May 5, 2011, Toronto – The Canadian GeoExchange Coalition
(CGC) introduced five new Canadian post-graduate bursaries jointly funded by CGC
and industry partners.
The first-ever national bursary program for renewable
geothermal HVAC technology, designed to build on professor Frank Clements
Hooper’s legacy, will help strengthen renewable energy scholarship in Canada
and kick-start a renewed industry focus on building Canadian innovation.
On Sept. 23, 2010, the CGC Board of Directors created
bursaries for students involved in post-graduate studies in a field related to
ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems. Five bursaries will be awarded in 2011 and
four in 2012. Each CGC bursary is co-funded by an industry-leading company.
To apply under the CGC Bursary Program, applicants must be
studying or planning to study in a university faculty that provides the
opportunity to engage in a research project with the potential to remove or
reduce industry barriers or allow for Canadian ground source heat pump industry
advancement. Such barriers can be financial or technical. Fields of study include
economics, finance, pure and applied science, or related fields.
The establishment of bursaries will help raise the profile
of ground source heat pump technology in engineering departments as well as
business and social science faculties in Canadian universities. This program
will also encourage students to engage in graduate and post-graduate work on
industry-related topics. Finally, the program will promote research and
development in our industry as a means to improve performance and reduce system
cost, while contributing to linkages between industry and research
institutions.
The Canadian GSHP industry expanded at a rate of 40 per cent
in 2005, followed by three years growth over 60 per cent in 2006, 2007 and
2008.
“The Canadian GSHP industry’s strong performance raised the
level of R&D interest in both universities and in the private sector,” says
Denis Tanguay, CGC’s President and CEO. “It is our goal to help catalyze this
research momentum and build linkages between our universities, government labs
and the industry’s own R&D and commercialization activities,” he added.
CGC itself actively pursues research and development
activities, particularly on computer assisted design tools and financial analysis
instruments. Thanks to a unique database developed while certifying GSHP
systems under the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes as well as other financial assistance
programs from utilities and provincial governments, CGC staff has also
initiated in-house research on market behaviour and economics of ground source
heat pumps in Canada and the United States. CGC is also sharing market
information with some provincial ministries for research and documentation
purposes.
For more information, visit www.geoexchange.ca
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