Announcements - NRC Contributions Recognized at Earth Day Celebration

April 26, 2005 — Ottawa, Ontario

During Earth Day celebrations at Ottawa City Hall last Friday, Mayor Bob Chiarelli recognized the expertise of staff from the NRC Centre for Surface Transport Technology (NRC-CSTT). The Mayor was joined by senior executives from Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Federation of Municipalities, as well as the Mayor of the Township of Lanark Highlands, to announce a $130,378 Green Municipal Fund grant for a feasibility study that NRC-CSTT is undertaking.

The City hired NRC-CSTT to study and evaluate diesel-electric hybrid bus technology with a view to reducing emissions generated by Ottawa's fleet of transit buses. In doing so, NRC-CSTT benefits from the extra $300 million that the Government of Canada committed to the Green Municipal Fund in the 2005 Federal Budget.

During his official remarks Mayor Chiarelli acknowledged "the invaluable role played by the National Research Council of Canada Centre for Surface Transportation Technology in undertaking this study."

Back in summer 2004, NRC-CSTT Research Council Officers, test engineers, technical officers and project managers began developing and implementing a method to determine hybrid bus life cycle costs which include the overall cost of operation, maintenance, infrastructure costs, fuel efficiencies and emission reduction. Friday's grant announcement falls between phase I and phase II of the study and Ottawa plans to acquire hybrid buses in 2007.

From left to right: NRC-CSTT's Rick Zaporzan, Mayor Chiarelli and Neil Lathrop, Ottawa's Deputy City Manager for Planning and Growth Management

Rick Zaporzan, an NRC-CSTT business development officer, was on hand for the Earth Day event, along with two of the diesel-electric hybrid buses tested by NRC-CSTT staff.

NRC-CSTT used the RCMP's test tracks at their east-end proving grounds, to assess the hybrid buses' top speed, acceleration and braking capabilities, and performance on inclines. NRC-CSTT staff also conducted tests on actual city bus routes to assess mileage per tank of fuel, noise emissions, electrical power consumption and a variety of operational activities. Back in the office, using a third party software and their expertise, NRC-CSTT has collected and analyzed data from other North American transit authorities (e.g. New York City and Washington D.C.) that have tested hybrid buses.

Interior and exterior views of the diesel-electric buses which look very much like conventional transit buses

After Friday's Earth Day event, NRC-CSTT staff (Jeff Patten, Manager of Test and Evaluation Engineering, Cristian Tabra, Test Engineer, Liam Roney, Test Engineer and Rebecca Mann, Test Technologist) were on hand in South Ottawa for the Second Annual Ottawa Eco-Stewardship Fair. Saturday's torrential downpours failed to dampen spirits at this public event where NRC-CSTT staff served as technical experts to answer questions about the hybrid bus technologies and their environmental benefits.

Mayor Chiarelli and Rick Zaporzan take a look under the hood of the Mayor's Toyota Prius, his personal hybrid car.