Check out the list of speakers for the virtual smartnet sustainability showcase happening january 3oth
The Sustainable Solutions Stage
The "State of Sustainability" Address with Rob Barnes
Robb Barnes is the Executive Director of Ecology Ottawa. Before joining Ecology Ottawa as a volunteer in 2013, Robb worked in the non-profit, public and private sectors. Robb brought advocacy experience to Ecology Ottawa from his time in politics and non-profits, and policy experience from his time as a management consultant working closely with various levels of government. Robb is passionate about environmental and animal welfare issues, community organizing and urban design. Robb holds a Masters in Public and International Affairs, where he focused on the intersection of ecological economics and urban sprawl.
Robb will be giving us a "State of Sustainability" Address with a review of the year that was and a look at a number of areas where Ecology Ottawa see exciting opportunities for progress as we start the new year. He will touch on topics such as urban biodiversity, the new Official Plan and 15-minute neighbourhoods, Ottawa;s Energy Evolution plan and more!
Electric vehicles with the ev council of ottawa
Raymond Leury is retired from an Information Technology (IT) career, consulting for over 25 years to both private and public sector clients throughout Canada and the United States. Over the course of his life, Raymond has always been interested in environmental issues. He has attended Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project leadership corps which re-ignited his passion, in particular the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. That has led him to purchase an electric vehicle (EV) 7 years ago and to get involved with EV owner’s groups, where he now occupies the position of President for the Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa. Raymond splits his time between advocating for EVs, talking climate change and volunteering with the Red Cross, most recently helping with the Covid-19 efforts. Raymond holds an MBA from the University of Ottawa.
Mike Banks has a degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management and currently works as a Trade Data Analyst at Statistics Canada. Michael has owned an electric vehicle since 2017 which he uses as his daily commuter vehicle and is in the process of retrofitting his house with clean technologies with a goal of making it a Net Zero home before 2030. Mike is active in helping people transition to zero-emissions vehicles having already converted most of his friends and family to plug-in vehicles. As a board member of EVCO he also helps coordinate and participates in the various public outreach events and initiatives of the group. Both Raymond and Mike will both be presenting on the Sustainable Solutions Stage, talking about Electric Vehicles. They will cover a board range of topics that all EV owners and potential owners should know. Also be sure to catch them in the Electric Vehicle Area throughout the day.
Passive homes with casey grey and chris weissflog
Since founding EcoGen Energy & Build in 2006 ,Chris Weissflog has been helping people reduce carbon emissions by designing and building: solar thermal systems; grid-tied and off-grid solar PV systems; HVAC systems; and Passive House homes. His clients include home and cottage owners, restaurants, businesses, community housing agencies and universities. Trained and certified as a Passive House Consultant in 2012 by the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) to the Passive House International standard, and again to the new PHIUS standard, Chris is familiar with both Passive House programs. Chris is in a multi-year association with Carleton University’s Department of Engineering exploring advanced concepts that integrate building and HVAC systems. By exploiting synergies between building and HVAC system dynamics, the project aims to make the next quantum leap in energy efficiency beyond Passive House.
Casey Grey is the founder of the award-winning sustainable building company, The Conscious Builder, the host of The Conscious Builder Podcast and The Conscious Builder Show on YouTube and the former Co-host of The Conscious Living Podcast. He has written almost 400 blog posts on topics such as marketing, branding, entrepreneurship, personal development, sustainability and more.Casey brings almost two decades of experience to the construction industry and over a decade of experience to running, owning and growing multiple businesses while also staying committed to his wife and son. Casey is on a mission to help people build homes, businesses and lives in a more conscious manner and is co-authoring a book with Kevin Harrington, the original shark from the hit TV show Shark Tank. Both Chris and Casey will be outlining their work building Passive Homes and chatting about what you need to know before you strike ground. They will detail the ins and outs of building passive and give you first hand knowledge on how to build to one of the worlds most environmentally friendly standards.
energy evolution with janice ashworth and emma langham
Janice Ashworth works professionally in energy sustainability. She currently works as a project manager on the City of Ottawa's climate change team where she focuses on the existing building programs and financing solutions. She was the founding General Manager of both the Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-op and CoEnergy Co-op where she was responsible for business development of solar and retrofit projects, management, and financing. In her time with the energy co-operatives, Janice was named a 40 Under 40 business leader and was awarded the 2017 Solar Woman of Distinction. Janice has held positions on the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Community Power Co-ops, and the Nova Scotia Sustainable Electricity Alliance. In Nova Scotia she worked with the community-owned Colchester-Cumberland Wind Field. She has been a community organizer with Ecology Ottawa and Ecology Action Centre. Janice has a Master’s in Environmental Studies from Dalhousie University. Janice is an enthusiastic gardener and volunteers as a coordinator of the community farm at Beetbox Farm.
Emma Langham is an experienced environmental communications professional. She currently works as the communications and outreach coordinator in the climate change and resiliency team at the City of Ottawa. Emma has over ten years of experience delivering successful environmental projects to educate and empower individuals to be active in green initiatives. Originally from the UK, Emma enjoys travelling (when it’s allowed), crafting and hanging out with her cat
.The Energy Evolution Strategy is Ottawa’s road map to a low carbon future, with twenty distinct project pathways that will help us achieve our ambitious climate targets. Janice and Emma will be discussing the City of Ottawa’s Energy Evolution Strategy, giving an overview of what you can expect from the City over the next thirty years and also discussion the top actions that every day citizens can take to reduce emissions.
Emma Langham is an experienced environmental communications professional. She currently works as the communications and outreach coordinator in the climate change and resiliency team at the City of Ottawa. Emma has over ten years of experience delivering successful environmental projects to educate and empower individuals to be active in green initiatives. Originally from the UK, Emma enjoys travelling (when it’s allowed), crafting and hanging out with her cat.
.The Energy Evolution Strategy is Ottawa’s road map to a low carbon future, with twenty distinct project pathways that will help us achieve our ambitious climate targets. Janice and Emma will be discussing the City of Ottawa’s Energy Evolution Strategy, giving an overview of what you can expect from the City over the next thirty years and also discussion the top actions that every day citizens can take to reduce emissions.
Emma Langham is an experienced environmental communications professional. She currently works as the communications and outreach coordinator in the climate change and resiliency team at the City of Ottawa. Emma has over ten years of experience delivering successful environmental projects to educate and empower individuals to be active in green initiatives. Originally from the UK, Emma enjoys travelling (when it’s allowed), crafting and hanging out with her cat.
ASK The expert area
home energy innovation with bill nuttle
Bill Nuttle is a long-time resident of the Glebe, heat-pump owner, and an active member of the Glebe Community Association's Environment Committee. He has worked tirelessly over the last few years to advance home energy efficiency across the community.
Bill will outline how home owners can increase energy efficiency and drastically reduce the carbon footprint of older homes using existing technologies. He will detail how increasing energy efficiency will save you money, with the biggest reduction in carbon emissions being achieved through electrification using heat pumps. He will show what is possible in a typical Glebe row house built around 1920. Don't miss his presentation to learn how you too can innovate at home.
Bill will outline how home owners can increase energy efficiency and drastically reduce the carbon footprint of older homes using existing technologies. He will detail how increasing energy efficiency will save you money, with the biggest reduction in carbon emissions being achieved through electrification using heat pumps. He will show what is possible in a typical Glebe row house built around 1920. Don't miss his presentation to learn how you too can innovate at home.
Moving to net zero with daniel vivian
Daniel Vivian P.Eng. is a mechanical engineer with over 35 years of engineering experience with the last 20 years focused on Building Science Consulting (capital planning and energy conservation). He has a business to help home and building owners reduce their environmental impact by preparing plans to move off fossil fuels as efficiently as possible called Building Science Trust where he helps home owners and commercial real estate owners achieve higher energy efficiencies.
Dan will be discussing the environmental impact of fossil fuels, it's significance in the country's energy mix and how owners can move off fossil fuels to protect the environment. This discussion will include insights into the most promising Energy Conservation Measures, the comparable costs of various fuels and solar power and shows how owners can move their houses and buildings to Net Zero economically (i.e where the building produces as much energy as it uses annually).
Dan will be discussing the environmental impact of fossil fuels, it's significance in the country's energy mix and how owners can move off fossil fuels to protect the environment. This discussion will include insights into the most promising Energy Conservation Measures, the comparable costs of various fuels and solar power and shows how owners can move their houses and buildings to Net Zero economically (i.e where the building produces as much energy as it uses annually).
Do it yourself solar with kelvin hodges
Kelvin Hodges, solar advocate, green energy entrepreneur and off grid catalyst, opened BobolinkSolar in 2017 to do market research into solar adoption. His mandate includes implementation of lithium storage systems, off grid solar system design and developing community participation. A recent grad of EcoFUEL, Quebec's green energy accelerator program, he is a high level resource available for to-market renewable energy business. Contact him at kelvin@bobolinksolar.com
Kelvin Hodges, solar advocate, green energy entrepreneur and off grid catalyst who pioneered lithium energy storage for off grid, will give a 20 minute presentation offering a very up to the minute description of what you need for off grid and where the technology will be going in the years ahead. He will ten answer questions from attendees who are interested in going solar and give the ins and outs of installing PV yourself.
Kelvin Hodges, solar advocate, green energy entrepreneur and off grid catalyst who pioneered lithium energy storage for off grid, will give a 20 minute presentation offering a very up to the minute description of what you need for off grid and where the technology will be going in the years ahead. He will ten answer questions from attendees who are interested in going solar and give the ins and outs of installing PV yourself.
all about b corps with marc goldgrub
Marc Goldgrub is a lawyer at Green Economy Law Professional Corporation, a boutique Toronto-based corporate and commercial law firm for businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations working to build a new green economy. He holds a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City, and a Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. He is licensed to practice in Ontario and New York.
Marc will be explaining what B corps are, the difference between B Corps and Benefit Companies, the legal justification for their existence, and what the future may hold with respect to social enterprise-specific business forms and certifications.
Marc will be explaining what B corps are, the difference between B Corps and Benefit Companies, the legal justification for their existence, and what the future may hold with respect to social enterprise-specific business forms and certifications.