Media Release |
Mar. 18, 2005
UBC BComm and BASc Energy Aware Students Take National Honours
Students from the University of British Columbia’s
Sauder School of Business and Faculty of Applied Science who
designed an innovative device to help homeowners track energy
use have been named Energy Ambassadors after winning Canada’s
national Energy Efficiency Awards.
Bachelor of Commerce students Janice Cheam, Salim Hassan
and Derek Sawkins and Bachelor of Applied Science students
Cyrus Irani, Tariq Amlani and Lauren Kulokas, were recognized
today in an Ottawa ceremony for Energy Aware, a company they
formed to design, manufacture and distribute products to reinforce
energy-saving behaviour.
Their company was formed during a unique UBC course called
New Venture Design, which brings together fourth-year engineering
and commerce students to design and market a new consumer
product. The group’s PowerTab product allows homeowners,
landlords and companies to track electricity consumption in
real time.
PowerTab is made up of two devices, one installed in the household
power box, the other placed in an accessible building location
for easy reading. Together they provide immediate cost data
about power consumption, arming homeowners with information
to help them introduce more energy-efficient practices. The
device can measure costs by day, week or month.
The New Venture Design course was developed by Sauder marketing
professor Darren Dahl and Applied Science electrical and computer
engineering professor Peter Lawrence.
“New Venture Design acts as the catalyst that brings
together outstanding business and engineering students,”
said Dahl. “By merging their innovative thinking and
different talents, the course provides a distinctive learning
experience where the students can truly create something new
and valuable.”
“It is well-known that new engineering product design
is a holistic process that not only includes knowledge and
experience from different branches of engineering, but also
from the relevant business specializations,” said Lawrence.
“In exercising their skills in a New Venture Design
team, the UBC business and engineering students gain experience
and confidence in their abilities to succeed in this process.
We are extremely proud of these students.”
Launched in the fall of 2002, Energy Ambassadors is an annual
competition that gives students national recognition for their
energy efficiency ideas. The competition is managed by Natural
Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency, which aims
to foster improved energy efficiency across the economy as
part of Canada's strategy for meeting its climate change commitments
under the Kyoto Protocol. For more information on the program
visit www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca.
This is the second win for the UBC students, who earlier
this year won first place for Energy Aware at Enterprize,
a national business plan competition and conference hosted
by the Sauder School of Business.
About the Sauder School of Business
The Sauder School of Business at the University of British
Columbia is Canada’s leading academic business school.
Recognized globally for its contributions to management practice
through its innovative research and teaching, the school is
dedicated to opening worlds of opportunities for its students,
alumni and associated communities. For more information on
the Sauder School of Business, visit www.sauder.ubc.ca.
About the Faculty of Applied Science
UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science consistently ranks
among the top tier of engineering schools in North America,
providing outstanding and distinctive academic programs, and
engaging in research and professional service aimed at enhancing
the well-being of society across a broad range of human endeavors.
For more information on the Faculty of Applied Science, visit
www.apsc.ubc.ca.
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