twelve years ago I was reading an article regarding climate change and the
article regarding climate change and the
article regarding climate change and the growing concern over carbon emissions in
growing concern over carbon emissions in
growing concern over carbon emissions in our atmosphere I noticed in the article
our atmosphere I noticed in the article
our atmosphere I noticed in the article there was a fair bit of attention being
there was a fair bit of attention being
there was a fair bit of attention being paid to the large industries like power
paid to the large industries like power
paid to the large industries like power generation and the automotive industry
generation and the automotive industry
generation and the automotive industry but there was nearly no mention of the
but there was nearly no mention of the
but there was nearly no mention of the heating industry the industry that I
heating industry the industry that I
heating industry the industry that I have focused nearly 20 years of my
have focused nearly 20 years of my
have focused nearly 20 years of my career on and according to Statistics
career on and according to Statistics
career on and according to Statistics Canada roughly 15% of the emissions
Canada roughly 15% of the emissions
Canada roughly 15% of the emissions generated in this country come from my
generated in this country come from my
generated in this country come from my industry so I started to look at the
industry so I started to look at the
industry so I started to look at the work we’ve done by the large heating
work we’ve done by the large heating
work we’ve done by the large heating manufacturers of heating appliances to
manufacturers of heating appliances to
manufacturers of heating appliances to see what was being done to address this
see what was being done to address this
see what was being done to address this and as best as I could tell most of the
and as best as I could tell most of the
and as best as I could tell most of the research and development work that was
research and development work that was
research and development work that was being done was directed toward
being done was directed toward
being done was directed toward maximizing efficiencies nothing was
maximizing efficiencies nothing was
maximizing efficiencies nothing was being done to deal with the emissions
being done to deal with the emissions
being done to deal with the emissions directly and the reason for this is
directly and the reason for this is
directly and the reason for this is fairly simple it is far easier to deal
fairly simple it is far easier to deal
fairly simple it is far easier to deal with a large single emission point than
with a large single emission point than
with a large single emission point than multiple emission points so in order for
multiple emission points so in order for
multiple emission points so in order for you to be able to capture more carbon
you to be able to capture more carbon
you to be able to capture more carbon than you’re producing the infrastructure
than you’re producing the infrastructure
than you’re producing the infrastructure needed to make that work has to
needed to make that work has to
needed to make that work has to obviously follow us in those guidelines
obviously follow us in those guidelines
obviously follow us in those guidelines you have to be able to not rob Peter to
you have to be able to not rob Peter to
you have to be able to not rob Peter to save Paul further to this the work that
save Paul further to this the work that
save Paul further to this the work that is being done is not being done well
is being done is not being done well
is being done is not being done well enough in my opinion and to understand
enough in my opinion and to understand
enough in my opinion and to understand what I’m referring to all you need to do
what I’m referring to all you need to do
what I’m referring to all you need to do is go outside today after you leave here
is go outside today after you leave here
is go outside today after you leave here take a look at the city skyline and
take a look at the city skyline and
take a look at the city skyline and notice all of those plumes of steam that
notice all of those plumes of steam that
notice all of those plumes of steam that are rising off of those buildings and
are rising off of those buildings and
are rising off of those buildings and that represents heat that somebody has
that represents heat that somebody has
that represents heat that somebody has bought and paid for
bought and paid for
bought and paid for we’re just venting it off into the
we’re just venting it off into the
we’re just venting it off into the atmosphere so I realized that something
atmosphere so I realized that something
atmosphere so I realized that something more needed to be done so my colleagues
more needed to be done so my colleagues
more needed to be done so my colleagues and I have spent 12 years developing our
and I have spent 12 years developing our
and I have spent 12 years developing our current technology to reduce these
current technology to reduce these
current technology to reduce these emissions and to have a positive impact
emissions and to have a positive impact
emissions and to have a positive impact in climate change our goal is to see if
in climate change our goal is to see if
in climate change our goal is to see if a solution to reduce these emissions was
a solution to reduce these emissions was
a solution to reduce these emissions was possible beyond simple energy management
possible beyond simple energy management
possible beyond simple energy management and energy and sorry efficiency
and energy and sorry efficiency
and energy and sorry efficiency increases pardon me
increases pardon me
increases pardon me now in order to reduce the amount of
now in order to reduce the amount of
now in order to reduce the amount of wasted heat and carbon dioxide emissions
wasted heat and carbon dioxide emissions
wasted heat and carbon dioxide emissions we needed to find something simple and
we needed to find something simple and
we needed to find something simple and cost-effective
cost-effective
cost-effective now heat exchangers been using them for
now heat exchangers been using them for
now heat exchangers been using them for thousands of years that’s fairly simple
thousands of years that’s fairly simple
thousands of years that’s fairly simple we had a pretty good understanding how
we had a pretty good understanding how
we had a pretty good understanding how to deal with the wasted heat but what
to deal with the wasted heat but what
to deal with the wasted heat but what about the carbon emissions what simple
about the carbon emissions what simple
about the carbon emissions what simple reactant could we use to interface with
reactant could we use to interface with
reactant could we use to interface with the carbon emissions that we were
the carbon emissions that we were
the carbon emissions that we were producing and as it turns out a chemical
producing and as it turns out a chemical
producing and as it turns out a chemical that we use in the heating industry is
that we use in the heating industry is
that we use in the heating industry is actually quite good at it not only is it
actually quite good at it not only is it
actually quite good at it not only is it good at it but as its reacting with the
good at it but as its reacting with the
good at it but as its reacting with the carbon dioxide emissions it actually
carbon dioxide emissions it actually
carbon dioxide emissions it actually creates heat which we need and it
creates heat which we need and it
creates heat which we need and it produces a commodity that we use it
produces a commodity that we use it
produces a commodity that we use it produces soda ash and to give you an
produces soda ash and to give you an
produces soda ash and to give you an example of how much or an idea rather of
example of how much or an idea rather of
example of how much or an idea rather of how much soda ash we use global
how much soda ash we use global
how much soda ash we use global consumption of soda ash is roughly 62
consumption of soda ash is roughly 62
consumption of soda ash is roughly 62 million metric tonnes per year and it’s
million metric tonnes per year and it’s
million metric tonnes per year and it’s used in everything from concrete
used in everything from concrete
used in everything from concrete manufacturing detergents glass
manufacturing detergents glass
manufacturing detergents glass manufacturing pharmaceuticals it’s like
manufacturing pharmaceuticals it’s like
manufacturing pharmaceuticals it’s like a Swiss Army knife of chemicals just to
a Swiss Army knife of chemicals just to
a Swiss Army knife of chemicals just to name a few so what about the look of the
name a few so what about the look of the
name a few so what about the look of the device that we’re building surely we
device that we’re building surely we
device that we’re building surely we could just take these processes just jam
could just take these processes just jam
could just take these processes just jam inside a square box shuffle them out the
inside a square box shuffle them out the
inside a square box shuffle them out the door and that’s what the other
door and that’s what the other
door and that’s what the other manufacturers are doing fairly
manufacturers are doing fairly
manufacturers are doing fairly uninspired devices
uninspired devices
uninspired devices well we couldn’t really do that so many
well we couldn’t really do that so many
well we couldn’t really do that so many years ago I had the pleasure of working
years ago I had the pleasure of working
years ago I had the pleasure of working on a heating system here in Calgary at a
on a heating system here in Calgary at a
on a heating system here in Calgary at a church downtown and the boiler head quit
church downtown and the boiler head quit
church downtown and the boiler head quit working and I had been tasked with going
working and I had been tasked with going
working and I had been tasked with going out to repair it so I walked down into
out to repair it so I walked down into
out to repair it so I walked down into the basement of this church and I walked
the basement of this church and I walked
the basement of this church and I walked into the mechanical room open up the
into the mechanical room open up the
into the mechanical room open up the door and there was this boiler and it
door and there was this boiler and it
door and there was this boiler and it was amazing absolutely amazing it was
was amazing absolutely amazing it was
was amazing absolutely amazing it was love at first sight I was in love with
love at first sight I was in love with
love at first sight I was in love with this thing that’s weird right I’m ok
this thing that’s weird right I’m ok
this thing that’s weird right I’m ok with weird I’m ok with that
with weird I’m ok with that
with weird I’m ok with that so this boiler was installed in 1923 it
so this boiler was installed in 1923 it
so this boiler was installed in 1923 it was originally designed as a coal-fired
was originally designed as a coal-fired
was originally designed as a coal-fired boiler and was later converted into
boiler and was later converted into
boiler and was later converted into natural gas in the 1940s but what was
natural gas in the 1940s but what was
natural gas in the 1940s but what was most remarkable to me was the attention
most remarkable to me was the attention
most remarkable to me was the attention to detail in the build of this boiler it
to detail in the build of this boiler it
to detail in the build of this boiler it had intricate floral designs and
had intricate floral designs and
had intricate floral designs and scrolling on the face of the cast-iron
scrolling on the face of the cast-iron
scrolling on the face of the cast-iron now the logic by today’s standard is
now the logic by today’s standard is
now the logic by today’s standard is that amount of detail is a complete
that amount of detail is a complete
that amount of detail is a complete waste I mean you’re putting it on a
waste I mean you’re putting it on a
waste I mean you’re putting it on a boiler you’re putting it into mechanic’s
boiler you’re putting it into mechanic’s
boiler you’re putting it into mechanic’s room you’re closing the door and you’re
room you’re closing the door and you’re
room you’re closing the door and you’re forgetting about it why why waste the
forgetting about it why why waste the
forgetting about it why why waste the amount of resources on that now the
amount of resources on that now the
amount of resources on that now the struggles with associated with shifting
struggles with associated with shifting
struggles with associated with shifting an entire industry can be overwhelming
an entire industry can be overwhelming
an entire industry can be overwhelming changing the habits and mindset of both
changing the habits and mindset of both
changing the habits and mindset of both builders and consumers is not an easy
builders and consumers is not an easy
builders and consumers is not an easy thing to do and bringing attention to
thing to do and bringing attention to
thing to do and bringing attention to something that we have taken for granted
something that we have taken for granted
something that we have taken for granted for so long is not something you can
for so long is not something you can
for so long is not something you can change within a few discussions now
change within a few discussions now
change within a few discussions now we’ve been told that this path that
we’ve been told that this path that
we’ve been told that this path that we’ve chosen will not be easy we’ve been
we’ve chosen will not be easy we’ve been
we’ve chosen will not be easy we’ve been told that said it’d be long and arduous
told that said it’d be long and arduous
told that said it’d be long and arduous but we’re still here we’re still working
but we’re still here we’re still working
but we’re still here we’re still working working towards changing an entire
working towards changing an entire
working towards changing an entire industry that is already set to change
industry that is already set to change
industry that is already set to change whether it wants to or not my dream is
whether it wants to or not my dream is
whether it wants to or not my dream is that this marriage between form and
that this marriage between form and
that this marriage between form and function will be able to help the
function will be able to help the
function will be able to help the industry and the consumers alike pay
industry and the consumers alike pay
industry and the consumers alike pay closer attention to the details of the
closer attention to the details of the
closer attention to the details of the equipment that we produce and the
equipment that we produce and the
equipment that we produce and the emissions that we’re producing and with
emissions that we’re producing and with
emissions that we’re producing and with a little bit of luck and a ton of work I
a little bit of luck and a ton of work I
a little bit of luck and a ton of work I believe we can make a difference and
believe we can make a difference and
believe we can make a difference and play a role in reducing our impact on
play a role in reducing our impact on
play a role in reducing our impact on the environment that’s really short
the environment that’s really short
the environment that’s really short thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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