Noisy, polluting, and carbon-intensive, gas and diesel generators power many of Canada’s remote Aboriginal communities. Métis engineer Kirk Schroeder, partially deafened in his left ear by a gas generator, vowed to develop a quiet, reliable, and ecologically sound energy alternative.
After nine years of testing and development, Schroeder launched the Energy P.O.D., a battery-inverted generator capable of supplying power in off-grid areas. The “Power On Demand” generators are sold by Energy P.O.D. Inc, a company Schroeder founded on “a green day:” March 17, 2007.
Easy to install, low-maintenance, and low-emission, Energy P.O.D. generators provide sustainable energy for a range of off-grid applications, from “running an entire house… to powering the Jaws of Life,” says Schroeder. Solar energy, wind turbines, household current and car batteries can all be used to charge the Energy P.O.D., whereas conventional generators rely on gasoline or diesel for fuel.
Schroeder explains that the Energy P.O.D.’s glass mat battery technology is “environmentally friendly and can handle extreme weather from -70 to +70 degrees Celsius,” making the generators well-suited for use worldwide.
Construction sites, homes, businesses, and farms powered by silent, low-carbon Energy P.O.D. generators can help Canada meet its Kyoto targets: Schroeder claims that if all gas and diesel generators were replaced with Energy P.O.D. units, “our carbon footprint would be a lot less heavy,” allowing the country to reach its international carbon commitments in three to five years.
Relying on local energy sources for regeneration, Energy P.O.D. generators allow users to cut annual fuel costs, which typically range from eight to ten thousand dollars for a diesel generator. While initially more expensive, Energy P.O.D. generators’ lower ongoing costs allow the units to pay for themselves in two to three months.
Quietly spreading through remote native communities, Schroeder’s Energy P.O.D. generators have attracted the attention of the Canadian and American militaries and are also under demonstration in Malaysia.
