ENBALA Power Networks

Boosting the Smart Grid's I.Q.

The Smart Grid is getting a lot smarter, thanks to world-leading technology from Toronto's ENBALA Power Networks, and that's good news for water utilities, power grid operators and the environment.

Water utilities use a lot of energy during the pumping, storage and treatment processes. But there is often flexibility in exactly when and how much power is needed at any given moment. ENBALA ("energy balance") smart grid technology allows water utility and power grid operators to work closely together on a second-by-second basis to manage grid demand spikes, maximize system efficiencies during off-peak times and minimize overall energy costs. ENBALA Power Networks, a 2011 Artemis Top 50 advanced water technology award winner, is currently piloting the technology in Windsor, Ontario, and at four large U.S. facilities operated by American Water.

"Ontario offers a great springboard that enables us to work with customers across North America and, looking ahead, in Europe and China," says Ron Dizy, ENBALA Power Networks' President and CEO. Originally based in B.C., ENBALA now has the bulk of its operations in Ontario. "We're growing quickly and because of the world-leading Ontario water technology companies that came before us, there are talented people with skill sets in water, energy and process controls, which is what we need” says Dizy. "The other element is that the water-energy challenge is global and because Toronto has always been very internationally oriented, people here are used to thinking in terms of global markets."

evandtec

Cool energy savings win customers for hot water tech start-up

For office towers, factories, shopping centres and most other large modern facilities, air conditioning is absolutely critical and represents a significant portion of both the building's operating cost and its environmental impact. At the heart of those air conditioning systems is a cooling tower, and Toronto-based evandtec has found a market sweet spot by making that heart healthier and more efficient.

The evandtec solution, which recently earned the company a spot on the 2011 Artemis Top 50 list of advanced water technologies, combines a patented water treatment system designed to remove calcium scale and prevent biological contaminants with a remote monitoring system that enables operators to make sure the system is always working at peak efficiency.

Customers are realizing average savings of 10 percent on their cooling systems energy costs and over 20 percent on water usage, which can really add up when those customers include major U.S. operations such as Wal-Mart, Tesco and V.A. hospitals. That blue-chip client list also serves as a ringing endorsement for the innovative young company that still thinks of itself a start-up.

"It's absolutely amazing to me the support that the government has shown for helping Ontario's water technology industry develop and expand into new markets," says evandtec's CEO Paul Wickberg, who joined the company two years ago from Minneapolis. "There's export development support, growth matching funds and a terrific talent pool - it's a fantastic environment."

UV Pure Technologies

Double awards boost UV Pure Technologies

Toronto-based UV Pure Technologies is having a banner year, winning two global awards in the first five months: an Artemis Project Top 50 award as one of the top 50 emerging clean-tech companies and a Frost and Sullivan 2011 Best Practices award as the leading water treatment technology for industrial and commercial use.

A developer and manufacturer of advanced water purification technologies, UV Pure currently has more than 10,000 systems installed in North America, Australia and New Zealand, China and Brazil. Its customer base includes GE, Siemens, 3M Corporation, Premier Tech, Kinetico and Culligan. An aerospace version of a UV Pure's system has been chosen by Boeing to purify water on the new 787 Dreamliner.

"We're very excited by the global recognition we're receiving for our products, which offer leap-frog scale improvements in UV purification," says UV Pure's President and CEO Rick VanSant, who credits part of his company's success to Ontario's supportive environment for water technology companies. "There is strong government policy support for R&D, an excellent network of universities and a solid supplier base that is transitioning from the auto industry. We've even been able to repatriate some of our supplier sourcing from the Far East, saving us time and money."