Growing the Margins and Canadian Farm and Food Biogas Conference and Exhibition 2010

Thursday April 12, 2007

8:30 – 10:00 am - Opening Plenary

Growing the Margins – Opportunities for Today and Tomorrow

Chair: John McMullen

Energy: An Opportunity for the Agri-Food and Rural Sector 

Maria Van Bommel, MPP, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; responsible for Agriculture and Food

A New Era in Electricity Conservation

Peter Love, Ontario’s Chief Energy Conservation Officer

Commercial Development of German Biogas Sector: Real Opportunities for Farmers

Markus Ott, Vice-President, German Biogas Association

Ontario’s Sustainable Energy Future – What’s Next?

William Kemp, Vice President, PowerBase Automation

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10:30 – 12:00 pm

Concurrent

Session # 1

Energy Policies and Programs in Ontario

Session Chair: Art Lawson, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Ontario’s Standard Offer Program (SOP),

Jill Medley, Ontario Power Authority, Toronto, ON

2. Connection, Impact Assessments and Its Challenges Under the SOP,

Bob Singh, Hydro One, Toronto, ON

3. Implications of Energy Policies and Program for New Projects,

Jake DeBruyn, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph, ON

4. Conservation and Demand Management Programs,

Giuliana Rossini, Hydro One Networks Inc., Toronto, ON

Greenhouse Technologies

Session Chair: Jim Todd, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Status of Current Greenhouse Energy Situation,

Shalin Khosla, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph, ON

2. Impact of Natural Gas Cost on Greenhouse Crop Production Margins,

G.Nabi Chaudhary, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Edmonton, AB

3. Strategies and Techniques for Combustion of Agricultural Biomass Fuels,

Fernando Preto, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON

4. Temperature Integration in Greenhouses, Saidal Borhan,

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow, ON

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Stimulating Project Development

Session Chair: Carole Burnham, Carole Burnham Consulting

1. Accessing Venture Capital: Moving From Idea to Investment,

Dave Smardon, Bioenterprise, Guelph, ON 

2. Removing Barriers to Post Fossil-Fuel Bio-Industry Development in Ontario,

Jaret Henhoeffer, Perth County Community Futures, Milverton, ON

3. A Road Map for New Electricity Generators in Ontario,

Stephen Cain, SNC-Lavalin Power Ontario Inc., Oakville, ON

4. OSEA Programs for Community Power,

Deb Doncaster, Ontario Sustainable Energy Association,   Toronto, ON

Byproducts as an Energy Resource

Session Chair: Christoph Wand, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Anaerobic Treatment of Septage/Biosolids to Produce Biogas, Electrical Power and Treated Biosolids,

Ross Slaughter, Henderson Paddon and Associates, Owen Sound, ON

2. Using Off-Farm Source Materials at Farm-Based Energy Systems,

Don Hilborn, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph, ON

3. Partnering with the WasteManagement Sector,

Doug Carruthers, National Challenge Systems Inc., Woodbridge, ON

4.  Byproduct Energy Initiatives in Germany,

Markus Ott, German Biogas Association, Freising, Germany

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1:30 – 3:00 pm

Concurrent Session # 2

Field Crop Opportunities

Session Chair: Ian McDonald, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. The Potential of Switchgrass as a Commercial Pellet Fuel in Ontario,

Roger Samson, REAP Canada, Ste Anne de Bellevue, QC

2. Ethanol’s Impact on Crop Marketing for 2007 – 2008, 

Victor Aideyan, Farms.com, London, ON 

3.  Potential for Energy Savings in Primary Tillage,

Neil McLaughlin, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON

4. Biofuels – At the Cost of Our Water and Soil?,

Kevin McKague, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph, ON

AgEnergy Co-Op Greenhouse Demand and Supply Management: Lessons Learned

Session Chair: William McClounie, ACC Farmers` Financial

1.  Co-operative: Showcase, the Top Greenhouse Energy Technology, 

Ron MacDonald, Agviro Inc., Guelph, ON and Mike Bouk Ag Energy, Guelph, ON

2. Top Greenhouse Energy Technologies,

Ron MacDonald, Agviro Inc., Geulph, ON and Jeff Chambers, Geomatrix Consultants, Waterloo, ON

3. Energy Benchmarking and Auditing, 

Ron MacDonald, Agviro, Inc. Guelph, ON

4. Geo-thermal Heat - Smarter from the Ground Up,

George  Cornelissen, Cornelissen Farms Inc., Watford, ON

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Food Industry Conservation/Efficiency

Session Chair: Robert Tmej, Ontario Ministry Of Energy

1. Linking Energy Conservation, Reduced GHG Emissions and Improved Profitability in the Food Processing Sector,

Kevin Jones, Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement, Mississauga, ON

2. Working With Water - Saving Water and Energy,

Alex Keen, Altech Group, Toronto, ON

3. Food Preservation Through Advanced and Energy Efficient Drying Technology,

Andrew Small, Nutriloc Ingredients Corporation, Burnaby, BC

4. Steam System Design and Optimization,

Gary Troop, Spirax Sarco Canada Limited, Concord, ON

Biogas Opportunities 1

Session Chair: Sam Bradshaw, Ontario Pork Council

1. Preliminary Feasibility Study of a Farm-Scale Anaerobic Digester,

Scott Tousaw, Huron County Planning and Development, Goderich, ON

2.   Feasibility Study of a Co-substrate Renewable Energy Facility in Western New York,

Brandon Moffatt, Conestoga-Rover and Associates, Waterloo, ON

3. Recent Experiences in Designing and Implementing Co-digestion Systems,

Ruth Roxburgh, CH2M HILL, Kitchener, ON

4. Anaerobic Digestion of Liquid Dairy Manure at Medium Size Farms in Ontario,

Anna Crolla, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON

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3:30 – 5:00 pm

Concurrent  Session #3

Biofuels

Session Chair: Bruce Bowman

1 Farm-Scale Biodiesel Production - The Reality,

William Kemp, PowerBase Automation, Carleton Place, ON

2. Fuel and Chemical Production from Agricultural Feed Stocks via Fast Pyrolysis,

Ron Golden, Agri-Therm Limited, Dorchester, ON 

3.  Bio Gas Case Study,

Mark Lambert, Casco Inc., London, ON

4.  Regulatory, Financial and Technical Issues in On-Farm Biodiesel Manufacturing for Fuel Savings to Farmers,

Luc Duchesne, Forest BioProducts Inc., Sault Ste Marie, ON

Greenhouse  Technologies

Session Chair: Jake DeBruyn, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Biogas Utilization through Combined Heat and Power Systems,

Jan Buijk, DDACE / GE Jenbacher, Concord, ON

2. Microturbines Using Biogas from Electrical Generation,

James Kennedy, Ontario  Power Systems, Richmond Hill, ON

3. Energy Dynamics at CF Greenhouses,

Cole Cacciavillani, CF Greenhouses, Leamington, ON

4. Benchmarking Software and Lessons Learned,

Ron MacDonald, Agviro, Inc.,  Guelph, ON

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Food Byproducts as an Energy Opportunity

Session Chair: Carole Burnham, Carole Burnham Consulting

1. Canadian Industrial Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC),

Jessica Norup, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON

2. The Bottom-Line on Managing Electricity Costs,

Terry Young, Independent Electricity System Operator, Toronto, ON 

3. Environmental Assessment Requirements for Electricity Projects,

Elaine Hardy, Ontario Ministry of Environment, Toronto, ON

4.  Anaerobic Digestion of Abattoir Waste,

Dave Tiller, Ontario Independent Meat Processors, Guelph, ON

Ontario Biogas

Session Chair: Ron Lackey, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Anaerobic Digestion Eastern Ontario - No Margins Left,

Ben Strehler, Genesys Biogas Inc., Ottawa, ON

2. Update on  Stanton Dairy Farm Digester,

Garry Fortune, GFA, Amherstburg, ON

3. On-Farm Energy Production by Anaerobic Digestion,

Don Dautovich, Don-Esh Ltd, Meaford, ON

4. Development of Information for Writing Regulations and Protocols for Treatment Systems that Co-Treat Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Source Materials,

Richard St. Jean, Geomatrix Consultants, Waterloo, ON

Friday April 13, 2007

8:30 – 10 am  - Plenary

Energy Opportunities – Looking to the Future

Chair, John McMullen

Building an Energy Future for the 21st Century

Honourable Dwight Duncan, Ontario Minister of Energy

Highlights of Bioenergy and Renewable Advancements in the United States

Peter Nelson, Principal, BioDimensions

Community Power: Benefits, Barriers, Opportunities

Deborah Doncaster, Executive Director, Ontario Sustainable Energy Association

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10:30 – 12:00 pm

Concurrent Session #4

Energy from Crop Biomass

Session Chair: Peter Doris, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Co-Firing Biomass and Coal – Opportunities and Experience at OPG Nanticoke Generating Station,

Robert Lyng, Ontario Power Generation, Nanticoke, ON

2. From Fossil to Farm Fuels – A Future for Farm,

Ted Cowan, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Toronto, ON

3. Biomass Beyond Fuels and Energy,

Gord Surgeoner, Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, Guelph, ON

4. Nutrient Implications of Energy Crops,

Keith Reid, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph, ON

Energy Conservation Greenhouses

Session Chair: Michelle Vieria, Ag Energy Co-operative

1. Energy Curtains in Greenhouses,

Theo Blom, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON

2. Heat Placement in Greenhouses,

Xiuming Hao, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow, ON

3. Foam Roof Structures in Greenhouses,

Kamel Aberkani, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow, ON

4. Current Conservation Programs, Enbridge/Union Gas,

Alexis Cheung, Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., Scarborough, ON

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Biogas for the Food Processing Sector

Session Chair: Serge Guiot, National Research Council Canada

1. Untapped Energy Potential – Anaerobic Digestion of Agri-food Processing By-Products,

Jeff Stubbings, EEC Energy Corp., Thunder Bay, ON

2. Producing Biogas from Manure and Foodwaste: Three Case Studies,

Guillermo Luzardo, RCM Digesters, Berkeley, CA

3. Byproducts for Energy - Best Economic and Social Approach,

Don Hilborn, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Guelph, ON

4. Advanced Biogas Technology,

Roland Lipp  Lipp GmbH, Tannheusen, Germany 

Other Energy Systems

Session Chair: Phil Dick, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Heating and Ventilation System for Farm Building Using Solar Energy,

Réal Savaria, SolAg, Sherbrooke, QC

2. Solar Farming in Switzerland and Germany,

Thomas Bohni, Bohni Energie & Umwelt GmbH, Frauenfeld, Switzerland

3. Why Wind Energy and Farmers are Natural Partners,

Paul Gipe, Ontario Sustainable Energy Association/Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative, Toronto, ON

4.  Efficient Integration of Biomass, Wind, and Solar energies for Electrical Generation 

Richard Leverton, Hybridyne Power Systems Canada, Ltd, Newmarket, ON

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1 – 2:30 pm

Concurrent Session #5

Feeding Ethanol Byproducts to Livestock

Session Chair: Don Hilborn, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Feeding Distillers I: Ethanol Production and Byproduct Logistics On-Farm, 

Ron Lackey, OMAFRA, Stratford, ON

2. Feeding Distillers II: Overcoming Nutritional Challenges,

Dan Ganesh, New Life Mills Inc., Cambridge, ON

3. Preservation and Storage of Wet Distillers’ Grain on-Farm,

Christoph Wand, OMAFRA, Woodstock, ON

4. Bioconversion of Distillers Grains  to  Enhance Utilization

Erin Johnson, BioTransform Research Laboratories Inc, London, ON

Greenhouse:  Alternative Fuels/Biofuels

Session Chair: Shalin Khosla, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Biomass Resource Options,

Stephanie Bailey, REAP Canada, Ste Anne de Bellevue, QC

2. Fuel Pelletization,

Dirk Masterman, Thermics, Kingsville, ON

3. Thermal Energy Extraction from Biomass,

Joseph Ouellette, Acrolab Ltd., Windsor, ON

Biogas Opportunities 2

Session Chair: Robyn Meerveld, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Land Use Considerations for Alternative and Renewable Energy Systems,

Paul Michiels, County of Oxford, Woodstock, ON

2. Community Based Biogas Production Systems,

Harold House, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Clinton, ON

3. Technical Standards related to Biogas Systems,

Oscar Alonso, Technical Standards & Safety Authority, Toronto, ON   

4. Hydro/Natural Gas Grid/Supply Chain Utilizing Novel Biogas Clean-up Technologies,

Mark Futcher, Stonecrest Engineering Inc., Shakespeare, ON

On-Farm Energy Conservation and Audits

Session Chair: Alex Rosenberg, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1.  Results From One Hundred Ontario Farm Energy Audits,

Steve Clarke, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Kemptville, ON

2.  Demand Side Energy Management - Lessons Learned in the Sector,

Ron MacDonald,  Agviro Inc., Guelph, ON

3. Energy Benchmarking and Energy Auditing: What are They and How Can They Benefit My Farm?,

Mark Armstrong, AgViro, Inc., Guelph, ON

4. A Unique Energy Efficient Lighting System in the Poultry Sector,

Bill Revington, New Life Mills, Hanover, ON

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3 – 4:30 pm

Concurrent Session #6

Biofuels

Session Chair: Denis Naud, Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentaion de Québec

1. Role of Biofuels in Urban Development,

Peter Nelson, BioDimensions, Memphis, TN

2. Evaluation of Biodiesel Use in an Agricultural Tractor,

Neil McLaughlin, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON

3. Sunopta Bioprocess - The Future of Cellulosic Ethanol,

Murray Burke, Sunopta Bioprocess Inc., Brampton, ON

4.  Effective Anaerobic Digestion Cogeneration Units,

Thomas Bohni, Bohni Energie & Umwelt GmbH, Frauenfeld, Switzerland

Greenhouse Regulatory Framework

Session Chair: Jim Todd, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1.  Grower Experience with Biomass Fuels,

Dean Tiessen, Pyramid Farms Ltd., Leamington, ON

2. Grower Experience with Biomass Fuels,

Burkhard  Metzger, Suntastic Greenhouses, Exeter, ON

3.  Grower Experience with Biomass Fuels,

Dave  Vanstempvert, Thamseville, ON

Finance/Business

Session Chair: Christine Brown, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1. Understanding Accelerated Depreciation of Green Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects,

Brian Blommaert, Deloitte & Touche LLP, Windsor, ON

2. Renewable and Alternative Energy Financing Strategy for Food Processors,

Graham Dyer, Farms.com, London, ON

3. Human and Financial Capital for Renewable Energy Projects,

Ron Witherspoon, Interactive Management Group, Inc., Regina, SK

4. Energy from Biomass: Getting Credit for Your Green Energy Choice,

Keith Driver, Baseline Emissions Management Inc., Calgary, AB

Biogas Opportunities 3

Session Chair: Amadou Thiam, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

1.  Comparing the Biogas Potential of Different Crops and the Energy Yield with Bioethanol,

Serge Guiot, National Research Council, Montreal, QC

2. Ethanol- Biogas Integrating Renewable Energy Technologies in the Agricultural Sector,

Claude Faucher, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON

3. Economical Viability of Biogas Production from Energy Crops,

Eric Camirand, Electrigaz Technologies Inc., Harrington, QC 

4. The German Success Story in Sustainable Renewable Energy – How Could it Guide Us in Canada/Ontario?, 

Kurt Sorschak, Xebec Inc., Blainville, QC