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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - JANUARY 2013
try partners. Now, with the launch of
the i-CUE, it adds the element of in-
novation,” says Dr. Bala Venkatesh,
CUE’s academic director. “We need
both research and innovation together
in order to solve urban energy issues.”
“
The i-CUE is another successful
example of Ryerson’s ‘zone’ model,”
adds Sheldon Levy, president of Ry-
erson University. “Instead of a co-op
model where students work for some-
one else, the i-CUE gives entrepre-
neurial education through support,
mentorship and collaborative learning,
the opportunity to start their own com-
pany in the energy sector.”
There are currently four compa-
nies being incubated and/or accelerat-
ed in the i-CUE: Energy Savers, Plug’n
Drive Ontario, DanTeb Enterprises and
Grid Resources – with a growing list of
businesses looking to join.
Energy Savers is a student-led,
not-for-profit social enterprise devel-
oped by CUE and Ryerson’s Students
in Free Enterprise (SIFE, now Enac-
tus). Energy Savers’ mission is to help
Torontonians save on their costs by
educating them on the value of energy
conservation and empowering them to
take advantage of other existing op-
portunities. The company performs en-
ergy-saving home retrofits, which can
save homeowners up to 50 per cent on
their energy bills.
Plug’n Drive Ontario is a not-for
profit organization dedicated to creat-
ing public awareness and promoting
the environmental and economic bene-
fits of electric vehicles within the prov-
ince. It currently has partnerships with
government, electricity companies, car
ABOUT RYERSON UNIVERSITY
Ryerson University is Canada’s leader
in innovative, career-oriented education
and a university clearly on the move.
With a mission to serve societal need,
and a long-standing commitment to
engaging its community, Ryerson of-
fers more than 100 undergraduate and
graduate programs. Distinctly urban,
culturally diverse and inclusive, the
university is home to more than 30,000
students, including 2,300 master’s and
PhD students, nearly 2,700 faculty and
staff, and more than 140,000 alumni
worldwide. Research at Ryerson is on a
trajectory of success and growth: exter-
nally funded research has doubled in
the past four years. The G. Raymond
Chang School of Continuing Education is
Canada’s leading provider of university-
based adult education. For more infor-
mation, visit
.
For more information on the CUE, con-
tact Karen Parucha at the Centre for
Urban Energy, Ryerson University: kpa-
and infrastructure manufacturers, re-
searchers, non-governmental organiza-
tions and other commercial partners.
DanTeb is creating battery charg-
ing stations that can be placed in high-
traffic, public places where people
don’t have immediate access to a
charge. These stations supply more
than a dozen connections capable of
simultaneously charging a number
of different electronic devices includ-
ing smartphones and tablets. A typical
charging session lasts 10 to 15 minutes,
and the users are able to interact with
the digital media components of the
stations or simply continue to use their
phone while charging.
Grid Resources is commercial-
izing a combined heat and power con-
cept that will maximize the value of
distributed energy for its clients.
CENTRE FOR URBAN ENERGY
