At many of Germany and France’s historic Christmas markets, revellers felt something was decidedly less festive than in previous years.

Fragrant evergreens had fewer multi-coloured lights. Huge artificial ice rinks, a standard of outdoor seasonal festivals for decades, were closed in some cases or replaced with ice-free roller rinks. And stay-up-late partying crowds found that decorated streets, stalls, bars, and restaurants shut down early. The holiday season was not the same.

In a post on his LinkedIn page and in remarks to the press, Martin Cohen, Deputy Mayor of the French City of Tours and responsible for energy and the environment, said that the reason for substituting the popular man-made ice rink with roller skating was the cost of electricity.

Just a few years earlier, in 2020, the price tag for keeping the ice rink going was 15,000 Euros (USD 16,300); after shrinking the rink’s size the following year, the figure dropped to 7,500 Euros, some USD 8,150. Although less expensive, the decision was made to eliminate the ice risk entirely for 2022.

To some, the Deputy Mayor of Tours seemed more like The Grinch than Santa Claus when he insisted that there was no sense keeping the artificial ice frozen “just to maintain a sense of Christmas,” adding that the magical vision of the holidays—massive trees adorned with thousands of lights, and twinkling displays—was a thing of the past, and it was time that “some elements have to evolve.”

The price of war
For a nation already on high alert and fearing power shortages during the coldest months, Cohen’s views, shared by many other European politicians, were met with everything from grudging acceptance to outrage. This was Christmas after all, and families felt they deserved merriment.

Slowly emerging from the doom and gloom of COVID, Europeans faced economic uncertainty over Russia’s unprovoked war on Ukraine. Now, after years of pandemic-related closures and job losses, the realities of not having enough gas to keep furnaces going added to the misery.

Along with France and Germany—the latter of which, by some estimates, received about 55 percent of its natural gas from Russia before the attacks on Ukraine—the United Kingdom is facing another hurdle: the price of power. Already struggling with fewer customers and not enough staff, many UK pubs and other businesses fighting to survive in a post-pandemic climate are now dealing with unaffordable electricity bills.

Newspapers and TV stations broadcast that businesses would be paying a staggering four times more for power than they’d paid in 2020. For many pub owners, the challenge meant covering some or all of the increase themselves, charging much more for a pint and risking alienating customers, or padlocking the door and declaring bankruptcy.

For Germany, the combination of rising fuel prices and limited natural gas supplies continues to take a brutal toll. Limited natural gas supply and the standoff over closing the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Russia are impacting homeowners and businesses alike. Especially hard-hit are the country’s manufacturers. Long dependent on unlimited sources of energy, a lack of natural gas and price spikes have seen paper companies—who consume massive amounts of natural gas during the drying process—forced to close shop or transition.

One of the oldest, Hakle, began the process of self-administrating insolvency last year and began exploring the use of waste coffee grounds to keep production afloat. Others, such as the Engelbert Schlechtrimen family bakery in Cologne, Germany, were forced to close forever. Surviving The Great Depression, World War II, and countless recessions over 90 years, the owners said they simply could not afford to keep the ovens on any longer.

Energy insecurity
In the past few years, terms like “food insecurity” and “energy insecurity” have been making the rounds for good reasons: people are worried not only about their future but about the present in the United States and Canada. Inflation rates are spiking, along with higher prices for everything from gas to groceries, leading many to question how and where they’re spending their money.

And while protecting the environment remains a critical issue, some are questioning the cost and timing of imposing carbon taxes during a recession.

While some dispute the capital “R” word, choosing instead to qualify our present predicament as a lower-case “moderate recession,” there is no doubt that North America is in murky financial waters. With the Bank of Canada recently raising interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.50 percent—coming after seven consecutive rate hikes in 2022—and with the U.S. Federal Reserve likely to follow suit, people are scared.

For many forced to cash in their savings, borrow from the banks, or rack up credit card debt to pay for groceries and utility bills, goals of early retirement are evaporating. As if that wasn’t enough, utility prices are increasing. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) recently approved changes to Enbridge Gas rates, with the customer charge increased to $23.98 a month. Add to that the Federal Carbon Charge of 9.79 cents per cubic metre, which increases annually each April. Multinational pipeline and energy provider Enbridge minced no words in stating clearly: “All of the money collected for this charge goes to the government.”

For homeowners, businesses, and manufacturers across Canada, the timing of these increases could not possibly be worse. In Someone Tell Trudeau: Energy is now about security, a recent opinion piece in the Financial Post, the author said that energy security has replaced climate change. “The world is not going back to the kumbaya days of the Kyoto and Paris climate accords,” wrote Ted Morton, Alberta’s former finance and energy minister.

The crunch is coming?
In Europe, the high price of gas has driven many countries into a recession and economists are wondering how soon it will be before North America feels the crunch. In a report issued last year, the Royal Bank of Canada predicted the country will face an energy shortage as soon as 2026, “and must decide between various energy sources, including eliminating gas altogether from the grid,” according to RBC Capital Markets.

The big question is: how can Canada’s federal government balance the country’s energy needs with its climate strategies and ensure citizens and businesses don’t go broke in the process?

In June 2021, The Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act became law, and “enshrines in legislation Canada’s commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050,” according to the Federal Government. Stating that tree planting, carbon capture, and other technologies are the way to go and are “essential to keeping the world safe and liveable for our kids and grandkids,” many beleaguered Canadians are wondering how, exactly, these measures will result in a stronger economy.

Another issue is the Great White North’s climate. Canada is a country of extremes, damnably cold in winter and bloody hot in the summer. While many grew up without central air conditioning, it is now de rigueur for year-round comfort in households, offices, and factories.

Heating and air conditioning require a lot of power, and Canada’s energy consumption is expected to increase 50 percent in just the next decade. That’s a lot of energy for a country with an aging grid. In Ontario alone, more than 600,000 customers were without power during the ice storm of 2013, which also affected much of the northeastern United States for weeks.

Rising power prices and energy shortages across North America may be inevitable; their true impacts, and how renewables and other alternatives might be able to fill the gaps, remains to be seen.

The post Europe’s Energy Crisis<p class="company">Is North America Next?</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

The company provides, but is not limited to, Geo-technical, Environmental, and Hydro-geological drilling services throughout Ontario, using a variety of drill rigs mounted on truck and tracked carriers. Geo-technical drilling is a type of drilling that is performed as part of the construction process. This is mainly carried out for structures like buildings, bridges, cell phone towers, roads, city infrastructure, et cetera. Soil samples are retrieved by GEDI and analyzed by engineering firms. Data can also be gathered, via this soil sampling process, for environmental and hydro-geological purposes.

When the groundbreaking ceremonies take place, drillers and Geo-technical engineers “don’t get the limelight like the architects and politicians do when they put the silver shovel in the ground,” notes Dave Gunn, GEDI’s Principal and Co-Owner. “But it’s the data that makes these things work,” Mr. Gunn adds, “whether it’s a water line being buried, a tunnelling project, or someone buying a $100 million piece of property, we have to make sure the data accurately represents the soil being tested.”

From conception to completion, GEDI is a one-stop shop for their clients. GEDI can assist with utility locates, daylighting operations, traffic control services, drilling services, water well services, and so much more. The company has a fabrication department in-house and can sustain itself when it comes to retrofitting rigs and building tooling. “We have been able to stay competitive, while offering a superior service, by performing most of the services ourselves,” says Mr. Gunn. “On large or specialized projects, work is occasionally partnered with trusted third parties.”

Before the company’s inception, Mr. Gunn was once employed as an Environmental, and Geo-technical, technician. It was then he and his business partner Ron Barnhardt, who also worked for the same firm, launched GEDI back in 1991 in response to a lack of good health and safety work practices and low customer service within the industry.

“At the time,” says Mr. Gunn, “health and safety, and customer service, were almost non-existent.” With Mr. Gunn’s knowledge of soil sampling data and Mr. Barnhardt’s drilling systems and mechanical knowledge, Geo-Environmental Drilling Inc. was born.

In its infancy, GEDI mainly performed soil investigations and installed remediation equipment for energy companies such as Imperial Oil and Shell Canada, who Mr. Gunn speaks highly of by praising them for their “unwavering commitment to safety and professionalism.” Over time, the bulk of GEDI’s work shifted from the energy sector to the construction industry.

Today, their workload is more or less evenly divided between geo-technical and environmental drilling. “People are buying land to build on,” begins Mr. Gunn, “and an environmental assessment is required when dealing with the banks. Then, before they build on the land, a Geo-technical investigation has to be completed. When the refinancing needs to be done, ten years later, the banks want to make sure the soil isn’t contaminated. It isn’t uncommon for us to drill a site numerous times over the decades.”

So, what sets GEDI apart from other drilling firms?

Mr. Gunn attributes GEDI’s success to the quality of their overall service, their relationships with their clients and employees, and the production of accurate data for the engineering firms that hire GEDI. “Everyone here is concerned with our client’s next drilling project,” he states. “Our goal is to safely, and efficiently, complete a client’s drilling program within the time and budget estimated. We need the engineers to be successful in their business so we can perform their next job.”

But doing a great job for its clients isn’t the only contributing factor to GEDI’s success.

Geo-Environmental Drilling is very proud of its environmental safe-work practices. Mr. Gunn says,” there are many small tasks and practices that have to be completed for a job to be successful—proper handling and disposal of waste and running newer, well-maintained equipment,” to name a couple. These practices cannot be implemented properly without the employees.

GEDI, currently, employees 35 to 40 employees and is always looking for good people to join their team. Mr. Gunn explains what he looks for in a new hire: “We are looking for someone who is willing to learn, wants to advance, and is able to follow policies and procedures. We can train them to do everything else.”

According to Mr. Gunn, it usually takes three to five years to go from a green horn driller’s assistant to a fully licensed driller. This journey includes new employee orientations, on-site training, stringent health and safety training, an operator training program, well licensing training, MOE training, a driver training program, and most importantly, the hard work and dedication in providing an unparalleled drilling service.

Of course, there are benefits to maintaining a high level of qualified staff and services. Mr. Gunn says he has never advertised because he been able to rely on word of mouth, referrals, and repeat customers to obtain work. This strategy has been successful for GEDI. Some of its past projects include the Gordie Howe Bridge spanning the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario; the Port Lands Toronto project, which will be a revamped waterfront at the bottom of the Don River; and numerous transit infrastructure projects for Toronto, Hamilton, and Mississauga.

“All of our projects are important,” Mr. Gunn states. “The Gordie Howe Bridge required a great deal of preparation in case artesian conditions were encountered within the bedrock formation. Other projects require us to accurately drill and sample to depths of 150 meters. Some projects require us to deal with potential contamination, traffic control, homeowners, tenants, civilians et cetera.” Some projects are also sensitive because of nearby buried utilities.

GEDI operates a subsidiary, Geo-Daylighting, responsible for exposing the buried services so they are not damaged during the drilling process. The day-lighting process consists of a large truck equipped with an “Air-Knife” system that uses high-pressure air to safely break apart the soil around the services while simultaneously containing it in a large holding tank via a high volume vacuum system. This system ensures that buried facilities aren’t damaged, but more importantly, that no one is hurt during the drilling process because of a utility strike.

GEDI is partially responsible for raising the standards in the industry over the past 30 years. In the early 1990s, when Mr. Gunn worked for a consulting firm, drill crews wore shorts and running shoes on site. Although this made for good backyard barbecue attire, it didn’t protect the worker from heavy equipment or potentially contaminated soil. By contrast, Geo-Environmental Drilling has always taken a “safety first” approach to its operations.

GEDI performs numerous on-site safety audits and safety meetings to make sure all safety protocol is being followed, not only by its employees, but its clients too. In addition to maintaining their tools and equipment, GEDI reinforces the “safety first” approach through their safety culture and mentoring programs. This safety culture is ingrained in everyone’s minds through constant encouragement for employees to speak up if they come across any safety concerns. Mr. Gunn believes it is this type of transparency and awareness that helps GEDI overcome unforeseen challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The initial stages of COVID-19, in early 2020, were scary for everyone,” he says. “We dealt with these stages within the company in several different ways. We had daily morning meetings to discuss the virus’ progress. We tried to figure out what was false information on social media and countered that with what we hoped was correct advice.” While GEDI remained open for business throughout the pandemic, as a designated essential service, it did have to get creative with how to keep its employees, and the public, safe.

“Despite the government assistance, and continuance of drilling,” he says, “we did have to absorb some additional costs due to COVID-19 procedures. We had crews driving in separate trucks and we staggered morning start times to reduce employee contact,” to list a couple. Despite the challenges, Mr. Gunn is very proud of the company’s past and is excited about its future.

Geo-Environmental Drilling will continue to find ways to enhance its products and services. “My main goal,” says Mr. Gunn, “has been and will always be to have Geo-Environmental Drilling synonymous with high quality work and unparalleled commitment to the health and safety of all its employees and the people who hire us.”

The post Raising the Bar for the Geo-technical Drilling Industry<p class="company">Geo-Environmental Drilling Inc.</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

“As of now, we have a total rental fleet of just over 275,000 horsepower, and out of that total, we are 98.5 percent electric-driven. We still have a miniscule percentage of legacy compression units that are driven by combustion engines, but we are getting closer and closer to the one hundred percent figure,” states Chief Executive Officer Brian Green, son of the company founder.

TOPS also offers comprehensive service, support, and maintenance for the roughly nine hundred advanced compressors in its fleet. Its customers consist of energy companies in the Permian Basin—a region in the south-western U.S. with abundant oil and gas deposits.

Gas compression—which increases the pressure of natural gas by reducing its volume—is not a new technology. TOPS, however, has established itself at the forefront of the compression field. Instead of driving the compressor with a traditional gas combustion engine, its compression skids have two electric-powered motors for nearly emissions-free operation.

Compressors from the company also feature custom-designed supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) technology. A SCADA system uses sensors, software, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and other devices to enable process automation, data collection, and remote performance monitoring.

This type of innovation helps it stand out. “I think the biggest piece for us is automation—what we are able to do control-wise with an electric motor and a PLC. It’s far more advanced than what can be done with a gas engine. Everything is simpler—from restarts to monitoring operational ability,” says Green. “Secondly, there is the amount of data and analytics we’re able to collect from this system. Pretty much everything on that skid we can track in real time,” he shares.

“We have roughly 125 data points that we’re capturing in real time from each of our compressor skids. All that data is being funneled through our control room. It’s being looked at with statistical models to see if temperatures, vibration, pressures, or anything is out of norm or out of standard deviation.”

If a mishap is detected, or if a unit is down, TOPS can dispatch technicians to investigate and fix the problem or even restart the system remotely.

In addition to being highly efficient, the company’s compressors are better for the environment. Gas compressors typically run continuously, every day of the year, so traditional systems create a lot of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and other toxic fumes. Removing a gas combustion engine from the equation “is a significant benefit, not just for our industry but for our customers and everyone, from an ESG (environmental, social, governance) perspective,” says Green. TOPS compressors are also less noisy and costly and offer greater run-time than their gas-powered counterparts.

From its Midland headquarters, TOPS maintains a satellite office in Carlsbad, New Mexico and a facility in Yukon, Oklahoma. The Carlsbad branch primarily supports field personnel in the region, while the Yukon facility “gets our units ready and does major overhauls and such,” Green explains.

Equipment handled in Yukon is intended for use elsewhere. “Our operating area is all within the Permian Basin. Every one of our compression units is located in West Texas or southern New Mexico,” he says. Business is booming at present, so there is no need to expand outside of the Permian Basin.

TOPS has “a tremendous backlog for equipment that’s already contracted out to a blue chip customer base. So, right now, we are as busy as we can be servicing needs in the Permian. It would have to be a pretty good opportunity for us to move outside because we’re doing really well here,” he states.

The company gets most of its gas compressor units from Ariel, an Ohio-based firm that describes itself as ‘the largest manufacturer of separable reciprocating gas compressors worldwide.’ Green explains that there are “only a handful of manufacturers of natural gas compressors. The gold standard in the compression industry is Ariel. So, roughly eighty percent of our fleet is Ariel gas compressors.”

Ariel will build a compressor frame with cylinders and other equipment. Then, the product is sent to a network of Ariel packagers who work with TOPS “on the design of the overall compressor skid and compressor package, adding the cooler, motors, piping, pressure vessels, et cetera,” says Green.

Once the packagers’ work is done, the compressor goes to TOPS which installs instrumentation and other technology, then adds the finished product to its fleet.

Brian Green’s father L.D. Green founded the firm in 1996. When Brian came on board in 2006, the focus was on traditional, natural-gas-driven compressors which were “the industry standard,” in that period, he remembers. It has “definitely been an evolution.”

By 2008, shale gas had become a much sought-after commodity in the Permian Basin. “We were getting involved in the gas-lift compression market around that time. We began to see a lot of problems popping up with traditional compression units with natural gas engines. They weren’t really designed to run well in the Permian Basin. They weren’t really designed to handle the wet, saturated, heavy-gravity gas that we see up here,” recalls Green.

Around 2011, TOPS began delving into electric-driven compression as an alternative. “At the time we had all the naysayers who were saying, ‘Electric doesn’t make any sense.’ Fast forward, and we’ve completely flipped that metric,” says Green. “We’re doing business with the who’s who—blue chip customers in the Permian Basin—so I think we’ve proven that the concept for our area makes a lot of sense.”

L.D. Green worked as president and chief executive officer of TOPS until recently. In January of this year, he decided “to enjoy a much earned retirement, but he’s still involved with the company as chairman of the board,” his son states.

Brian Green, who has handled just about every facet of the business, moved from chief operating officer to chief executive officer. The company is now partnered with private equity group, Apollo Global Management, Inc. and is no longer a family business.

One consistent theme throughout the years has been a commitment to customer service. As business expanded, the company invested in new compressors and staff. “As we grow our fleet size, you have to have enough technicians to keep up. You have to have additional engineering support, project management support, all the back office support to make sure those guys in the field have the parts they need when they need them and where they need them,” explains Vice President of Sales and Marketing Misty Ingle.

TOPS currently has 165 employees. When considering a new employee, particularly for work in the field, the company wants people “who are technically inclined, who are not afraid to learn new things, who can embrace working with electronics and automation. It’s not something they’re intimidated by,” says Green.

A strong work ethic and the ability to take on challenges and “wear several different hats,” is also important, he continues.

“We love an employee who will challenge our preconceived notions. A lot of companies will squash that in their employees but we welcome somebody to challenge us and help us grow and do things differently,” adds Ingle.

For all its upward momentum, the company faces many challenges, including COVID. When the virus began spreading rapidly in March 2020, it introduced controls on people entering and leaving its facility, temperature checks, and social distancing to keep its workforce safe.

The pandemic “was an incredibly tough time for our industry,” but TOPS got through the worst of it intact and grew during the crisis, says Green. “I think it is a testament to what we’re doing and the benefits our customers see with our products.”

While the virus might have peaked, the fallout from shutdowns continues to wreak havoc on supply chains. Like many companies, TOPS has been dealing with long delays in part shipments, especially electronic components from Asia.

Still, the forecast for the future is bright. When interviewed, the company was preparing to ship a 2,000 horsepower compressor—its biggest unit yet. This fully electric system is quite a leap for the firm, which previously only handled compressors that went up to 800 horsepower.

“We see this as an opportunity for us to continue to grow, to put out some larger compressors. The same things that made us so successful with the smaller compressors, we think are going to be game changers for the larger units,” says Green.

Five years down the road, “We want to be seen as the leader of not just electric compression but the leader in compression in general. We’re constantly adapting and innovating. We want to see our horsepower totals continue to grow. We want to continue to grow our team and take advantages of opportunities as they come up.”

The post This Texas Company Expands its Gas Compression Business<p class="company">Total Operations & Production Services (TOPS)</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

Sadly, the biggest change “was my father passing away,” shares President Jake Bolton. Craig Bolton, who was interviewed for the previous profile, passed in the fall of 2021. Craig served as the company President. After his death, Jake, who had been Vice President, stepped into the top leadership spot while Jake’s younger brother, Lucas, and Plant manager, Patrick Park, have stepped up to help fill the void.

To honour Craig, the company has retained its focus on top-quality products and services, while upholding a loyal, experienced workforce. Peninsula continues to be a one-stop shop that offers a comprehensive range of services including consultation, modelling and industrial design, three-dimensional (3D) printing, part and mould design, manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and shipping.

Consultations entail detailed discussions with clients and preliminary design work. Moulds can be custom designed according to customer specifications. Once a design has been chosen and successful prototypes have been built, the company will commence a production run of parts and moulds on its thirty-four custom injection machines and other processing equipment. This work is done in a 65,000-square-foot space at the company’s Fort Erie headquarters.

Across the street from the production center is Peninsula’s 30,000-square-foot warehouse for logistics work. The warehouse stocks customer products and inventory and this is where some light packaging is done. The company can provide display cases, blister and clamshell packages, and boxes, as well as perform heat sealing, labelling, and polyethylene bag packaging, to highlight and protect customers’ products. Logistics also covers brokerage duties and arranging pick-ups or deliveries for clients.

The company maintains a large inventory of a variety of plastic resins, which is very beneficial to its customers as they are able to pass on the savings of buying material in larger quantities. For commodity resins like polypropylene and polyethylene, there are four silos on-site which allow the company to purchase material in railcar quantities. Material in these silos can then be pumped directly to work centers without requiring a manual transfer of materials. This again provides added cost savings to customers. “We are looking at further improvements to this process by adding more silos and more advanced material conveying systems,” says Bolton.

Peninsula has a separate division called Nova Products that makes plastic goods such as glass case inserts, spools, and hydro components. Storage containers for recyclables are another Nova specialty; it makes ‘blue bins’ used to store paper and plastic recyclables and ‘green bins’ used to store kitchen and organic waste, primarily for municipalities. Blue bins include small, five-gallon units that can be fitted under desks, mid-sized stackable containers, and large twenty-two-gallon curbside bins. Green bins range from two-gallon kitchen containers to thirteen-gallon curbside units.

Nova has developed a brand new product: a thirty-two-gallon, black plastic garbage can, of which the company is particularly proud. “It’s light, compact, and made with superior materials, so it won’t break. It also has a “better aesthetic design,” than other garbage bins, according to Bolton.

The superior materials include impact-modified polypropylene. The garbage bin will be sold by retail outlets such as Home Depot, Home Hardware, and Walmart. The company is working on placing the thirty-two-gallon bin in Canadian Tire as well, he says.

In addition to its Fort Erie facilities, Peninsula uses a 20,000-square-foot, third-party warehouse in Buffalo, New York. This warehouse points to one of its strengths: the ability to ship products to both Canada and the U.S. with ease.

“It’s one of the things that sets us apart from other injection moulders. We’re literally on the border. The transfer of goods across the border is something we make extremely easy for our customers. We take the headache out of it,” Bolton states.

Other things also set the company apart. For a start, it maintains high standards of quality, with ISO and National Sanitation Foundation Institute (NSF) product certification. Based in Michigan, but with an international reach, the NSF offers product certification services in various fields including food equipment.

Peninsula has implemented Health Canada’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) program and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. The GMP program is designed to ensure high standards for packaging material, among other things.

The company has a client-centred business ethos. Customers can approach Peninsula with a vague concept that the company turns into a production-ready product. This process is driven by the use of 3D, computer-aided design software. It sometimes taps into the same skillset to fix problem moulds from other firms.

Peninsula uses 3D printers as well, but only for prototyping. Despite the hype about 3D printing, the process is still too slow and unwieldy to mass produce moulds or parts, says Bolton. “It’s not going replace injection moulding in this century. It doesn’t compare to the strength of injection moulding or the speed of injection moulding,” he points out.

Given this, Peninsula is eager to buy more custom injection machines, preferably bigger ones. At present, the largest machine the company owns has a clamping force of 1800 tons. Within a couple of years, it hopes to add a 2,500-ton machine to its lineup. “We’re looking to increase our tonnage. We’re looking for a bigger machine,” says Bolton.

For all the progress Peninsula is making, the company is still somewhat in recovery following COVID. “2021 was a tornado of a year, but things have been returning back to normal,” Bolton reports.

Certain health protocols remain in place; visitors are still required to sign in, and staff members, in general, are much more vigilant about the prospect of illness. Now that the virus appears to be finally receding, the company has taken to attending in-person trade shows again while continuing to enhance its online presence.

Prior to the pandemic, Peninsula employed 130 workers around the clock. This has been reduced to ninety employees working continuously for five days a week. Bolton hopes that the workforce has been only temporarily downsized.

Meanwhile, the company is striving to streamline its operations to increase efficiency. A few years ago, it acquired an enterprise resource planning software system for its offices. The system has proven its worth and the company is now “working on implementing bar code scanning and the Internet of Things into the workplace,” reports Bolton.

Peninsula’s human resources department has added new software as well, to track vacation time and other employee data. The software will eventually include online employee portals to help employees access their information faster and easier. The firm uses a fingerprint clock check-in for staff and is looking to expand its machine monitoring capabilities to keep an eye on cycles and production time.

In addition to software, the company has introduced robotic systems on its plant floor. Robots enhance both productivity and worker safety by taking on potentially dangerous tasks once performed by employees such as reaching into machines to remove parts.

For all the technological software and robotic solutions, Peninsula is fully aware of the importance of human relationships. The company builds employee loyalty. Staff members are eligible for a variety of benefits, including dental coverage and a registered savings program. Peninsula emphasizes internal promotions and likes to match experienced staff with new hires for intensive, hands-on training.

It tries to encourage a family-like work culture, which makes sense given its heritage. The company originated as a small custom injection moulding shop with a handful of machines and employees in Georgetown, Ontario. It was purchased by Jake Bolton’s grandfather in 1976 and moved to Fort Erie. Fred changed the name to Peninsula Plastics and expanded the operation. Craig took over in 1989, and now his two sons are heading the business.

Going forward, the plan is to keep Peninsula within the family and expand operations through moulding larger products. There is also talk about entering new product categories such as the home organization market. “We’re working on that now,” says Bolton.

There have also been discussions about setting up new branches in different cities. “Especially with shipping costs, we could definitely see ourselves branching out—trying to cover more of North America,” he says.

The post New Products, New Ownership for This Family Firm<p class="company">Peninsula Plastics</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

Services rendered by PFM include the design and installation of recycling and waste equipment, material marketing (a company database tracks global material markets for paper, plastics, Styrofoam, wood, masonry, metal, and other substances), and obsolete and excess inventory control solutions. The latter service entails the tracking and monitoring of excess raw, packaged, and finished goods (to ensure they are properly disposed of). Inventory control can cover personal care products, cosmetics, fragrances, and industrial chemicals.

Additional company competencies include liquid and bulk waste solidification, cosmetic product incineration, electronic recycling, and ethanol recycling. Equipment maintenance and repairs are also offered (the firm has in-house and in-the-field fabrication capabilities), as well as power washing and cleaning, site surveys and insurance inspections. Preventative maintenance services are available too.

Premier handles all manner of materials, including plastic, wood, rubber, glass, paper, cardboard, aluminum, insulation, foam/carpets, packaging, Styrofoam, and more. A sample green certified destruction material audit form on the company website lists additional substances that PFM can process such as solvents, nail polish, oils, metal alloys, steel, and detergents, to name a few. The company’s customer base covers residential buildings, malls, schools, government offices, sports facilities, industrial facilities, and more.

A vast array of recycling equipment is available for clients. Popular products include high-capacity shredders (for securely destroying vast quantities of confidential documents), augers (used to pre-crush and compact cardboard, construction refuse, plastic, and pallets), and cart tippers (which dump loads into compacting equipment).

Various compactors and balers are offered as well. Compacting waste into sealed bags can drastically reduce waste volumes, while also preventing leakage and foul smells. The company’s compactor category includes self-contained compactors (these are specifically designed for wet waste and the containment of liquids) and stationary compactors (designed for “maximum compaction of waste materials into a receiver container of various sizes,” in the firm’s words).

The baler category includes horizontal balers (featuring multiple feed openings and chamber sizes, these are useful machines when recycling in high volumes); vertical balers (which take up a smaller footprint compared to other balers); conveyor-fed baling systems; and multi-chamber balers (which sort and bale recyclable items such as plastic film and cardboard). Additional gear on offer includes plastic foam densifying machines (which use high-volume extrusion to crush plastic foam scrap) and turbo separators (interior blades, bars, and screens separate packaging from products).

PFM can provide eco-friendly construction and demolition-related services. The firm will sort and separate demolition and construction debris, with an eye toward finding reusable items and/or materials. Some reusable products are donated to charities. These construction and demolition services help contractors fulfill Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and other regulatory requirements. The LEED program is an initiative from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Clients can also contract PFM for solid waste engineering. This entails customized source separation, waste audits, supply chain overview, inventory issue solutions, sustainability compliance, and more.

PFM was founded by a waste management industry veteran named Bob Frustaci. His vision was to establish a waste management firm that put sustainability first. The company was initially based out of a 10 by 10 foot office and had minimal capital. In the early days, the fledgling firm was primarily focused on serving the hotel industry, but it soon branched out and expanded into the construction and manufacturing sectors, where waste, unused materials, and excess inventory are common issues.

The company has been recognized for its work. On February 9, 2018, PFM received a Certificate of Innovation in Sustainability from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). PFM has also received the Green America Business Seal of Approval. To earn this honor, a firm must demonstrate commitment to environmental sustainability and social justice, and businesses that garner the Seal of Approval are listed in the National Green Pages.

PFM has also been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council since 2020 and is affiliated with the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), Green America, the New Jersey Affordable Housing Management Association, and others.

Sister company PCS (Premier Compaction Systems, LLC) offers waste equipment services in the Northeastern United States, with a focus on compactors and trash chutes. PCS staff can design and implement waste management processes using top-of-the-line equipment. The company promises a “total recycling solution” and can provide servicing and repairs as well.

The customer base for PCS includes municipal governments, grocery stores, nursing homes, retailers, manufacturers, residential buildings, distribution centers, packaging companies, schools, hospitals, and more.

PCS has also earned multiple awards and kudos, including a 2018 Certificate of Innovation in Sustainability from New Jersey DEP (the same honor that was earned by PFM) and a Gotham Green Award in 2018. The Gotham Green Awards are awarded by Gotham Networking to small and mid-sized companies “for their contributions, inspiration and guidance in helping us all take better care of the planet and ourselves” as a press release puts it.

PCS also was named 2019’s Best Sustainable Waste Management company by the Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal and was a 2019 Manufacturer of the Year finalist in the small company category (with 50 employees or fewer). The latter contest was run by the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP), a not-for-profit organization that helps manufacturers based in New Jersey become more competitive, efficient, and effective.

Into the future, expect to see Premier Facility Management and Premier Compaction Systems continue to lead the way on reducing waste, recycling costs, and the carbon footprint of their clients, all the while improving the environment.

The post Reducing Waste, Expenses, and the Carbon Footprint of Its Clients<p class="company">Premier Facility Management / Premier Compaction Systems</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

Brooklyn-born and a “New Yorker at heart,” Chiaia grew up in the sanitation business, immersed in the environment since childhood and arriving at her destination via her father.

“He started it over 54 years ago,” she says. “We’ve been in the industry in New York for all these years. I was literally seven years old sitting in the truck.”

After graduating from Columbia University, Chiaia started working for her dad before taking over with her sister more than 35 years ago. A member of SWANA (Solid Waste Association of North America), the company has a strong focus on equity and inclusion, and now proudly counts Chiaia’s daughter as a team member as well.

“My daughter graduated with her MBA and worked in New York City in fashion,” Chiaia says. “I was able to turn her from fashion to waste management.”

In a historically male-led industry, Chiaia is proud to employ women in the industry, with the older generation teaching the younger one valuable skills and insights gained from years of experience. “I think the consistency and stability of having the continuity is good. I’m happy I am able to teach her and be a good role model for her, and that she’s in the business as well,” Chiaia says. “And my daughter also brings fresh ideas and perspectives.”

Even though the company has earned credibility without certification and has been women-owned for over 35 years, Classic Recycling recently went through the process of becoming a certified WBE (Women Business Enterprise). “Certification validates the customers’ and vendors’ decisions to work with the company, giving credibility in a country focused on equity and inclusion. Many of our customers and vendors appreciate that not only can they rely on our service and professionalism, they can also show that they are helping to advance their own commitment to inclusion,” Chiaia says.

“I think becoming certified highlights the importance of promoting women entrepreneurship, especially in an industry where the trucking, hauling and carting sectors tend to be male-dominated. It’s also nice that the NYC Department of Sanitation has had three women as commissioners, including the current commissioner, which is great.”

And although Chiaia has years of experience in the industry, at times she’s found it frustrating to have to prove her knowledge. As an example, when recently purchasing lower-emission vehicles, one truck company she spoke with didn’t think she’d understand or be so knowledgeable about the industry and field.

“I found that a little annoying as well as amusing,” she says. “They couldn’t believe I knew about emissions and truck standards, so that was funny. I was speaking about greenhouse gas emissions and electric trucks and what we want in our equipment and safety criteria I needed and he was quite impressed.”

To that end, Chiaia also hopes she can lead by example and bring more women into the industry, inspiring them to become sanitation drivers or helpers and members of Local Union 813.

Her decades in the industry also help with the challenges of running a recycling business in New York City, which can be numerous and daunting. “New York City is intense, unique and one of the most intricate in the world, so it’s quite an experience to run trucking here,” she says. “There are a lot of moving parts to it, it takes a lot of experience, and the one thing we have is experience.”

It’s also very congested and crowded with residents, commuters, and lots of cars. “There’s a lot of competition for the streets with traffic and deliveries, and now with outdoor dining because of COVID—which is wonderful because it’s keeping New York open and alive and helping the economy—there’s also another set of challenges.” Restaurants having tables outside means streets are getting narrower which presents a competition for space and a challenge for where to put rubbish and navigate the maze.

It takes a lot of thoughtfulness to operate in this environment, but it is a challenge that Chiaia is more than qualified to handle.

“We’ve always had to be aware of and in tune with the city’s narrow streets and tourists,” she says. “It’s true that it’s the city that never sleeps. Trucks run at night. You have different bars closing at 2am, 3 am, 4am. You have to be able to logistically and carefully service customers with a strong focus on service and safety.”

Classic Recycling’s expertise focuses on Manhattan. “Urban areas by definition are congested; now layer on the Christmas Tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and all the other major parades that draw people from around the world, and the world leaders and their motorcades that come for the United Nations. Waste removal in other places doesn’t have to plan for things like this.”

Chiaia’s experience in servicing the city means a good chance to transition to the competitive DSNY CWZ (Commercial Waste Zones) program, created to provide efficient and safe waste collection while advancing the Green New Deal and zero waste goals.

“It’s a great program trying to lower greenhouse gas emissions to help the environment by reducing the amount of trucks on the road through consolidating,” Chiaia says. “The opportunity the city is offering with the Commercial Waste Zone is exciting and with our experience, we’re hoping to become part of that. We have relationships with our customers and already service customers within the key zones, so we’re very familiar with how to safely service and operate a business in these unique districts.”

It helps that Chiaia’s commitment to sustainability and the environment is already a huge part of Classic Recycling’s mandate and one they’ve been utilizing from the start. The company has purchased very low-emission trucks, and has looked into purchasing electric trucks, but there are some logistical hurdles, she says, including slower charging and supply chain issues.

Along with greener equipment, Classic Recycling works with customers to get bags off the streets with toters for cleanliness and toter straps to avoid vermin; takes less waste to landfills to lower the amount of greenhouse gas emissions; and employs other waste diversions such as mattress recycling, dealing with organizations for furniture donations, and the reuse programs.

“We’re getting our customers to compost,” Chiaia adds. “Organic waste compliance has been a little bit of a challenge, but we’re getting there.”

The company is also offering customers solar compactors to put garbage out in a cleaner way, avoiding piled-up bags, which lends itself to a greener community with fewer odors.

“We’re about educating customers, offering a sustainability plan and greener equipment,” says Chiaia. “This means reuse, reduce, recycle and donate to help divert waste from landfills to lower greenhouse carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.”

While some of these challenges may seem overwhelming, Chiaia takes it all in stride, like any true New Yorker, particularly one who has built up years of business skills and practice.

“[What drives us is] the sense of servicing our customers as well as always maintaining the highest level of safety for pedestrians, the community, and our employees,” she says. “It’s more or less trying to always have experience navigating through the different changes and challenges, and I think that experience is the key.”

The fact that Classic Recycling is a family business offering excellent customer service is a point of pride for Chiaia: Any customer can call the company and one of us will answer the phone. “They have our cell phone numbers,” she says. “We’re committed.”

Although obstacles through the years have been numerous, including 9/11, crime, and the Great Recession, COVID, which Chiaia refers to as the “biggest dislocation,” has hit the city very hard economically.

“It had a big impact on our customer base and was tough for us to navigate as a company,” she says. “Customers who stayed open knew that they could rely on our professionalism, and through our strategic decision making we adapted and excelled and retained the same employees with lots of experience.”

Chiaia has a number of admirable goals she hopes to meet over the next few years including continuing to update and modernize her equipment with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions, converting to electric trucks, further incentivizing recycling, improving route optimization, concentrating on overall environmental health and, of course, being awarded Zones in the NYC Commercial Waste Zone Program

“We look to reduce truck traffic to lower air pollution and improve quality of life,” she adds. “By reducing the amount of garbage bags on the city streets we’ll help create a better and cleaner community. It’s all about having a zero-waste mindset.”

By joining together different generations, the family’s collective knowledge becomes a greater strength, she adds, leading to success through customer service, hard work, responsibility and high values. “This is what we do. Our family pride fosters reliable work ethics,” says Chiaia. “Our commitment to business consistency and stability formed our framework, and this experience is central to our company’s past and future success.”

The company’s multi-generational experience has created a dynasty of devotion and loyalty. “We’ve overcome the biggest dislocations in history, stayed in our business, serviced our customers, and worked every single day through the pandemic,” Chiaia says. “It was a big impact on everything, but with strategic decision making and experience we were able to do our jobs and keep our operation safe.”

The post Eat, (Don’t) Sleep, Recycle: Keeping NYC Clean and Green<p class="company">Classic Recycling New York Corp.</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

And as Sascha Deri, Co-founder and CEO of altE Store, sees it, “It’s far easier and more affordable for us to take care of our own planet than trying to force some other planet to be hospitable to humans.”

True to his word, Deri is doing his part. At altE, a Massachusetts-based company that designs and sells DIY solar power systems and renewable energy products, Deri is committed to a greener future. His team is making clean energy generation more accessible and affordable for homeowners and businesses.

A world together
With his ideals he is in good company. In a pretty-well unanimous push by global leaders to be good to our home planet, practically every country on earth has joined the Paris Agreement on climate change to achieve carbon neutrality – or “net zero” emissions – by 2050.

Those greenhouse gas emissions will continue, but they’ll be balanced by absorbing an equal amount from the atmosphere. This way, climate change won’t see temperatures rise to levels that threaten people’s lives and livelihoods, and to the point of no return.

As it is, India, one of the world’s most populous countries, is already facing rising sea levels, melting glaciers and extreme weather events. Climate refugees may soon be a reality.

Green mindset
A greener world is a mindset Deri embraced early on, growing up in a remote cabin in Maine without running water or electricity, completely off the grid. He remembers his dad building a solar air heater to help heat the cabin that relied on a wood stove, and his parents bringing in water from a nearby spring in the forest to heat up for his bath.

(Now he’s in a suburban house where he says he prefers hot showers and won’t go back to compostable toilets.)

The absence of video games and lack of screen time didn’t have a negative impact on his youth. Instead, the challenges of self-sufficiency fired him up in a good way.

“I have a real passion and curiosity for the universe and how it works,” he says. His second business is a rocket company that develops launch vehicles powered by bio-derived, non-toxic fuel.

“Growing up, I developed an appreciation for nature and it put a heavy bias on how I conduct my own life and what I see as responsible.”

It’s that sense of responsibility he wants to see others adopt, with ease and with the right tools for powering everything from their home appliances and electronics to business computers and the office HVAC.

Bringing the right tools
“I wanted to find a way in which technology could benefit humanity and our planet,” he says. With degrees in physics and electrical engineering, he co-founded altE in 1999 and saw the company grow 50 to 70 percent in the first few years (head cheerleader and first salesperson was his father.)

Back then, solar and wind power weren’t widely understood and he had to tackle a lot of myths in bringing the message of how clean, alternative power can be stored and why it makes sense. Today, he’s still producing popular how-to videos on YouTube for the company’s customers and wholesale clients around the world.

“The cost of solar panels and the systems have come way down,” he says of the numerous benefits for the pocketbook and the environment.

In the early 2000s, you would need to spend $50,000 to $60,000 on an independent system and live very frugally off the energy. Whereas today, you could spend $20,000 or $30,000 and almost do nothing differently in terms of your power consumption, although Deri would like to see people reduce demand and live more sustainably.

“So if you look at it as a way of making a future purchase on your electricity, at a certain point it’s paid for itself and it really becomes close to free electricity, except for maintenance costs of the system. It’s a great way to invest in your future. You’re going to need electricity down the road. Whereas, when you buy a property or a car, you don’t know if you’re going to need it and you don’t know what the return on investment is going to be.”

A few months ago Deri installed solar panels on his own house, which now cover 80 to 90 percent of his family’s power needs – a significant boon when you consider that residential electricity rates in the U.S. are expected to rise by 1.3 percent between 2021 and 2022.

KiloVault technology
On that note, his altE team has had a hand in introducing products like the KiloVault range that uses lithium iron phosphate battery technology for energy storage. These unique systems provide higher current and peak power ratings for demanding applications like clothes dryers and electric water heaters and will charge your electric car. Bonus!

The company also offers portable energy-storage units and handy wall-mount units like the popular KiloVault HAB series that offers a 7.5 kilowatt-hour battery in a single unit along with built-in WiFi for smart performance monitoring.

The advantage here is that instead of sending solar power produced during daylight hours to the electrical grid, these hybrid systems can easily store the energy produced for flexible use.

“We’re finding more and more customers are choosing to have their own lithium storage-battery bank in their home. So they’re able to store any excess energy and use the electrical grid as their backup power system.”

Banking on batteries
Some customers have moved completely off-grid and rely on renewable energy power and storage, a move that’s gained momentum during the pandemic. In fact, altE has seen business thrive as people re-evaluate their lifestyles and become more environmentally aware.

And as power blackouts become more common – through the knock-on effect of climate change, more destructive storms, and toppling trees taking out power lines – having a battery bank makes a difference.

“When my neighbors have to go start up noisy, smelly generators to get the power back on, we don’t even notice it because there’s just a flicker of light for a second,” Deri says. “Sometimes we don’t even know that a blackout has occurred.”

Another evolution in renewable-energy systems that makes them even more cost-effective is that you don’t have to start with a battery-based system that adds to the cost. You can begin with solar panels and add batteries later when battery system prices drop further, as they likely will.

All in all, Deri feels his company is an integral part of helping people navigate the future of power generation – which may look a whole lot different from today’s.

The cloud in our future
“Eventually we will see the electric utility grid go the way of the internet or computers to cloud computing,” he says. “I think the way forward is a distributed network where we’ll see people producing power independently, getting to the point where everybody has an intelligent enough system where we are like a gigantic cloud computer.”

He envisions a day where every home is generating electricity and is interconnected. When a home requires power to do the daily chores, like vacuuming or dish washing, it would draw on its own smart systems. Then when additional power is needed for high-demand things like air conditioning or swimming pools, it would seamlessly draw from a home around the block, for example.

This system would be intelligent, efficient and far less prone to the system-wide outages experienced by grids conceived and developed in the early 1900s.

“We have these gigantic central sources of power that are very expensive and where half the power is lost in transmission as it is being transmitted halfway across the country or even halfway across the state,” he says. “So not only does a home-based system reduce the waste, it creates an incredibly robust network.”

The post Shine On – How DIY Solar Power Pays Off<p class="company">altE Store</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

There are currently 30,000 earth energy installations in Canada. This is equal to replacing 50,000 conventional cars with electric, planting 19 million trees, or eliminating the need for a 130-megawatt power plant or one million barrels of imported crude annually. Just imagine the potential impact if this was the status quo.

Geoexchange systems only require a small amount of electricity to operate the refrigerant compressor, ground loop pump and fan, which reduces demand for electricity by nearly one kilowatt per ton capacity and can result in 25 to 50 percent lower energy costs compared to conventional HVAC systems. By eliminating the need for fossil fuels, significantly fewer emissions are generated.

If that’s not enough to sell you on geothermal, these systems also boast the lowest life-cycle cost of any heating and cooling system. The mechanical equipment lifecycle exceeds 25 years and overall maintenance, repair, and operational costs are generally less than conventional HVAC systems, despite offering occupants a greater degree of comfort year-round at lower, more predictable monthly rates. More impressively is the below-ground infrastructure itself, which could last beyond life of the building.

While the advantages are clear, up front capital costs associated with installation can be disadvantageous, however the initial investment can be paid back in as few as five years. Especially with a partner like Geosource Energy on your side, this doesn’t have to be a major source of concern.

Since 2004, Geosource Energy has been a champion of geothermal in Canada, offering utility grade construction services and best-in-class drilling. They provide various project delivery models for geothermal systems from construction through to Design-Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (DBOOM).

Through the DBOOM model, a long-term service agreement is put in place which provides unmatched customer service and system management throughout a project’s lifecycle.

Geosource acts as a technology and performance guarantor which is made possible through the creation of an energy partnership. Clients experience a peace of mind and operational stability, as Geosource bears the capital costs across the life of the contract – usually a term of 30 years.

“With a third-party utility bearing the capital cost of that system,” Adam Alaica, Director of Engineering and Development says, “it allows for the capital burden to be taken off of the developer, and through the service agreement it is converted to an operating cost for the end-user.”

Geosource enables this capacity via a partnership with Oakville Enterprise Corporation (OEC), a municipally owned energy and infrastructure company that has an established presence in the geothermal market. Together they bring 30 years of experience and over 300 projects delivered, as well as extensive technological capacity and resources that can better serve client partnerships.

Jennifer Burstein, Vice President of Construction at Collecdev, a developer that has completed nine towers with Geosource Energy to date, provides some insight into the partnership. “Geothermal was an easy decision for us. As one of Collecdev’s corporate pillars is sustainability and environmental stewardship, geothermal was, ‘Simply the right thing to do.’”

Burstein adds, “It just felt natural when they approached us and offered us an opportunity to enter into the space of geothermal. It made sense that they would take on the entire project of geothermal. So not only the vertical drilling, but also the connections, the mechanical systems, and the engineering and project management that goes along with it as well.”

Geosource Energy drills and installs one hundred percent of its own geo fields. It handles all of the technical and geological considerations to support the energy side of a project, freeing up the developer to oversee the real estate aspect, which makes for an ideal partnership in the development space, especially when partners are engaged early in the process.

“Early engagement is critical to success on any project,” Alaica believes. “From a new construction perspective, it is the ideal scenario to design geo into a building from its conception. This is even more critical when the geothermal infrastructure is sited below the building footprint, which is common practice in most facilities.”

Early engagement doesn’t necessarily mean geothermal needs to happen first. Collecdev employed Geosource Energy on the Westwood Gardens project in 2018, which had multiple trades on site at the same time. The space allowed Geosource to drill the bore field in tandem with other onsite activities, the coordination of which was seamless.

Building retrofits are possible, but they are not without their challenges. There may be challenges integrating the new system with legacy facilities and mechanical distribution systems. In these cases, detailed due diligence is required to assess the project viability and may result in the need for deep retrofits, which may come at a far greater cost up front.

Alaica explains that where there is a lack of space in higher density communities, “Geosource has innovated our construction and implementation methods, leveraging things like angle drilling. This is actually something we’ve done with Collecdev in the past, and it can be done for retrofits and new buildings where there is limited space available.”

The project with Collecdev which he was referring to is described by Burstein as a “retrofit-esque infill project, a two-tower new build which was integrated into an existing residence that was about fifteen years old. They deployed this angular vertical-drilling mechanism which allowed us to take a very small portion of land and drill a large amount of loop space at an angle.”

Another advantage of geothermal is flexibility from an architectural standpoint, which is particularly useful for historic renovation projects. Geothermal mechanical rooms are smaller and can be tucked away in lower value areas such as underground parking levels, with no need for unsightly equipment on the property grounds or the roof. Geosource’s strategic alliance with industry leading fluid flow experts, Armstrong Fluid Technologies, ensures that all hydronic equipment and controls used in their geothermal mechanical stations compliments the best-in-class installation on the ground side. This ensures the preservation of a project’s historical integrity while ensuring the most future-forward innovations in space heating and cooling are utilized.

Geothermal can have the greatest impact on multi-residential, commercial, and institutional projects, especially from a cost and performance perspective. For instance, if all the schools in Canada that require replacement of their heating and cooling systems over the next ten years invested in geoexchange systems, energy savings could exceed $1 billion, and the environmental impact would be immense.

Despite its proven viability and the potential of its impact, geothermal only represents five percent of real estate market share in Ontario. This is due in large part to an unfavourable spark spread. Low gas prices make the shift to electrified systems a harder sell, especially where there is a lack of political will, a sense of market inertia, and the need for capacity building on an industry level.

“One of the key challenges for the industry at large is trying to create this renewed groundswell and create political will to really shine a light on geothermal as the leading, and most credible way to help achieve low-carbon, net-zero community aspirations,” explains Director of Marketing and Sales for Geosource Energy, Darryl Chow.

All levels of government have a role to play to ensure that environmental protection is legislated, and that carbon-intensive energy resources continue to be taxed appropriately, while offering incentives up front that can help offset the higher installation costs and encourage the adoption of greener alternatives.

From Alaica’s perspective, “Helping bridge the incremental cost of a higher performance building is the key. If there is any way to allow the development community to reduce those incremental costs, this will help drive the business case for a higher performance building; this is exactly what the geothermal third-party utility model does.”

The construction industry is historically one of the slowest to evolve. There is a commitment to tried and true construction methods, despite the increasing availability of viable alternatives that improve performance and sustainability.

However, as municipalities continue to establish green building standards to help achieve lower emissions targets, the construction industry will have no choice but to adapt to a cleaner, greener approach to design and construction. Geothermal will be an important part of the overall solution.

“Toronto is a great market for understanding how the municipalities can drive change in the building sector, specifically. With the introduction of the Toronto Green Standard, the city is showing leadership in establishing a more prescriptive guideline around energy and carbon performance of facilities, which is a step in the right direction,” says Alaica.

Sustainability is nothing without collaboration, and in the case of green construction, it will require a multifaceted effort of industry professionals, government representatives, and education leaders to ensure the industry has the capacity to support growth in demand. This is particularly true of training what Chow refers to as, “the next generation of sustainable green construction-trades people.”

Fleming College has launched a first of its kind geothermal program to provide a combination of hands-on training in drilling, installation, repair, and maintenance of geothermal systems which will address a growing need for industry accredited professionals.

To support these ends, Geosource Energy created the Sustainability and Renewable Energy in Construction Student Award through the Tridel Corporation’s BOLT Charitable Foundation to encourage students in the field and provide mentorship. As Chow puts it, “We really do have to equip our future workforce with the right opportunities so they can get into this game to put not just Ontario, but Canada on the map as a global leader in the green construction industry.”

As a constant champion of geothermal, Geosource Energy supports Workforce 2030, a coalition of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) that is dedicated to fast-tracking workforce growth and building industry capacity overall.

In partnership with the CaGBC, Geosource Energy will be convening an expert panel of key industry stakeholders via an interactive webinar that will serve as a masterclass in geothermal heating and cooling. They hope that by having these conversations with individuals involved throughout the design, construction, and operation of buildings, convenings of this nature can break down barriers to the implementation of critical low-carbon technologies like geothermal. The Drilldown: Masterclass in Geothermal Energy is scheduled for April 20 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern via Zoom.

Tune in to learn more and see for yourself how leaders like Geosource Energy and Collecdev are embracing low-carbon alternatives like geothermal for a greener future. The market is ripe with potential, and geothermal is a business decision that can improve lives, save money and the environment, while improving the bottom line.

The post Things Are Heating up For Geothermal Energy<p class="company">Geosource Energy</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

Clean energy developer Grasshopper Energy Corporation currently owns over $1 billion of assets across Canada, the United States, and Japan, with a development pipeline of $6.5 billion. The company is actively developing projects in core solar markets throughout these countries and is continuing expansion into targeted markets like Brazil, Italy, Vietnam, and Australia.

The company has developed, constructed, and managed over 4000 solar residential projects and 200 commercial projects in Ontario alone, effectively employing thousands of people without relying on government assistance to fund its operations.

Grasshopper Energy was founded in 2007 by Azeem M. Qureshi, a mechatronics and artificial intelligence specialist who previously advised Fortune 500 companies on how to optimize their business process management. Over time, he noted increasing interest in corporate social responsibility in the industry but felt that companies were treating the concept as a trendy, inconsequential part of their business, instead of an integral aspect of their operations. Quershi decided, upon leaving this advisory position, to form Grasshopper, a company that would embrace corporate social responsibility at a fundamental level.

The initial vision for the company, Quershi says, was to “take the complicated patchwork of sustainability incentives that were being offered at the time by federal, provincial, and local governments, and ensure they were conveniently and efficiently delivered to the public.” Grasshopper also performed energy audits for the Canadian National Railway and in the residential sector, where the company would evaluate a building’s overall efficiency and suggest ideas of how to make it greener.

Over time, Grasshopper’s business shifted its focus to developing solar projects at both the micro and macro levels. The company sought to set itself apart from others in the sector by offering a unique combination of expertise in the
technological, regulatory, and finance aspects of solar development. Grasshopper’s Senior Vice President of Global Government Relations Tudor Ulianovschi asserts that, “Our ultimate goal is to accelerate the fight against climate change by reducing the carbon footprint of companies around the globe, and Grasshopper has been incredibly successful in that regard.”

In the last year, Grasshopper has joined the Ontario Energy Council and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) – the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. The company has also invested in a large portfolio of solar projects throughout Pennsylvania.

Ulianovschi proudly touts the company’s work with the United Nations and the organization’s commitment to sustainable energy. Following the UN’s ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,’ which set 17 interlinked global goals to address some of the world’s most pressing issues – chief among them climate change – Grasshopper has committed to helping the world fully implement these international climate commitments.

“In Canada and abroad, public support for clean energy is higher than it has ever been and continues to grow,” says Ulianovschi. As of April 2020, nearly 1,500 jurisdictions in 29 countries have issued declarations of climate emergency, many of which include plans and targets for more renewable energy-based systems.

Clean energy is also more cost-effective than it has ever been, as wind and solar energy prices are comparable with conventional sources of electricity generation, and wind energy is now Canada’s lowest-cost source of new generating capacity. Ulianovschi observes that the cost of generating power from solar power has fallen by 90 percent since 2010, and the prices of onshore wind and solar are now even with gas power and cheaper than coal and nuclear power.

“Canada is undergoing a fundamental transition in how it generates, manages, and uses energy,” Ulianovschi says, and the rest of the world is starting to follow suit thanks to the work of Grasshopper and other companies in the sustainable energy sector. “If the average person cannot afford clean energy, we will not be able to put [these programs] into action, no matter how good it is for the environment. Because of this reality, at Grasshopper, it is important to us to take the products in the marketplace… and using our technological, financing, and regulatory expertise, deliver an elegant and cost-effective solution to various consumers.”

Grasshopper has also been at the forefront of several initiatives in its local community. In 2019, the company invested over $100 million into the Ontario economy via its renewable
infrastructure projects, providing opportunities to more than 5,000 workers with a strong emphasis on employing female and minority workers.

The company has also flexed its philanthropic muscle with regular donations to organizations like The War Amps and local food banks. In 2020, Grasshopper contributed over $50,000 to the Mississauga Food Bank and donated more than 10,000 surgical masks and additional COVID-19 protective equipment to local Ontario hospitals.

Now, in the coming weeks, Grasshopper Energy will be dispersing an aggregate total of $368,000 in annual rent payments to 1,070 residential partners in Ontario who, under the MicroFIT program, partnered with the company in 2015 to outfit their homes with solar panels. Since 2015, the solar panels installed through these residential partnerships have generated 114,139,161 kWh of clean, carbon-free electricity. This is the equivalent of offsetting the CO₂ emissions generated from the electricity use of 13,663 homes in a year.

Ulianovschi considers the company’s biggest challenge to be that people from all walks of life do not understand the gravity of the climate change crisis, and unremitting debate on the matter leads to unproductive divisiveness. “Most of the other challenges we face as a company or as a sector tend to
precipitate from that root cause,” he explains.

A hostile stance in any given region to fighting climate change tends to choke potential capital for sustainable energy measures and drive it to more climate-friendly markets. This leads to price increases for clean solutions and low adoption rates in those markets, slowing or preventing volume pricing from ever being achieved. “All of us, including the clean energy sector, our partners in government, the media, and elsewhere must do more to educate people about climate change,” Ulianovschi emphasizes.

He knows that the message must be conveyed to reach even the harshest sceptics. This means that the shift to clean energy must not be put forth as an extreme, overnight proposition. Clean energy proponents must highlight how powerful clean energy can be in creating jobs and driving economic growth, to naturally sway lead manufacturers and providers away from fossil fuel dependence.

As 2021 begins, Grasshopper will deploy more clean energy assets around the world. Ulianovschi sees South America as a market for serious consideration where the company intends to “put shovels in the ground,” as he puts it. Grasshopper plans to continue raising capital for further development while increasing education about climate change. Additionally, the company will continue to advocate for clean energy on the global stage, working with international bodies like the UN to further educate about the climate crisis and “to accelerate the development of a sustainable world” – the company’s vision statement.

“In 2021, we are focused on business development, community
engagement…exploring different clean energy technologies, like batteries, storage, and [electric vehicle] charging,” Ulianovschi says of carbon reduction technologies.

The company has received multiple national industry awards for its ongoing efforts, including being recognized as the solar innovator of the year, project finance innovator of the year, and solar developer of the year by the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CSIA). But the Grasshopper Energy team is trying to achieve much more than acknowledgment; they understand that climate change is the defining issue of our time. Grasshopper’s goals for the industry are as vast as its global reach, and its entire team remains motivated to provide a more sustainable world and a greener future for all.

“Climate change impacts our communities, planet, children, and future generations. We are doing this for the well-being of our local and global community,” states Ulianovschi.

The post A World Leader in Sustainable Energy Solutions<p class="company">Grasshopper Energy Corporation</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

National Waste Partners continues to grow and evolve as Bestige Holdings LLC shepherds it to greater success. In 2017, J-Mec, the premier waste and recycling equipment provider in the Midwest, joined the family and its founder, Jim Mechler, stayed on and is currently Senior Vice President of Operations for all companies.

“J-Mec has always been about customer service, innovation, and growth. The vision of Bestige and National Waste Partners was the perfect fit for us,” he said. “Leveraging the resources of Bestige, we are able to expand our wealth of knowledge and experience to other parts of the country. Our national coverage is definitely what sets us apart.”

Most recently, the company acquired GK Industrial Refuse Systems (GKI) to expand its already strong portfolio. A market leader in the Pacific Northwest and a natural fit for National Waste Partners, Tacoma-based GKI specializes in waste equipment sales, rentals, and service.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, National Waste Partners has branch locations in Chicago, Wisconsin, Alabama, and Washington, DC to provide instillation, refurbishment, and repair services. “We have coverage across the U.S.,” says Vice President of Sales, Gary Brooks. The company’s current subsidiaries – CRA, ACS, J-Mec, and GKI – boast extensive reach, but they can’t service all customers, so National Waste Partners has teamed up with other service providers to handle regions beyond the company’s geographical footprint. “We’ve got close to 200 service provider partners that we work with to cover the areas that aren’t densely populated for us,” Brooks says.

Wherever the location or whatever the situation, the team makes it a priority to give customers the individualized care they deserve. This means paying attention to what the customer is saying, rather than slapping a one-size-fits-all answer onto each problem. “One of the big things that sets us apart is we listen to what the customer needs,” Brooks says. “It’s more of a consultative approach. We don’t necessarily come in saying we have all the answers. Our first step is to listen and to see what the customer’s situation is so we can bring them a solution.”

The individualized service doesn’t stop there. “We also offer custom solutions,” says Brooks. “The applications are so unique.” The uninitiated may think all compactors are the same, but this simply is not true. Each customer has a specific need that needs a specific solution. “A compactor is not a compactor is not a compactor,” Brooks explains. “They start out the same, but how you apply them and install them is a completely different discussion. And with our in-house fabrication capability we can fabricate just about anything you can dream up to fit or work with your application.”

How does the customer know what they are getting? How can they judge the quality and reliability of a National Waste Partners’ product or service? The team recognized that customers deserve to be fully informed so they developed a system of measurement. “From my experience this is a very informal industry,” says CEO David Myles. “There’s a lot of discussion around certain things, but most of the industry relies on just talking about it and not really on a lot of numbers. So one of the first things we tried to do was say, ‘what is the uptime and what is the lifecycle of some of the equipment?’ Just to understand what the bar is.” The team has been working with manufacturers to get the answers and has “started measuring almost everything that we do,” Myles says. “And that’s been very insightful for us as an organization.”

The team measures everything, from how many times they make service visits and how often a specific model breaks down, to their service response time and whether or not the problem is resolved on the first service visit. “I think we are pioneering that effort,” Brooks says.

This is important information because reliability is crucial in the waste management industry. “When a compactor is down it’s usually down at the wrong time – like at a hotel, when they’re having a huge event,” Myles says. “Once it breaks down bad things happen as far as garbage everywhere and also odor and pest control issues.” Having clear data to back the company’s promises gives customers peace of mind. “That’s been an important distinction in growth for us as a company,” he says. “When we say something we want to be able to back it up with numbers.”

Another way the team builds trust is by readily admitting when they miss the mark during a service call. “It’s not always evident what’s broken, so people make mistakes,” Myles says. “Everybody makes mistakes.” The key is to address the error right away and focus on a speedy resolution. “You’ve got to make sure that you trust employees to admit they made a mistake. Mistakes don’t get cheaper over time; they get more expensive. So the earlier you admit a mistake the cheaper it is to resolve.” And the team is confident they can resolve whatever mistake has been made. “Everything in my mind is fixable,” says Myles.

The team is also transparent about their capabilities – they only promise what they know they can deliver. “We try not to overcommit,” Myles explains. “We aren’t all things to all people. We can’t do everything. We can’t get a compactor to Durango Colorado in twelve hours. We can’t go to remote areas and do certain things, but we can service almost anything within our service area. So the trust comes in knowing your capabilities, letting your employees tell you when something is wrong, and then, with the customers, admitting when you make a mistake.”

National Waste Partners owns its equipment, which helps the company deliver consistently reliable service. “Our approach on that is different than most in that, when we go to install a machine, we don’t send a guy and rent a forklift,” Brooks says. “There’s nothing wrong with that business model, but that’s just not us. We own our own equipment so we will show up with a semi, a forklift, the appropriate welders, supplies – everything to fabricate and install a unit. And it’s so much more efficient. We are in control. We don’t have to wait for things to be delivered; we can prefabricate things in the shop.”

This efficiency allows the team to complete more jobs in less time. “We can do in one day what it would take another company two or three days onsite, just because of the equipment and the tools we provide the team with.”

Getting the job done efficiently doesn’t just save time and money; it also cuts back on potential mishaps. “The longer that you are onsite, the more things can go wrong,” Myles says. Another way to avoid onsite complications is to do as much work in a controlled environment as possible – this also ensures a higher quality product overall. “We think we are unique in that we try to do as much offsite as we can. You are more accurate in the shop than you are out in the field.”

National Waste Partners has managed to weather the COVID-19 storm, but the team certainly felt the effects alongside the rest of the world. “It sort of threw you off the tempo,” Myles shares. “It threw our company off, it threw everybody off. It was a very sad, disturbing thing that’s happened.”

National Waste Partners took the threat seriously and immediately put safety measures in place when the pandemic hit. The team closed the offices right away. “We shut that down very quickly and had them working from home very quickly,” Myles says. The service team could not work from home of course, so the company launched new safety training for employees who work onsite. “We always stress safety, but it’s not just their own safety [now], it’s other people’s safety. We want to make sure they are distancing, washing their hands, having protective gloves and masks.” Any employee who had concerns working in the field despite these measures was encouraged to stay home and stay safe.

The waste industry was not as affected as many other industries, since people continued to produce waste throughout the quarantine. But, because National Waste Partners services commercial and industrial customers, the company did feel an impact. “All the hotels, and movie theaters, and restaurants – their waste has cut down quite a bit, especially at the start,” says Myles. “So our service went down dramatically.”

Some of this waste shifted to other areas that still needed servicing. With people staying at home and cooking at home, multifamily housing and grocery stores saw an uptick in waste. “It was an interesting experience – that sort of volume shift, which I don’t think anybody’s ever experienced,” Brooks says.

Another factor that impacted business is that customers decided to wait to make major purchases. “People’s decision model changed instantly,” Myles says. “People that were going to invest in new equipment decided to hold off until we see through this.” By mid-April the team noticed customers were starting “to make decisions again to move forward,” so the future looks optimistic.

Times remain uncertain as we adjust to the new normal, but “people still have to carry on,” Myles points out. “There’s still waste. It still makes sense to compact and bale.” And as long as there is waste to be compacted and baled, National Waste Partners is committed to providing the most efficient, reliable, and quality solutions through good times and bad.

The post A Partner You Can Count On<p class="company">National Waste Partners</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.