iGEN Technologies Inc. focuses on residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). The company’s first product, the i2, is a self-powered home heating system that uses intuitive algorithms to autonomously switch between natural gas and electricity as its primary fuel source. This not only saves homeowners money and provides environmental benefits by being more efficient than traditional home heating equipment, but during a blackout or natural disaster, the i2 can generate enough electricity to run itself and provide 400 Watts extra power.

As the first self-powered heating system on the North America market, iGEN is uniquely positioned to compete with more traditional heating systems. But for the company’s new type of combined heat and power appliance to enter the market, it needed to be approved by regulators and certified for safety. However, no relevant standard existed.

SCC worked with the company to provide the technical knowledge, advocacy and support it needed to lead the development of a Canadian standard that addressed product safety aspects by building on an existing European standard. Having a standard for the i2 is now enabling iGEN to compete with the traditional HVAC industry – and to develop better, more efficient and smarter products
for consumers.