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66 www.resourceworld.com O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 Developments in Green Technology by Jane Bratun GREEN TECHNOLOGIES HYBRID SYSTEMS PROVIDE COST-EFFICIENT ENERGY Ontario-based EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp. (EHT) [EHT-TSXV], designs, develops, manufactures, assem- bles, and distributes hybrid solar and battery systems for modular homes. EHT secondary products include alternative energy-producing carports and construc- tion-site trailers. To increase the energy generated from the daily sun cycle, cus- tomers may also request embedded solar panels on the structure's side and front walls, as well as on the back walls. According to the company, two barriers to greater solar energy adoption are roof weight limitations and onerous shipping and labour costs. To overcome these bar- riers, the company embeds the ENERTEC Embedded Solar Roof Module solar cells into a proprietary fire proof skin, eliminat- ing the heavy glass panels and aluminum racking required for traditional solar pan- els, and creating a lighter product to meet roof weight requirements. The company also states that a lighter product at a bet- ter price point reduces shipping costs and opens a larger market for solar power because of faster capital return on invest- ment, especially for rural and remote users looking to go off-grid. The ENERTEC Modular Wall and Roof System uses a proprietary skin and foam core, which is stronger and more energy efficient than traditional wood or steel structures. EHT works with its part- ners worldwide to erect the buildings on site using EHT staff and local crews. After installation, each structure can be furnished and finished to meet the cus- tomer's requirements, including siding, tile, kitchens, and bathrooms or segre- gated commercial rooms. The finished wall product can be shipped on pallets and delivered via rail, truck or water in stan- dard formats. An EHT embedded solar roof becomes a massive solar panel capable of produc- ing significantly more energy than the structure requires, allowing the structure to then become an important power source for the local micro grid or large battery storage systems. In either scenario, the structure provides emergency power dur- ing a grid failure. The walls used in EHT structural systems virtually eliminate all thermal bridging. This means when the system heats or cools buildings, it loses no energy to the outside environment. According to EHT, their manufacturing processes and patented products, coupled with their energy systems, reduce a building's heat- ing and cooling requirements by as much as 70%. Other EHT products include pat- ented vertical axis wind vanes, worksite emergency power trailers, and energy- generating carports. The vertical axis wind vanes, used in conjunction with specifi- cally wound generators, are designed for systems using photovoltaic (PV) mod- ules and battery storage systems that use from 12 direct current volts (VDC) to 48 VDC. The vanes are scalable to achieve various amounts of energy production, depending system requirements. The EHT worksite and emergency power trailer has a self-contained energy supply that can be pulled behind a pickup truck or weather emergency transport. This power trailer unit generates sufficient energy to charge tool batteries, forklifts, radios, fans, micro- wave ovens, or hundreds of smartphones on site, day or night. The EHT energy-gen- erating carport provides shelter and power to automobiles, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, or outbuildings. EHT also provides what the com- pany calls the micro-utility concept, which allows energy sharing across many sources, such as PV, wind, solar, battery, generators, and grid, as needed. According to EHT, using a suite of products designed and manufactured by EHT, as well as spe- cifically chosen electronic equipment, has demonstrated less than a 1% failure rate globally over the past 20 years. EHT target markets are broadly defined as commercial, local and regional gov- ernments, and non-governmental aid organizations, in addition to some retail distribution. Primary markets include Africa, South America, and urban North America. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY FOR NICARAGUA Second only to hydropower, geothermal power is a primary clean energy source for the Republic of Nicaragua, located in the Central American isthmus. To tap Nicaragua's vast geothermal resources, Polaris Energy Nicaragua S.A. (PENSA), a subsidiary of Polaris Infrastructure