Fleming College

 

Ontario Centres of Excellence also funding research projects through Fleming’s Centre for Sustainable Municipalities

Peterborough ON – (April 4, 2018) – Fleming College will install a new geothermal heating and cooling system at Sutherland Campus to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions thanks to funding from the provincial government.

Jeff Leal, MPP for Peterborough, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Minister Responsible for Small Business, announced close to $13 million in infrastructure and research funding during a visit to Fleming College today.

“Our partnership with Fleming College ensures more opportunities for local students and businesses,” said Jeff Leal, MPP for Peterborough. “I am pleased to see the positive impact of key industry research and development collaborations across our community.”

Fleming will receive a total of $12,147,000 from the Greenhouse Gas Campus Retrofits Program (GGCRP), which includes:

• $6.209 million from the Innovation Grant Fund to fund the Fleming College Emissions Reduction Initiative
• $1.538 million from the Retrofits Grant Fund for Cap and Trade Non-Participants
• $4.4 million repayable loan from the Interest-Free Loan Fund

The $6.209 million will go toward installing a closed loop vertical borehole geothermal system and upgrades to the Kawartha Trades and Technology Centre that will include rooftop solar and wind energy as well as the implementation of new technologies such as an Internet of Things lab. The remaining funding will be used for additional GHG reducing initiatives as well as the creation of a low carbon demonstration site that will support the skills development of students. The project is expected to be completed by spring 2019.

“Fleming College prides itself on being a leader in sustainability within the communities we serve and among other post-secondary institutions. Developing these renewable energy systems will be a leap forward for us to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and replace aging, outdated heating and cooling systems. It will further provide valuable learning opportunities for our students,” said Fleming College President Tony Tilly.

MPP Leal also announced the province has awarded Fleming’s Centre for Sustainable Municipalities (CSM) a $500,000 research grant for a portfolio of projects designed to accelerate the development of advanced asset management technologies.

“Municipalities own almost 60% of Canada’s core public infrastructure. New state-of-the-art technologies provide opportunities for municipalities to optimize the management and operation of these assets. There is a real potential to get municipalities plugged in to transformative technologies,” said Grant Murphy, Manager of the Centre for Sustainable Municipalities.

The funding is part of the Government of Ontario’s Colleges Applied Research and Development Fund (CARDF), administered by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) in the Stream 1 College Strategic Sector/Cluster/Technology Platform Program (CSSCTP). The program is supported by the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science; in partnership with Colleges Ontario. The award will be combined with $500,000 in partner cash and in-kind funding.

“The CSM is unique in its creation of a cluster, bringing together municipalities, the private sector, and Fleming College. This funding will provide further opportunities for collaboration between all parties. The companies involved will see direct benefits, as will the advanced infrastructure and asset management sector, and the municipalities they serve,” said Dr. Tilly.

About the Centre for Sustainable Municipalities
Launched in 2017, The Centre for Sustainable Municipalities (CSM) at Fleming College builds on Fleming’s international reputation for excellence in environmental research, education, training, and commitment to sustainability. The CSM connects the expertise of Fleming’s experienced and highly skilled faculty researchers in areas relevant to sustainability, innovative approaches to asset management, and municipal infrastructure services. The goal of the centre is to help drive innovation in the advanced asset management sphere and connect municipalities to the technologies and practices that can make them sustainable. [www.sustainablemunicipalities.ca]

About Fleming College
Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,800 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 74,000 alumni.

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For more information, please contact:
Laura Copeland
Fleming College
laura.copeland@flemingcollege.ca
705.749.5530 x 1370