Pioneering engineering firm Qnergy targets new ESG markets as corporations prioritise methane mitigation in fight against climate emergency
Qnergy, the world’s leading manufacturer of clean, reliable, electric power based on linear Stirling engines – proven to reduce methane emissions by up to 98% in natural gas operations – today announced the appointment of Kevin Pang as VP, Business Development. Kevin is a scientist, entrepreneur and technologist with a Ph.D from Harvard and his appointment will accelerate plans for expansion into new distributed methane markets such as dairy and industrial catering.
The company was founded in 2009 as a team of engineers solved a 200-year-old engineering problem – how to manufacture cost-effective power generators based on the Stirling engine and apply it commercially.
In the last four years since initial commercialization, Qnergy has grown exponentially by supplying its generators to the natural gas industry; Kevin’s hire will now help the business identify new markets and expand its offering. This follows significant interest in Qnergy’s systems by players in the landfill and farm biodigester spaces.
Methane containing biogas is the next big challenge to overcome: it is a byproduct of human activities including farming, agriculture, food waste and water waste. Qnergy provides the platform by which methane generated from distributed sources like businesses, homes, industrial parks, landfills, wastewater treatment facilities and farms, can be effectively converted into useful power and energy.
With more energy companies – and their investors – now seeking greater proactivity in reducing methane emissions, this is a growth market.
Qnergy CEO Ory Zik said:
“Immediate conversion of distributed methane to useful energy remains the single most effective way to net zero and address the climate emergency. Methane is now well-known for being a climate change catalyst, compounding the damage caused by carbon emissions by a factor of 80 over the next 20 years. The good news is that the private sector is recognizing the value of distributed methane- practical technical solutions – such as ours – now exist to remove emissions in the first place.”
Qnergy VP BD Kevin Pang said:
“This business has solved the 200-year-old Stirling engineering challenge, and is making great strides. Building on that success, we are following the distributed methane path into other industries also challenged by waste generated spaces such as farms, landfills, food waste, and other potential markets.
“With large, socially responsible corporations such as Nestlé, Lactalis, Danone, Fonterra, Dairy Farmers of America and Arla Foods all looking to reduce emissions across their supply chains, we see there is huge demand for practical, reliable and sustainable methane abatement in food production and waste management.”
“Qnergy’s initial biogas trials show the potential to help our clients and partners reduce environmental damage, create a reliable, sustainable and low-cost power source from waste methane – and reduce emissions by replacing diesel engines.”
Beyond the dairy sector, Qnergy sees potential growth in many other markets; any industry that requires reliable remote power and produces ongoing quantities of methane – dairy farms, large industrial kitchens such as universities, industrial parks, hotels, military bases or prisons, garbage landfills, wastewater and more.”
About Qnergy
Qnergy (q-ner-gy) was founded to provide reliable power using a wide range of heat sources including conventional and alternative fuels. Our power solutions help customers improve their resilience to blackouts, lower costs and reduce emissions. We are best known for our ability to provide energy in remote locations and harsh conditions where others cannot operate. Our engine design was recognized by NASA as the most reliable heat engine technology ‘in history’.
Our generators are based on a proprietary Free Piston Stirling Engine technology. These engines are enclosed systems that require no lubrication, oil changes or repair, delivering many years of uninterrupted operation. Over the past two years, hundreds of our systems have endured multiple hurricanes without a single power interruption.