Eneract

Eneract is a registered charity, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that delivers innovative solutions to environmental problems and builds capacity in communities to work towards a sustainable future.

Its core goal is to promote the aggressive implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy in order to address the urgent problems of global climate change and urban smog. Its approach is one that acknowledges the links that exist between a healthy environment, a vibrant community and a strong economy.

Vision: a 100% renewable energy base for Toronto by 2025

Mission: to act as a catalyst and implementer of a sustainable energy future for the Toronto area

Projects

Eneract’s projects occur within different spheres of influence – on a household/individual level, at a neighbourhood level, and within the non-profit community.

martliving Community

The Greater Toronto Area is remarkably diverse – more than 90 ethnic groups exist in what is undoubtedly one of the most multicultural regions in the world. In the City of Toronto, over 50% of the population is part of a visible minority. Despite this, educational programming, especially environmental programming, occurs mainly in English.

Eneract's smartliving Community Program will address this problem by bringing educational programming right to six of the Toronto area's largest ethnic communities: Chinese, South Asian, West Indian, Italian, Portuguese and Filipino. The program was successfully piloted with the Chinese community during 2004 and will be rolled out for other communities in the future. The program focuses on the need for, and details of, home energy efficiency and conservation.

The tools used to deliver the energy conservation message to its programs' audiences include:

* The smartliving [http://www.smartliving.ca] website (available in English and Chinese)

* The 20/20 Planner, a practical guide to saving energy at home and on the road

* smartliving workshops

smartliving Workshops Eneract's smartliving Workshops are fun and interactive 1^½-hour sessions that focus on improving home comfort and lowering energy bills. They help participants:

* Learn about the simple actions they can take to save money on energy bills and make their homes more comfortable

* Learn about the EnerGuide and ENERGY STAR energy efficiency programs

* Learn more about green energy in Ontario.

smartliving Guide There is a growing demand for green products and services – that is, those that are produced with environmental and social sustainability as key elements of the production – termed “green products and services”.

The Guide answers a very simple question: “From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed, what are the products and services I purchase and where can I find green alternatives?” That is, “Where are the green dry cleaners?” “Where do I find organic, locally grown produce?” “Where do I find vegetarian restaurants?”

In addition to the print version, Eneract has created a web-based version of the Guide, which, for the most part, mirrors the information found in the print edition.

smartliving St. Lawrence

The smartliving St. Lawrence project is a collaborative effort being led by Eneract and the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA) that will engage other community organizations such as the local Business Improvement Area, the City of Toronto , the South East Downtown Economic Redevelopment Initiative (SEDERI) and George Brown College.

The goals of the smartliving St. Lawrence project are:

# To foster a conservation culture in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood and thus foster a healthy environment
# To work with residents and businesses to create a strong economy and vibrant community

The program is built on four activity pillars:

# Programs: Focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable transportation
# Grassroots activities: Including composting and community greenscaping
# Education: At the home, business and community level on the Sustainable Community Project
# Policy: Working with all levels of government to address policy barriers and create conservation incentives.

A tightly knit, highly energetic area, the St. Lawrence neighbourhood is home to approximately 19,000 residents and over 100 businesses and is a great candidate for setting an example of what can be done at the community level.

Green Pride

There are many large community festivals in Ontario, almost none of which provide recycling facilities for festival attendees. Eneract has entered into an ongoing agreement with Pride Toronto, hosts of one of the city's largest annual events, to coordinate a recycling initiative over the course of Pride Week.

The 2005 initiative, the 2^nd year of the partnership initiative, was successful in raising awareness of the availability of recycling facilities and diverted 1.4 tonnes of recyclables from the landfill. 1.4 tonnes of PET plastic (one of the most common forms of plastics used in consumer products) is the equivalent of 100,000 500ml plastic bottles – enough to make 5,000 square feet of recycled carpeting.

History

Over the past 17 years, Eneract has been a leader in demonstrating environmental best practices to the people of Ontario. Formed in 1988, as a chapter of the Solar Energy Society of Canada (SESCI), and incorporated in 1994, Eneract has led and co-founded a number of important initiatives. Its past successes include:

Solar Trailer Project

The ever-popular Solar Trailer has been used by schools and music festivals across the province for over eight years to demonstrate the viability of using photovoltaics for clean electricity production. Eneract sold the Trailer to the City of Toronto in 2002.

Solar Trailer Specifications and Technical SpecificationsThe Solar Trailer is a mobile, photovoltaic electrical generator used to provide clean, quiet, green power for outdoor musical events, festivals, fairs and parades —rain or shine. It is ideal where conventional grid power is not available. The Trailer can provide up to 8 kWh or power per day.

Solar power provides an excellent opportunity to educate the public about renewable energy and energy conservation, with displays and demonstrations on-site.

In brief:

•Auto trailer mounted.

•Sets up in 15 minutes.

•Can provide silent 24-hour/day power anywhere.

•Utilizes onboard photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and/or gen set - energy sources with deep cycle DC battery storage.

•Automatic electronic operation.

Technical Details:

•Trailer size: 4' x 6'; 1 500lbs

•Solar Array: 180 Watts [peak]

•Typical daily output: 1 000 Watt-hours

•Battery storage: 660 Amp-hours @ 24 Volts DC.

•Output: 16 kW-hours [16 000 W-hours]

•Recommended Maximum output: 8 kWh.

•Inverter power: 4 000 W continuous @ 120 VAC [pure sine wave] , 10 000 W surge.

Some events that have been powered by the Solar Trailer include: folk and community festival music stages [e.g. Hillside, Peterborough] and other events for Earth Day, the City of Toronto and numerous other groups.

Solar Wagon Project

Over the past three years Eneract has been demonstrating to school children the practical application of solar photo-voltaic technology by organizing solar events in Toronto's schools through solar systems mounted on wagons. Dozens of solar events have been organized in schools, parks and music festivals.

Eneract recently divested itself of ownership of these wagons, passing the torch of education on to the City of Toronto, Toronto Island Natural Science School and the Kortright Centre for Conservation—groups "which we believe are better suited to reach the target audience than Eneract is."

Urban Environment Centre/Green$aver

[enerEneract resuscitated the Howland House into the Urban Environment Centre and provided the program content for the creation of the Green$aver program. The program design led to the implementation of energy and water efficiency measures in Toronto's residential sector. The model was later developed by the Province of Ontario as the Green Communities Initiative and replicated in several cities across the province.

Green$aver continues to grow and flourish, giving momentum and adding experience to an exciting new field both with regard to career placements and fostering new technologies expertise.

Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative (TREC)

Eneract Board Members Greg Allen and Mario Kani, along with 1999-2000 Director Judith Ramsay, are founding Board Members of TREC. The TREC model is truly groundbreaking in the North American context. First, it sites large-scale wind turbines in the downtown core of a major city. Secondly and more importantly, it allows citizens to directly participate in deciding on and implementing a sustainable energy path.

This action has forged new pathways for community involvement and will result in add vital momentum to the renewable energy markets in Toronto and Canada.

The Toronto Sustainable Energy Plan

In 1998 the City of Toronto contracted Eneract members Greg Allen, Stephen Hall, Bridget Haworth and Mario Kani to develop and author the City's Sustainable Energy Plan.

The Solar Domestic Hot Water Heating Project

Eneract was manager and partner in the Solar Domestic Hot Water (DHW) Heating project—a partnership with Natural Resources Canada and others that saw the installation of 26 Solar DHW systems across the Toronto region.

In addition, Eneract is pushing for a series of market transformation program activities that will aim to establish and grow a medium and long-term market for the technology. The Initiative will be led by partner Allen Kani Associates and involve community partners Green$aver, Toronto Hydro, Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative, and the Federal Natural Resources Canada. This project will result in a new vitality in the solar heating market in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, including development of new expertise in solar installations in the Toronto area.

trategic directions

Eneract's strategic approach is based on five guiding principles:

1. Develop a strong, sustainably funded organization with a diversified funding portfolio.

Fundraising is very important to any non-governmental organization (NGO). The funding world, however, is quite unpredictable. In order to cushion us against unexpected changes to the funding world, Eneract strives to diversify its funding base with a good mix of government and private grants; memberships, donations and fees from services.

2. Create a cohesive and well-organized structure.

Eneract has created a committee structure that supports the Board's goal of a transition to a governing Board while keeping a strong root in volunteerism. The nature of the new structure allows us to develop skill and loyalty amongst our volunteers by having them involved with committees. Committees are a great launching point for a successful career on the Board. Eneract has also committed to providing competitive salaries and good working conditions to keep skilled staff within the organization.

3. Build an engaged membership and volunteer base.

Eneract would not be able to achieve its past successes without the countless hours our volunteers have dedicated to the organization. We are committed to developing a dedicated volunteer base and increasing our volunteer management capacity by providing training opportunities and other incentives for volunteers. We are also committed to re-building our membership base and have already begun campaigns to achieve these goals.

4. Build a unique and effective slate of programs.

Eneract has a history of developing programs that truly further the understanding and uptake of renewable energy technologies in Toronto and area. In order to strengthen our impact, we have moved to a formal system of identifying areas of focus and then developing programs within these areas of focus. In addition, Eneract will institute an organization-wide evaluation policy that will address the need for program evaluation.

5. Build coherency in the nonprofit movement and act as a tool for elimination of duplication.

Too often non-profit organizations work unknowingly against each other by duplicating efforts already underway. While it makes sense to target different markets with the same message, it does not make sense for different organizations to target the same groups with the same message. Eneract will work with its partners in Toronto-area non-governmental organizations to better communications that will lead to less duplication of efforts and greater coherency in the non-profit movement.

Board of Directors

Eneract is led by a team of dedicated and experienced professionals of a very diverse skill set. This team is central to the sustainability of the organization and has taken on the challenge put before it with enthusiasm.

Directors and Officers

Bill Trenbeth, Chairman

Director of Finance and Administration, Easter Seals Society

Qasim (KC) Daya, Treasurer

President, Clifton Blake Properties

Directors

Greg Allen

President, Sustainable Edge

Michelle Chislett

Ontario Director of Solar Projects, SunPower Parks Corp., subsidiary of SkyPower Corporation

Matthew Leibowitz

Principal, Succession Capital Corporation

Terry Fedorkiw

Communications Director