Despite rising energy costs, there has been a long-held belief
regarding energy sources and consumption that says conversion
to green technologies is too expensive, impractical or futuristic
for contemporary applications. Thanks to WSE Technologies,
however, all of these misconceptions are laid to rest. Indeed,
the future is here, says company president Bill Elliott.
Elliott, a successful and innovative engineer, has already built
one enterprise into a perennial Top 100 Saskatchewan company.
He has since sold off his interests in that company to concentrate
his efforts on his latest venture, WSE Technologies. With a
green revolution imminent, Elliott is understandably excited
about his company’s position to supply customers with environmentally
friendly alternative sources of energy.

WSE, which stands for ‘Wind, Sun, Energy,” specializes in
products ranging from solar water heaters, solar power, wind
turbines and LED lighting. Housing a wide assortment of products
in each of these realms, Elliott is particularly keen about
their solar water heating and LED light systems because of
their practicality in either a commercial or residential setting.
“And they’re designed and tested right here in
Saskatchewan,” Elliott says. “So they’re made to withstand the
most difficult of weather conditions.”

To drive home their point, on WSE Technologies’ website
(wsetech.com), customers are offered the opportunity to take
home a solar tube for demonstration purposes. Regardless of
the outside temperature – indeed even if it’s -60 C – water will
soon be boiling.

The solar heating systems utilize solar panels made of a
stainless steel manifold and frame, which hold 20 tubular
pieces of vacuum heat-collecting pipes.
Because the tubes are formed by vacuum, the wind and cold
Canadian temperatures have minimal effect on the efficiency
of the evacuated collector. Due to the cylindrical shape of the
evacuated tube, the sun is perpendicular to the surface of the
glass most of the day. This means that solar water heaters
gives you output all day long.

Able to be incorporated into new construction or retrofitted
on existing structures, applications can include: solar heating
for commercial and warehouse buildings; for swimming pools,
jacuzzis and the like; for a garage or shed; for domestic heating
– whether radiator or floor heating; or for domestic water
heating. The solar heating units are also particularly useful in
remote settings where power and energy sources are limited.

Depending upon the application, costs vary, but nonetheless
when looking at it from a cost recovery standpoint, are
extremely reasonable. Indeed you could almost say they’re
‘free’ once you realize how quickly the energy savings will
result in savings equivalent to the cost of the equipment.
For example, Saskatoon receives 2328.45 hours of sun per
year and users pay 10 cents per kilowatt-hour for power.

The WSE58 solar water heating panel produces 1,000 watts

for 2328.45 hours per year, which is 2,328.45 kilowatt-hours of
heating power per year. At 10 cents per kilowatt-hour that is
equivalent to $233 per year. The WSE58 solar heating panels
retail for $795. Through the province government’s energy
efficient rebate program, they are eligible for a 50 per cent
rebate. This includes installation, which brings the original
purchase price down to just $400 per panel, resulting in a payback
of under two years. Meanwhile your neighbours are paying
rising utility rates, with a larger environmental footprint.
WSE Technologies has many more products to help their
clients save money. Equally impressive are the savings LED
lights can offer, says Elliott. Ranging from tiny peanut bulbs
for residential usage to street lights and high-output shop bulbs
and tubes for commercial usage, WSE Technologies offers
these and everything in between.

Key to the practicality of LED lighting is its durability. LED
lights can last up to 100,000 hours compared to 8,000 hours
for fluorescent and 1,000 hours for an incandescent bulb. And
they use just a fraction of the wattage required to offer equivalent
lighting. This translates into huge energy savings, which,
depending upon the usage, often means the bulbs pay for
themselves in just one year.

LED lights are further environmentally friendly, as they are
mercury-free, meaning their disposal will be appreciated by
the generations to come.

303 – 47 Street East, Saskatoon, SK S7K 5H2
Ph: 1 306 244 8808 • www.wsetech.com