| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.30 |
| Liaison | William Clancey |
| Submission Date | Feb. 9, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Durham College
AC-9: Academic Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
12.00 / 12.00 |
Debbie
McKee Demczyk Director Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
Number of the institution’s faculty and/or staff engaged in sustainability research:
Total number of the institution’s faculty and/or staff engaged in research:
Number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that include at least one faculty or staff member that conducts sustainability research:
The total number of academic departments (or the equivalent) that conduct research:
A copy of the sustainability research inventory that includes the names and department affiliations of faculty and staff engaged in sustainability research:
Names and department affiliations of faculty and staff engaged in sustainability research:
Ali Taileb – School of Science and Engineering Technology
Atul Tyagi – School of Business, IT and Management
Amit Maraj – School of Business, IT and Management
Greg Moran – School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology
Gary Heagle – School of Science and Engineering Technology
Pravin Patel – School of Science and Engineering Technology
Cameal Soverall - Centre for Food
Daniela Garritano - School of Continuing Education
Jennifer Bedford - School of Media, Art and Design
Matthew Hack - School of Interdisciplinary Studies
Tricia Wiseman - Centre for Food
Don Fishley - School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology
Lauren Fuentes - School of Science and Engineering Technology
Kevin Campbell - School of Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship and Renewable Technology
Shannon Webb - School of Interdisciplinary Studies
A brief description of the methodology the institution followed to complete the research inventory:
Worked with Research Office and conducted a faculty survey
A brief description of notable accomplishments during the previous three years by faculty and/or staff engaged in sustainability research:
BACKGROUND:
DynaCurrent Technologies Inc. (DTI) has developed and patented a new and innovative technology to heat liquid using electricity. Testing to date shows this new technology is significantly more efficient than other electrical heating technologies in the marketplace. A potential commercial use is as an alternate heating source to oil, propane and electricity in homes and small- to- medium-sized buildings. In order to gain acceptance in the marketplace, DTI required a third-party performance evaluation in a residence to show how the new technology performs against the ones currently available. In working with Durham College (DC), DTI was able to conduct such testing.
OBJECTIVE:
• To test performance of the new technology against the technology currently used in the marketplace.
OUTCOME:
The performance evaluation conducted in partnership with DC and DTI showed that DTI’s technology is significantly more efficient in heating a house than comparable technologies. In addition to being more efficient, the technology eliminates the carbon footprint of traditional home furnaces as well as the safety concerns associated with carbon monoxide. If a significant number of homes and buildings across the province were to replace their traditional furnaces with DTI’s technology, it would make a significant impact on two of today’s largest concerns—the rising price of energy and the environment—with one small action.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
This project was made possible through a partnership with Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
BACKGROUND:
Woodleigh Farms Ltd., an agricultural crop producer operating in Cavan, Ont., had been using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to inspect in-progress crops with normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) and near-infrared (NIR) sensors. Rather than a manual inspection, which was done in the past, a drone was used to cover more area and remove human error. However, during the farm scouting operations, it was identified that their software was unable to incorporate and process the NDVI images into the farm software programs. Woodleigh Farms Ltd. required bridging software (middleware) that would integrate farm software with the drones to gain a competitive edge in crop scouting.
OBJECTIVES:
• To develop middleware that can process the data from the UAV and provide high resolution images.
• To ensure the middleware incorporates high resolution NDVI images into a variety of databases.
OUTCOME:
By working with Durham College (DC), Woodleigh Farms Ltd. received middleware that integrated their software with that of individual farmers. It uses high resolution NDVI images from the UAV as inputs and develops an output that can be applied to a variety of farm software. Farmers using different kinds of software can now use this new application to incorporate data from the drone into their database, and Woodleigh Farms Ltd. can scout fields using different methods and with a high level of accuracy. This translates into more contracts for crop scouting. The company is now targeting primary agricultural producers with more than 760 acres and using third-party imaging services.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
This project was made possible through a partnership with Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
The website URL where information about sustainability research is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.