At a time when people are becoming more environmentally conscious, a Northern Ontario supply company that has traditionally focused on the mining and forestry sectors now sells wind-powered electricity generators for commercial buildings. 
Novenco Consultants Limited is the sole supplier in northeastern and central Ontario of the Cleanfield V3.5 Wind Turbine. The wind generators are also sold in northwestern Ontario by a Thunder Bay company called I & M Electric.
“I think it’s time due diligence was served by everyone, from industry right down to the normal Joe,” said Barry Hamilton, a sales consultant at Novenco.
Fossil fuels are sending pollutants into the air causing greenhouse gases. Moving to greener energy is an investment for generations to come.
“As time goes on, people will want to invest in the future for their families. It’s not for me at the age of 61. It’s to protect the planet for my children and grandchildren.”
Novenco, which started in the1980s by Norbert Hoffmann, manufactures acid-resistant bricks, polymer-concrete tanks, coated industrial flooring and welds various plastics.
The company has locations in both the Val Caron industrial park (within the City of Greater Sudbury) and in Timmins.
Novenco employs 18 people year round, but in the past, its workforce has jumped to 80 when large projects were undertaken.
The 12-foot-tall Cleanfield V3.5 Wind Turbine, manufactured in Ancaster, Ontario, is designed to be installed on flat roofs of commercial or institutional buildings.
It has three vertical blades, which rotate around a vertical central axis, turning a generator to produce power.
Depending on the wind and where the device is located, it can produce 5,000 to 9,000-kilowatt hours per year of energy.
“The rotors create power when they’re turning, and that power is sent to what’s called an inverter,” he said.
“The inverter will clean up the power that’s created, changing it to acceptable AC power that can be used by the hydro grid. It’s installed into a Hydro One meter that adds up how much power is being produced by the generator.
“The commercial customer will be able to have that amount taken off their hydro bill.”
An electronic smart system detects internal errors such as high gale winds to brake the system. It also detects wobbling from ice build-up, and automatically starts up a micro-vibration system to help de-ice the blade rotors.
Each unit costs about $15,000, not including installation charges. However, because of funding available through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), wind generators can be fairly inexpensive, said Hamilton.
The NOHFC will provide forgivable loans for 50 per cent of the cost of renewable energy technology, up to a maximum of $100,000.
Novenco will also lease the windmills, and when the NOHFC loan is approved, it will cost $350 a month for one unit, Hamilton said.
The first wind generator sold by the company will be installed on the roof of Elliot Lake Secondary School in February 2008.
“It’s part of the students’ studies in renewable energy and being green. They’re pretty excited about it,” said Hamilton.
Several measures were taken before approval was given for the device to be installed on the school roof, he said.
For example, although the wind generators only weigh 700 pounds, a structural engineer was brought in to ensure the school’s roof could withstand the vibration and turbulence caused by the device.
They also had to ensure the building codes in Elliot Lake allow for the installation of wind generators.
In 2008, Cleanfield expects to release a new type of wind generator, which can be installed in people’s backyards, said Hamilton.
The generators, mounted on a single pole in a cement base, will be designed, so they can tilt to the ground for servicing.
He expects there will be a lot of interest in the generators from farmers and people who own property in rural areas.
“We will also be contacting people who own cottages, because they can use the wind power when they’re at the cottage in the summertime, and when they’re not there during the winter, they can have the windmill running and earning money for them.”
