinery technology is proving to be particularly valuable by providing an economical alternative to fossil fuels – which are continuously rising in price and prompting people to seek alternative fuels and new ways to draw on existing energy sources.
The Canada Agriculture Museum – a working farm – is also evidence that Ottawa is a farm-friendly and environmentally-aware home for ABRI. In fact, Ottawa is the only world capital that has a working farm located in city boundaries. The museum showcases Canada’s unique agricultural heritage where visitors can explore and learn about farm life and advances in agriculture technologies. In addition, the Province of Ontario has around 60,000 farms – a ready market for ABRI’s technology.
In addition to saving waste from piling up in already over-crowded landfills and providing an alternative fuel source, the nutrients that are found in the char and ash, produced from the waste, can be economically and environmentally beneficial. For example, char – a solid that results from incomplete combustion of the waste –is an excellent soil fertilizer because carbon, which is found in char, promotes growth and healthy growing conditions, resulting in higher quality crops and healthy soils for tree planting.
ABRI customers can expect to make back their original investment – usually $150,000 for small on-site operations and up to $2 million for large transportable operations –in under five years through energy and fertilizer savings.
ABRI is projecting future growth as fossil fuels continue to rise in price and as concern over its supply increases and ABRI acknowledges the market need for its technology, especially in the United Sates. In 2006, the U.S. government announced its commitment to have 20-30% of energy produced from biomass by 2030. Canada has approximately two to five times more biomass resources and biomass production potential than the U.S. – representing a huge for potential for ABRI.
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Laflèche Environmental is one of Eastern Ontario's most innovative waste management companies. The Laflèche Environmental BioReactor is a cleantech landfill site that converts wastes to energy and re-usable organic material in a series of in-ground cells. The BioReactor is expected to help serve the ever-growing demand in Eastern Ontario for waste diversion over the next 100 years or more.
In 1987, André Laflèche, founder of Laflèche Environmental, bought 500 acres of land in Moose Creek, Ontario – 46 minutes from downtown Ottawa – the site of his future waste diversion facility. By 1997, with the vital expertise of a qualified team, he established Laflèche Environmental.
Municipalities and companies spend millions of dollars to start new landfill sites that often don't make it past the study stage. Yet Laflèche Environmental received its provincial certificate of approval in 1999, construction began in 2000 and the Laflèche Environmental BioReactor received its first shipment of waste in January 2001. The BioReactor is one of only a few landfills in the Ottawa area.
The inspired 25-person team at Laflèche Environmental believes that new technologies, including soil recycling and composting, allow for less negative environmental impact than existing waste disposal systems. Soil Recycling, for example, generates up to 150,000 tonnes of clean and nutrient rich soil for reuse on agricultural, residential and industrial properties, eliminating hydrocarbon contaminants.
Another Laflèche innovation, created in cooperation with Moose Creek Tire Recycling and Eco-Tire Recovery, is the use of recycled tires in the construction of the BioReactor leachate drainage system, allowing Laflèche Environmental to reduce by 50% the use of aggregate. Laflèche Environmental is committed to better pollution management, recycling methods and a cleaner environment.
André Laflèche is convinced that Ontario's demography and consumer habits require an innovative waste diversion facility one that employs environmentally sustainable and economically durable waste management practices from around the world.
The City of Ottawa collects 319,000 tonnes of residential waste each year, diverts 34% of it and dumps the rest in landfills, but there's huge opposition to expanding existing landfill sites. The Laflèche BioReactor has no foreseen maximum capacity and expects to serve eastern Ottawa for a hundred years or more. When André Laflèche chose his site, he knew it was the perfect location – close to Highway 417 (the arterial road running east-west across Ottawa).
Laflèche Environmental believes economic development and community development go hand in hand. The company contributes $1 per ton of waste accepted at its site to the Township of North Stormont, at the edge of Ottawa. This money becomes part of the township's general revenue, to be spent at its discretion. Laflèche is also currently financing studies and working to mutual benefit with four separate Canadian universities to expand the boundaries of environmental science and practice.
Organizations spend millions each month trying to find new waste-handling solutions for the province of Ontario. André
Laflèche’s suggested solution, in addition to soil recycling and composting, is to bring some of Ontario's trash to his sit.
The methane gas produced at his landfill can run a turbine and generate power to sell on the Ontario grid. After a cell or section of the Laflèche BioReactor is filled with waste, it is covered with a soil cap. Methane gas collects under this cap as the waste decomposes. The Laflèche BioReactor speeds up the process of garbage decomposition into methane gas by circulating leachate water through its cells. In this way, the BioReactor accelerates decomposition of waste – breaking down waste nearly three times as quickly than in a traditional landfill.
Over its lifetime, the Laflèche BioReactor will produce 10 MGW, enough methane to power 1000 homes for more than 50 years. In addition to its environmental value, the Laflèche BioReactor is a huge economic asset for the Ottawa region.
Laflèche Environmental works in association with Moose Creek Tire Recycling and Eco-Tire Recovery. Moose Creek Tire Recycling recycles Trensept recycles scrap tires and produces shredded rubber chips for civil engineering applications. Licensed by the Ministry of the Environment, Trensept Laflèche processes 3.5 million tires annually – more than one quarter of all scrap tires generated in Ontario each year. Trensept is the largest processing facility in the province. Laflèche Environmental is approved to use scrap tires as an alternative to traditional stone in the leachate drainage system design at the Laflèche Environmental BioReactor.
Together with dealers, haulers, and municipalities, both Laflèche companies strive to provide cost-effective alternatives to illegal dumping, stockpiling, and the trans-border disposal of tires.
Laflèche Environmental‘s vision for a cleaner future includes building a Mass Composting Facility, expected to be completed summer 2008. In addition, Laflèche Environmental will be building special digesters to transform farm and septic waste into fertilizer. The company plans to increase heat and carbon dioxide capture at the Laflèche BioReactor and generate electricity from the methane gas produced at the site. The long-term plan includes erecting energy efficient greenhouses and growing food on-site. Managing the cycle of waste diversion and decomposition will put waste to work for a hundred years or more.
The Laflèche Environmental Trust, with a planned $1.5 million, will be a key contributor to the acquisition for conservation of Wetlands, such as the Alfred Bog, the highest-quality bog ecosystem in south Ontario.
Laflèche Environmental, Inc.
(613) 538-2776
www.laflecheenvironmental.com
As power grids are stretched to capacity, with demand outweighing supply, electricity blackouts continue to roll through most of North America. Ottawa-based Energate is developing smart thermostats that monitor home energy consumption to reduce the occurrences of blackouts while also trimming electricity bills.
Founded in 2004, Energate empowers and engages consumers to reduce energy consumption without sacrificing individual need and comfort. “We have to change the way we look at comfort and conservation – it’s not an either/or situation,” states Energate CEO, Niraj Bhargava. With Energate smart thermostats, consumers learn to understand and control where energy is being used, at what cost, and how it can be reduced.
Smart thermostats are small devices that, when installed in homes and businesses, provides real-time energy consumption data that is balanced with the utilities’ current electricity prices. Using the smart thermostat and the information it provides, the consumer can decide whether or not to adjust energy consumption based on personal needs – similarly to cell phone users that opt to put off phone calls until evenings when rates are cheaper.
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Energate takes a smart grid strategy beyond the meter, to where demand is rooted – in the home. Energate’s home energy management solutions let consumers and utilities manage energy use and reduce peak demand without sacrificing comfort and convenience.
Mandatory energy conservation efforts – such as public alerts that ask for region-wide energy conservation during peak times and adverse weather – removes power from the consumer. “Consumers don’t want to feel like they are losing control within their homes,” says Mr. Bhargava. Energate’s smart thermostats allow users to reduce consumption when it is convenient, resulting in voluntary energy conservation every day, not just on hot summer days, and minimizes the need for middle-of-the-day mandatory power reductions.
From a homeowner’s perspective, Energate is an easy-to-adopt energy conservation option that requires zero training – the thermostats use plain language, are equipped with multi-lingual interfaces and are fully upgradable as technology and energy needs change.
By creating energy consumption awareness, Energate users equate energy consumption with financial savings – a reward for responsible behavior.
Industry analysts groups point to demand response programs as playing a significant role in reducing consumption and helping to avoid the need to build alternative sources of energy. In fact, according to the Brattle Group, by using best available technologies, customers could potentially lower the national peak demand by 22.9 percent. Energate, with its smart thermostats and energy management solutions is poised to capture market share as utilities around North America and worldwide purchase these "best available technologies" to reduce demand and capitalize on future opportunities.
Energate Inc.
Toll-free: 1 (800) 594-9871
www.energate.ca