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Montréal ZERO Inc. (Sevag Pogharian) awarded support from Natural Resources Canada’s ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative

Published: 6 May 2013

On May 3, 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced support of more than $82 million through Natural Resources Canada’s ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative (ecoEII) for 55 innovative projects across Canada. Of these, 15 will be pre-commercialization demonstration projects to test the feasibility of various technologies, and 40 will be research and development projects to address knowledge gaps and bring technologies from the conceptual stage to the ready-to-be-tested stage of development. One of the research and development projects selected for support is “Plug and Play Building-Integrated Photovoltaic and Thermal (BIPV-T) Technologies,” which will receive $522,170. The lead proponent is Montréal ZERO Inc. whose founder and president is Sevag Pogharian (B.Arch. 1986). Sevag teaches the course Energy, Environment and Buildings (ARCH 377) at the School.

The Building Integrated Photovoltaic and Thermal (BIPV-T) system is a technology which merges photovoltaic and thermal systems, simultaneously providing both electric and thermal energy. The goal of this project is to conceptualize, develop and test prototypes of BIPV-T collectors appropriate for cold climate housing and building applications. Montréal ZERO will work closely with industry partners, solar system installers and academic institutes to develop and field test BIPV-T systems. The results will help establish standardized BIPV-T modules for energy efficient housing and buildings.

For full details, please see the announcement on the Prime Minister’s website.

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