The Future is Green: dynaCERT Inc, a Toronto-based Energy Sector Company, Specializes in Delivering Carbon Emission Reduction Technologies to a Global Marketplace

“The results show that our HydraGEN™ Technology reduces emissions, increases torque, improves engine oil life  and lowers fuel consumption”: Jim Payne

The rise in the average global temperatures over the past few decades has raised concerns that the warming stems in part from anthropogenic emissions of so-called greenhouse gases, that is, those gases that trap heat near Earth’s surface. Dominant among the greenhouse gases caused by human activity is carbon dioxide (CO₂), even when the gases are compared in terms of their perturbation to the atmosphere. CO₂ is a natural component of the atmosphere, but its concentration has increased by one-third since the start of the industrial era and continues to rise at about 0.4 percent per year.

In light of the above-mentioned concern, we are thrilled to present dynaCERT Inc. The company engages in the design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, and distribution of a transportable hydrogen on-demand generator after market product. The company focuses on carbon emission reduction technologies through its HydraGEN™ Technology. dynaCERT was established in 2001 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

Jim Payne, dynaCERT Inc. CEO, spoke exclusively to The Silicon Review. Below is an excerpt.

Why was the company set up? And how did you expand your company and its offerings over the years?

dynaCERT was established to address the growing concern of carbon emissions from diesel exhaust. Despite the rhetoric on e-vehicles, there are more than 1 billion diesel engines in use today and these are not going away anytime soon. Conventional carbon emission reduction alternatives generally involve post-combustion treatment of the exhaust system and are expensive for companies to implement. The development of our technology was to reduce the users’ carbon footprint. This has led us to the latest version of our technology, the HydraGEN™ HG1 unit, which enhances the combustion process using proven hydrogen addition that significantly lowers a diesel engine’s GHG emissions while also providing the benefit of fuel savings, i.e. extra cash in the operator’s pocket.

How successful was your first project roll on? Share the experience.

Our first project involved hiring scientist and engineers to develop a commercial product named JetStar. We sold many of these units and received feedback from the customers that the product worked well, but wasn’t commercially viable. We required a complete redesign of the hydrogen on-demand process and product remodeling.

What challenges did you face in your initial years? What can your peers learn from it?

Designing a product that works efficiently and also meets customers’ needs is difficult. In the beginning, our JetStar technology effectively reduced emissions and provided fuel savings, but it was large and heavy, which made diesel truck operators hesitant to introduce a technology to their engines that increased their load, and therefore reduced their freight capacity.

It was clear the technology worked, but a redesign was needed to meet the customers’ needs.

What are the factors that make your brand standout from the crowd?

Our engineers have adapted our products for use on all large and small diesel engines across many different market segments, from on-road vehicles, reefer trailers, off-road construction, power generation, mining & forestry equipment, marine vessels and railroad locomotives. Over the past few years, we have expanded the sales of our unique products into the global carbon emission reduction marketplace. With our innovative patent-pending Smart ECU, we are able to offer our customers worldwide the ability to collect and report savings in carbon emissions, that they can trade in their local market.

Fostering a culture of feedback is crucial to the success of every organization. How is this true with your company?

As mentioned earlier with the JetStar, when our company accepted open feedback and criticism from our clients, it resulted in benefits for both sides. The clients had their voices heard, our engineers learned from the customers’ experience, and this resulted in a better product. Our company benefitted from the free design tips of our most important critic, the people who are using the products.

At dynaCERT, we have a very open communication channel and flow of ideas. New products are developed from customer feedback and through an open-minded R&D team that brings ideas from the shop floor and design computers together. Design challenges are solved as a team, with input and technical expertise coming from many different divisions within the company. We question everything in the belief that there are no bad questions, just bad answers.

Do you have any new products ready to be launched?

We are in the midst of launching our latest product, the HydraGEN™ HG2. The HG2 model is a more compact version of the HG1 for use on refrigerated trailers and small construction equipment. We are releasing two models of the HG2, the HydraGEN™ HG2-15R for 0-3.5L engines, and the HG2-25R for 3.5-5L engines.

As a question on sustainability, where do you see your company a couple of years from now?

dynaCERT has thought about its future sustainability years ago when we upgraded our facility to have geothermal heating and cooling for the entire occupied space. We have installed solar panel electrical power generation for office and plant use. All windows are triple-paned and walls are heavily insulated. We believe in saving energy every way possible in our daily lives and by providing our customers with the technology so that they too can save energy and the environment.

Jim Payne: A Brief Background

Jim Payne is the CEO of dynaCERT Inc. He also serves as the CEO of his privately held consulting, project management and real-estate development company operating in the GTA and surrounding areas.

Jim has successfully built and managed his own private companies for more than 38 years. This provides him with years of experience in accounting, business leadership, and the legal aspects of governance. Over the last decade, Jim has taken his natural networking skills and built on them to create strong team dynamics that lead to success and generate movement. With a strong leadership presence, he is leading dynaCERT in a way that has helped streamline corporate activities, generate growth, form new partnerships, and bring the corporate vision to a reality.

Mr. Payne graduated from St. Clair College in Construction Engineering, Project Management and Estimating in 1974.