Ontario Geothermal Association Conference May 22nd

The OGA 2024 Conference was a hit May 22nd at the Fennell Campus of Mohawk College in Hamilton with over 300 attendees networking and learning from their peers at the event including: municipal advisors, HVAC/R professionals, consulting engineers and designers, as well as developers, educators, consultants and utilities in Canada.

The OGA is a not-for-profit organization representing geothermal energy system designers, drillers, installers, equipment manufacturers and distributors with the intent to advance Ontario’s geothermal heating and cooling industry.

During the special plenary session, Paul Frith, President, OGA, welcomed attendees with his usual enthusiasm and passion for Geothermal. Wade Griffin, National Director, Indigenous Engagement RP1, provided background on Land Acknowledgment protocol, which is about an appreciation and deep connection first nations has with the land.

Keynote speaker, Bill McGowan, VP of Smart Cities and Smart Technology for Cisco outlined Cisco Smart/Sustainable/Hybrid Building Practices Canada.

Followed by a number of breakout sessions:

AM Breakout Speakers:

Nicole Granath - Impacts of embodied carbon on the HVAC industry
Dante Mancuso - Importance of health and safety to the HVAC industry
Tony Capido & Stan Reitsma - Mohawk College Geothermal system, the story and case study
Michael Ridler - Technology update for the residential HVAC market
Wade Griffin - Opportunity for Geothermal in Indigenous communities

**Nicole Granath, Co-Founder –** **Tangible Materials, Inc.**

PM Breakout speakers:

Diana Cartwright - The Trade Commissioner Service: helping you to grow beyond Canada
Patrick Marion - Geothermal in a subdivision, a case of success
Jeremy Tessier - CMHC programs and how they apply to the Geothermal Industry
Andrei Hari - Buildings and Geothermal optimization
Martin Luymes - Government relations update on Geothermal

Tony Cupido provided a guided tour of the Joyce Centre for Innovation and Partnerships Net Zero building including the solar and geothermal assets.

“There is a perception that high energy effiecient buildings and or Net Zero buildings are more costly than conventional buildings, which is not true.”, says Tony Cupido, Research Chair, Mohawk College.

OGA’s Conference May 22nd, 2024 focused on bringing stakeholders together to network and collaborate on initiatives to reach its 2030 and 2050 climate action goals. This year’s day-long conference theme: GeoThermal “The New Normal”.