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Nova Scotia Renewable Energy Company is Growing

Friday, May 29, 2009

A NOVA SCOTIA renewable energy company expects to expand its wind turbine manufacturing operation in Dartmouth to keep up with demand

“We see this as a growth market, and some of the government incentives that are happening in other places around the world are even accelerating that demand,” Jeff Larsen, chief operating officer of MaManna Renewable Energy, said Tuesday.

“We see our demand increasing substantially over the next three to four years.”

MaManna, a company created by the merger of Seaforth Wind Energy and Second Source Power, manufactures blades in Dartmouth for its 50-kilowatt wind turbine, the AOC 15-50.

“The intent is to have a company that would basically lever capabilities of both companies,” Mr. Larsen said. “Seaforth had a lot of engineering expertise, wind turbine expertise and experience exporting, and then Second Source has a lot experience doing smaller wind and solar projects for homeowners and businesses.”

The new company has been integrating its operations since the merger last spring and just rebranded itself about six weeks ago. The MaManna name is now displayed on the former Second Source showroom on Brownlow Avenue.

The company exports the vast majority of its AOC 15-50 turbines to the United States, Russia, India, England, Scotland and Morocco.

“We see that the smaller wind turbines are now becoming economically beneficial for

commercial and institutional clients, given current electricity rates,” Mr. Larsen said. “And then everything that is happening with climate change, you see the demand increasing.”

MaManna is assembling a business development team to concentrate on export markets, and the company’s major focus over the next year will be tapping into more markets for the AOC 15-50.

“Our goal right now is to lever some of the international opportunities that exist,” Mr. Larsen said. “(U.S. President Barack) Obama has now introduced a 30 per cent tax break for wind turbines 100 kilowatts and less, and we are in a nice niche category there. And we are getting a lot of interest from Europe and other places around the world.”

MaManna also hires Nova Scotia engineering firms to make electrical components for the turbines. One turbine can typically produce enough electricity for about 15 North American homes.

MaManna also plans to begin research and development efforts to create one or two new wind turbines in the next few years.

Seaforth Engineering Group Inc., Seaforth Wind Energy’s parent company, owns about two-thirds of MaManna. Five other shareholders own the rest, Mr. Larsen said. Stan Mason, one of Seaforth Engineering’s founding partners, is MaManna’s chief executive officer.

The company recently snagged three fairly large local commercial projects that will be announced in the near future, Mr. Larsen said.

MaManna has about 18 employees, including engineers, electricians, technicians and salespeople, but Mr. Larsen said he expects that number to double in the next two years.

“With renewable energy technologies, or any technologies like this, you have to be able to install them but you also have to be able to deal with any issues (such as) properly maintaining them, and we are creating the team.”