The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) is receiving $385,500 from Western Economic Diversification Canada to purchase equipment and support resources required to demonstrate micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) technology in homes.
The funding was announced by the Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.
As the process of energy generation produces surplus heat that is usually wasted, the micro-CHP technology will help capture this excess heat for use in other applications, such as heating homes or hot water tanks. SAIT, with the help of this investment and its industry partners, ATCO Gas and Brookfield Residential, will evaluate existing micro-CHP technologies to demonstrate how it can be used in Alberta homes. The project will see the design, construction, demonstration and evaluation of an operational and affordable Net Zero home in Western Canada, incorporating new clean technology in the residential natural gas sector.
Micro-CHP technology allows home owners to generate power on site, relying less on the electrical grid, improving the efficiency of the home and reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions. This technology will be an important option for helping Albertans reduce their residential energy consumption and cost.
Canada's Innovation Agenda promotes clean growth, good jobs and higher living standards for the middle class. The investments announced today are an example of this vision in action.
