Convectair Inaugurates $3 Million Centre For Expertise and Training on Energy Conservation

 June 29, 2016

On June 15, Convectair, a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance electric heaters based in Quebec, officially opened its new Centre for Expertise and Training, focusing on the optimization and development of cutting-edge energy conservation technologies. Convectair’s Centre for Expertise and Training acts as a liaison between the housing and heating industries.

Located at Convectair’s headquarters in Sainte Thérèse, Quebec, the centre became a reality following a private investment of $3 million dollar by Muller Group, Convectair’s parent company headquartered in Paris, France.

According to Convectair President and CEO Bernard Pitre (shown in the photo), the centre was created to develop and promote technologies and the best innovative practices that will help fulfill commitments to climate change, particularly those relating to the Paris agreement of 2015, which established a global action plan to limit worldwide temperature increases to below 2°C.

“Convectair’s Centre for Expertise and Training’s objective is to create a research and development hub for the democratization of energy conservation best practices, both within the industry and among consumers,” says Pitre. “The centre will not only contribute to reinventing the way in which Quebecers heat their homes, through introducing technologies that are optimized to maximize energy efficiency, but we also hope that it will help create greater awareness about the changes we need to make as a society.”

The only centre of its kind

The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art testing and training areas that take into account the technical, climatic and cultural needs unique to Quebec, such as:

• The Vortex, a fluid mechanics chamber, which allows you to compare the effectiveness of heating equipment by viewing, in real time, the movement of heat in a restricted area

• KLIMAT-37.5oC, a bi-climatic chamber equipped with a sophisticated refrigeration system that enables you to simulate, up to -37.5°C, the extreme temperatures of Northern Quebec. This chamber enables standardized testing to scientifically establish efficiency measures for Québec’s climatic context

• a multi-purpose laboratory for testing equipment and prototypes

Training at the core of Convectair’s concerns

Through partnerships with teachers at Dawson College and Collège Lionel-Groulx, the centre will provide unique training and certification opportunities to current and future industry professionals, including architects, engineers and electricians.

As early as summer 2016, over 500 building and construction specialists will receive training on how best to install energy efficient heating equipment, and on the overall importance of energy efficient facilities. Starting in September 2016, the centre will provide specialized training to engineers and architects, to enable them to meet their continuing education requirements.

The centre’s design incorporates Muller Group’s best practices, as Convectair’s parent company, whose headquarters are in Paris, France. Muller Group has already established five centres of excellence on energy efficiency in France, which will be working collaboratively and in real time, through interactive communication systems, with the facilities in Sainte-Thérèse.

A close collaboration between Quebec and France

Christine St-Pierre, Quebec Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, and Minister responsible for the Laurentians region, congratulated Convectair and Muller Group for investing in research on climate change in Québec. “Thanks to Convectair’s investment in creating this innovative research Centre, the Laurentians region of Quebec will become a centre of excellence in the fight against climate change,” says Ms. St-Pierre. “In addition, by adopting Muller Group’s best practices, which have long promoted energy sobriety, Convectair’s Centre for expertise and training also demonstrates the benefits of a successful collaboration between Quebec and France.”