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Sunarc was founded in 2000; the Company has invested six years and more than $4.5 million to develop its On-Demand Insulation & Shade System for commercial greenhouse growers. The initial focus has been energy efficiency technology for transparent structures. Sunarc has demonstrated greater than 50% energy savings over two winters at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences at Université Laval in Quebec City. Energy savings have become a critical concern for greenhouse owner/operators, as energy now represents their greatest operating expense. Agronomic benefits may even be more meaningful to commercial greenhouse vegetable growers enabling growers to maintain or improve crop quality and increase crop yield. This represents substantial revenue opportunities for growers. Sunarc continues to develop its shading features to further enhance agronomic performance. Read more about this in Future Development. Sunarc continues its research collaboration with Université Laval. As well, Sunarc is participating in a collaborative research agreement with the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Processing Crops Research Centre at Harrow, Ontario, the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association and Union Gas. The Harrow Research Centre is one of the largest and most respected of its kind in the world. Research will focus on the agronomic benefits of the Sunarc technology when growing tomatoes and cucumbers. Sunarc holds and has applied for several patents on the various aspects of the production, application and removal of liquid foam. Distribution Partners Sunarc’s On-Demand Insulation & Shade System is commercially available. Sunarc is selling the systems through greenhouse manufacturers and distributors selected by reputation, capabilities and geographic coverage. If you are a manufacturer or distributor of greenhouse structures and you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please send a note with your contact information to businessop@sunarc.ca. If you are a greenhouse owner/operator, please contact your preferred suppliers and encourage them to learn more about Sunarc’s On-Demand Insulation & Shading System. Authorized distributors
Research Partners
Sunarc operates a comparative evaluation program in collaboration with Université Laval in Quebec City, assisted by the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) of the National Research Council. The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) is a Canadian leader in agricultural research, thanks to its diverse research projects in all areas of farming production, management, distribution, international trade, food processing, environmental farming practices, human nutrition, economics, and consumption. Their many research mandates in cooperation with other agricultural businesses or organizations make them a nationwide leader among agricultural and food science faculties.
The Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre (GPCRC), located at Harrow, Ontario, is part of a national network of 19 research centres of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Centre develops and transfers new technologies for production of greenhouse vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers). The Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre has a full-time staff of 100 with expertise in plant breeding, crop physiology and management, entomology, plant pathology, weed science and soil science. A total of 0.7 ha of state-of-the-art greenhouses makes the GPCRC the largest greenhouse research facility in North America. Specialized facilities, and close proximity to Canada's largest production area (Leamington/Kingsville) for greenhouse and processing crops, have led to the establishment of a centre of excellence to serve the needs of these agricultural industries. Research findings are communicated to growers, producer groups and the scientific community through publications, grower meetings and field demonstrations. The mission of the greenhouse vegetable team is to develop new technology for crop management, crop protection, and greenhouse environmental control. The goal is to improve greenhouse vegetable production efficiency and marketability, in a sustainable, environmentally safe production system. Financial Partners
Between research and commercialization are the significant stages of development and demonstration: the points at which technologies leave the laboratory and undergo conclusive real-world testing. Sunarc has been selected after a rigorous due diligence process for a project valued at $1.5M. SDTC supports clean-technology projects through the stages of development and demonstration, without taking an equity stake, without requiring ownership of intellectual property or any repayment of funds. The NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) provides technical and business advisory services along with financial support to growth-oriented Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises. Working directly with these clients, NRC-IRAP supports innovative research and development and commercialization of new products and services. Recognized globally for research and innovation, NRC is a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology. Sunarc has benefited from a $145,000 research program to date. A new program has been approved. This will provide additional funding for research to be continued at the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences at Université Laval. Private Equity Capital Sunarc closed its first outside round of financing in April 2006 with a private group of individuals. The Company will seek Venture Capital investment for subsequent financing. Coloured foam, as well as shading levels that are greater than the current 45%, will be part of future product development. Both of these enhancements will significantly improve agronomic performance. Cooling and de-humidification features will also be integrated into future releases of the system.
For Ontario growers
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