Connect with us

Technology

Investing in a Sustainable Kitchener-Waterloo

Published

on

KITCHENER, ON, June 24, 2024 /CNW/ – Across the country, Canadians are looking to live in sustainable communities: places with clean air, affordable homes and good employment opportunities. Building sustainable communities means that as a federal government, we are continually investing in our environmental and economic health.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced four projects in the Kitchener-Waterloo region that will support community sustainability through investments in more efficient and affordable energy systems and greener transportation options.

Through its Codes Acceleration Fund program, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is investing $538,730 toward High-Performance Development Standards for Waterloo Region. This multi-partner initiative will help advance higher performance new constructions in the region, reducing costs and improving energy efficiency in the buildings where people live, work and play.

In addition, NRCan is investing $380,235 through its Energy Efficiency program to help the Waterloo Region District School Board implement an energy management system in accordance with the latest ISO 50001 standard to reduce costs, improve energy performance and, in turn, improve energy efficiency for school buildings across the region.

And finally, through the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, NRCan is supporting the deployment of a coast-to-coast-to-coast network of charging stations, including new charging stations in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, specifically:

Chargers for tenants and visitors at residential buildings owned by Drewlo Holdings Inc. through a $103,622 investment that will help install four chargers in buildings across Kitchener and 30 more in other Ontario cities.Chargers for commercial fleets, which will be installed by Grand River Energy Solutions through a $910,000 investment, which will result in nine new chargers in Kitchener-Waterloo and five more in other Ontario cities.

These investments are injecting more money and green jobs into the Region of Waterloo. They demonstrate the federal government’s commitment to building green community infrastructure through EV chargers, greener buildings and the energy systems that support them.

Making the switch from fossil fuels to clean electricity is key in lowering climate changing greenhouse gas emissions, cleaning the air we breathe and putting the country on track for a new, sustainable jobs economy. 

Quotes

“We are investing in more than just energy-efficient projects — we are helping to build greener, more energy-efficient, economically prosperous communities for living, working, travelling and playing, across Ontario and across Canada. The investments we are making today in the Region of Waterloo speak to our government’s commitment to more sustainable, more affordable communities where you and your family can charge your car for less, enjoy reliably energy-efficient buildings and benefit from green community infrastructure at all stages of life.”

 The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

“We are grateful for this funding that will support a truly collaborative effort to create High-Performance Development Standards. All eight municipalities in Waterloo Region are working together with WR Community Energy and various community stakeholders to improve the energy performance and sustainability of new buildings. This will help us reach our goal of reducing GHG emissions by 80% percent by 2050.”

Karen Redman
Regional Chair, Regional Municipality of Waterloo

Quick Facts

The ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems Standard is an internationally recognized standard that gives organizations a structured framework to improve energy performance by making better use of energy-intensive assets.The Codes Acceleration Fund seeks to accelerate the adoption and implementation of the highest feasible energy performance tiers of the national model energy codes or other high-performance building codes, promote higher rates of compliance with adopted codes, and build capacity and support market preparedness for ambitious codes adoption.On-road transportation accounts for about 18 percent of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions.Phasing in 100 percent new electric vehicle sales by 2035 is projected to reduce over 360 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, avoiding almost $100 billion (about $310 per person in the U.S.) in global damages.The Government of Canada’s incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program has helped over 300,000 drivers make the switch through incentives of up to $5,000.Before hitting the roads, Canadians can easily map out their route by consulting Natural Resources Canada’s electric charger and alternative fuelling stations locator.

Related Information

Energy efficiency for buildingsCodes Acceleration FundZEV Resource HubZero-emission vehicle infrastructure fundingCharging and Hydrogen Refuelling Infrastructure initiative

Follow us on LinkedIn

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Typeform Delivers New Solutions to Empower B2C Businesses to Better Engage Customers

Published

on

By

Brands can now use video, data enrichment, and AI-powered capabilities to create interactive, hyper-personalized experiences and uncover deeper insights

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Typeform, the intuitive form builder and conversational data collection platform, today announced new features that provide business-to-consumer (B2C) businesses with the context, clarity, and convenience needed to better engage and understand their customers. Now businesses can further enhance the respondent experience, all while gathering richer, actionable data. 

Today, 70% of consumer decisions are based on emotion, including brand preference.¹ Buyers expect brands to tailor experiences to their personal preferences more than ever, but at the same time, they’re also becoming more cautious about sharing personal information. Typeform’s latest features help brands collect data directly from customers through interactive, personalized experiences they trust, then automatically enhance it with third-party insights to deepen their understanding. This empowers companies to deliver more targeted, data-driven marketing.

“Businesses can’t thrive on surface-level insights,” said Aleks Bass, Chief Product Officer, Typeform. “Our latest innovations give you the ability to dig deeper into truly knowing your customers by providing dynamic data collection experiences that encourage quality responses. Whether boosting conversions with a personalized product recommendation quiz or gathering feedback through video surveys, the common denominator is that your customers enjoy the experience.”

The offerings were unveiled at Typeforum 2024, Typeform’s first-ever virtual product spotlight event, designed to showcase the latest innovations from the company. Newly released features include: 

Enhanced Video Capabilities: Typeform now allows customers to respond with video, providing businesses deeper insights through voice and expressions, not just text. This builds on Typeform’s existing feature that enables creators to record, edit, and embed personalized videos into forms, boosting engagement and conversions. Typeform research found that 65% of marketers believe video is an effective tool for engaging and interacting with customers in ways that feel more human and create connection and loyalty.²Clarify with AI: Typeform’s Clarify with AI acts as a virtual interviewer, prompting follow-up questions based on customer responses. When a customer is asked about their experience and answers vaguely, like “good,” the AI encourages more detailed feedback, asking, “Good, how? What stood out?” For customers, it feels like a personalized conversation. For brands, it delivers more insights. Automated B2C Data Enrichment: Earlier this year, Typeform introduced automated B2B data enrichment, making it easier than ever to understand customers at a deeper level without needing to ask additional questions. Now, consumer-level enrichment is available in the Typeform platform. With just a personal email address, companies can pull in key data points from trusted third-party sources, providing a more complete picture of who’s on the other side of the screen.AI-powered Qualitative Analysis: With this feature, businesses can instantly analyze large volumes of text and video responses to surface key themes and insights, saving hours of manual work. Data Quality Tools: Invisible reCAPTCHA ensures data integrity by blocking bots and automated submissions, allowing only genuine responses to be collected. This safeguard enhances data reliability, helping teams make accurate, data-driven decisions.Klaviyo Integration: Typeform will soon be launching a new integration with Klaviyo, designed for B2C and direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketers. It will ensure that every insight gathered flows seamlessly into Klaviyo. Manual data transfers are eliminated as segments automatically update with Typeform data, enabling hyper-targeted campaigns customized to each customer’s unique profile. This integration combines Typeform’s interactive data collection with Klaviyo’s automation, facilitating more natural, personalized customer connections while driving business growth.

“We built a powerful product recommendation quiz not just to help our customers, but to generate invaluable data that allows us to better segment and engage them with relevant marketing,” said Addison Wennar, Digital Communications Manager, OGEE. “With the holiday shopping season approaching, these insights will be key. Typeform already delivers the highest response rates for us, and I’m excited to see how the new features will amplify that impact.”

The features are available today in Typeform for Growth plans. Watch the Typeforum 2024 recordings and learn how to use Typeform to better understand and engage customers here

About Typeform
Typeform is a distinctly intuitive form builder that helps over 150,000 customers collect and validate the data they need to grow their businesses. Designed with striking visuals, a conversational flow, and powerful data capabilities, Typeform empowers brands to give and get more with each form. Typeform drives more than 500 million responses each year and integrates with essential tools including Zapier, HubSpot, and Slack. For more information, visit www.typeform.com.

1         Pendell, R. (2024, October 15). Customer brand preference and decisions: Gallup’s 70/30 principle. Gallup.com. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/398954/customer-brand-preference-decisions-gallup-principle.aspx#:~:text=70%25%20of%20decisions%20are%20based,Making%20Process:%20Rational%20or%20Emotional?

2          Data from a survey of 105 Typeform customers conducted on September 30, 2024.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/typeform-delivers-new-solutions-to-empower-b2c-businesses-to-better-engage-customers-302305917.html

SOURCE Typeform S.L.

Continue Reading

Technology

Electronic Drives and Controls Celebrates Impressive Growth and Strong Demand for Industrial Automation Solutions

Published

on

By

EDC has announced 39% revenue growth over the past year and a strengthened presence in the metals converting and composites industries. The company has also maintained key certifications, including CSIA, UL508A, Rockwell Automation, Siemens, and Ignition.

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Electronic Drives and Controls, Inc. (EDC), a leading control system integrator and field service company for industrial automation and drive technology, today announced that the company has experienced a year of growth and success, achieving a 39% increase in revenue year-over-year. To meet the growing demand for automation and drive solutions, EDC has expanded its team, hiring Ricky Arcky as human resources manager and Tyler Schaberick as systems engineer. EDC attributes this growth to maintaining industry certifications, digital marketing efforts, a dedicated team, and strong, long-term partnerships.

“We are proud of the growth we’ve achieved this year, which is a testament to the hard work of our team and our commitment to delivering exceptional service to our clients.”

“We are proud of the growth we’ve achieved this year, which is a testament to the hard work of our team and our commitment to delivering exceptional service to our clients,” said Chuck Dillard, Vice President of EDC. “Our recent hires and increased project load reflect our strategy to grow both wider and deeper with our existing clients, as well as entering new industries.”

“We’ve put in years of preparation and invested heavily in digital marketing to get the word out about our services, knowing that growth was inevitable,” Dillard added. “Our team has worked tirelessly and the results speak for themselves: clients continue to return to us because of our technical expertise and the strong results we deliver.”

EDC’s expertise in coating & laminating, wire and cable, PLC programming and upgrades, as well as drive service, has allowed the company to strengthen its presence in the metals converting industry, securing new and expanded projects across multiple client plants. EDC has also successfully completed upgrades for a new client in the composites industry, widening the portfolio of industries it caters to.

In addition to recent growth, EDC remains committed to maintaining the highest industry standards through its CSIA certification, which ensures adherence to best practices in control system integration. Several certifications, including UL508A recertification and certifications from Rockwell Automation, Siemens, and Ignition, further emphasize EDC’s dedication to safety, technical proficiency, and continuous improvement.

About Electronic Drives and Controls, Inc.
Founded in 1968, Electronic Drives and Controls, Inc. (EDC) is a CSIA Certified control system integrator with deep domain expertise in the coating and laminating, and converting industries. The company’s large field service team specializes in AC and DC drives, PLCs and factory automation. Family owned and operated for more than 50 years, EDC’s team of engineers and technicians has a vast experience integrating new control systems and breathing life into older equipment. EDC has the engineering capability to design, build, start-up and service projects from the sophisticated to the simple and the service support team on call 24/7/365 to keep it all running at peak efficiency from day one and for years to come. In addition to the company’s certification as a Siemens Solution Partner and a Rockwell Automation Recognized System Integrator, EDC is a factory authorized/factory trained service center for over 40 drive brands. For more information, visit the company’s website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Media Contact

Georgia Whalen, Rivergate Marketing, (978) 697-2664, Gwhalen@rivergatemarketing.com, www.electronicdrives.com/home/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/electronic-drives-and-controls-celebrates-impressive-growth-and-strong-demand-for-industrial-automation-solutions-302305739.html

SOURCE Electronic Drives and Controls, Inc. (EDC)

Continue Reading

Technology

Allstate Financial Services Selects Covr to Provide Life Insurance, Long-Term Care, and Disability Insurance Solutions

Published

on

By

Covr’s Digitally Enabled Insurance Platform Will Simplify the Buying Process

HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Covr, a leading digital insurance provider, has partnered with Allstate Financial Services, LLC to offer a streamlined suite of life, long-term care (LTC), and disability income insurance solutions through Covr’s digital platform. This partnership provides Allstate Financial Services customers with a simple, connected experience, featuring an intuitive, paperless process that makes it easier than ever to purchase insurance tailored to their diverse needs.

Covr’s platform offers an easy-to-use, self-guided experience to efficiently compare and recommend insurance products. Additionally, Allstate Financial Services will offer a range of products through Covr’s platform, including guaranteed issue life insurance through Gerber Life and disability insurance through Assurity, Ameritas, MassMutual, Mutual of Omaha and Principal. Traditional long-term care will also be available through Mutual of Omaha.

“We are extremely pleased to add Allstate’s network of 7,000+ representatives to our insurance platform,” said Michael Kalen, CEO of Covr. “Their business owners and individual customer base fits perfectly with our portfolio of simplified life, LTC, and disability income solutions for agents and their customers.”

“We’re committed to expanding solutions that better meet our customers’ protection needs,” said Scott Delaney, President and CEO, Allstate Financial Services. “With Covr’s digital platform, our representatives can deliver a more connected experience and offer a broader range of insurance options tailored to each customer’s unique needs.”

Allstate representatives will collaborate closely with Covr’s sales team to ensure ongoing support. Allstate Financial Services will also benefit from Covr’s top-tier case management services, providing end-to-end support throughout the entire insurance process.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/allstate-financial-services-selects-covr-to-provide-life-insurance-long-term-care-and-disability-insurance-solutions-302306004.html

SOURCE Covr Financial Technologies

Continue Reading

Trending