Co-op students help cool the competition and advance Evercloak’s HVAC technology
By: Jed Bick (he/him)
Students help the company develop its breakthrough membrane dehumidification technology to reduce energy use in everyday building cooling applications.
Evercloak is transforming industrial dehumidification. By 2050, global cooling demand will skyrocket five times, consuming 30 per cent of the world’s electricity and generating 3.4 gigatons of annual GHG emissions. Evercloak's breakthrough membrane dehumidification technology slashes cooling energy use by 50 per cent, dramatically reducing costs and emissions for industrial and commercial buildings. The HVAC industry is overdue for disruption and Evercloak is leading the way.
With over $10 million in funding, national innovation awards, and plans for paid pilot launches with top HVAC manufacturers, Evercloak is well-positioned for continued growth. As the company expands, it relies on ݮƵ co-op students to help drive technological advancements.
The impact of co-op students at Evercloak
Priyanka Verma (she/her) (BASc ’23) works at Evercloak as a project co-ordinator. During her undergrad, she spent two co-op work terms with the company as a coating technician where she completed bench-scale optimization of Evercloak’s graphene oxide composite membranes. Verma applied her nanotechnology engineering expertise to administer coating formulations, conduct product testing, analyze data and communicate her findings to the team.
As a former co-op student now working full-time with the company, Verma understands the valuable contributions co-op students bring to Evercloak, especially during the company's early stages.
“We value the fresh perspectives co-op students bring,” Verma says.
“They come with a lot of knowledge, and their ideas are instrumental in advancing our cutting-edge technology.”
“ݮƵ co-op students possess the knowledge and transferable skills to help technology companies successfully innovate and get ahead of industry competition,” says Olivia Roth (she/her), account manager, central west region at the University of ݮƵ.
The contributions of ݮƵ co-op students ensure that Evercloak’s technology stays ahead of the competition. According to Verma, the company is well-positioned to address challenges that other players in the industry are unable to tackle.
Priyanka Verma (BASc ’23), project coordinator at Evercloak
“At this point, we’re ahead of the game in terms of industrial precision control, addressing industry pain points that others can’t,” Verma says.
One of those challenges is the ability to dehumidify and cool the air without refrigerants and with significantly lower energy consumption. Evercloak is well ahead of the curve, avoiding the common hurdles that many of its competitors face.
“With new regulations calling for refrigerant-free technologies or different refrigerants, we don’t face those issues since our technology doesn’t use refrigerants,” says Nate Grishkewich (he/him) (PhD ’20), membrane specialist at Evercloak.
Grishkewich attributes part of the company’s success to the efforts of ݮƵ co-op students.
Being a former ݮƵ student, I know what they are capable of. I’m a big advocate of hiring from ݮƵ as I know co-op students will bring in new perspectives and get up to speed quickly to tackle challenges.
Building an energy-efficient future
Looking ahead, Grishkewich highlights that rising global temperatures will drive increased energy demand for building cooling. As demand for Evercloak’s technology grows, co-op students from ݮƵ have exciting opportunities to make their mark at the company.
Nate Grishkewich (PhD ’20), membrane specialist at Evercloak
"The great thing about working at a start-up like Evercloak as a co-op student is that you feel like an integral part of the team," Verma says. "You can directly see the impact of your work."
When Evercloak offered Verma a full-time position, it reinforced the value of her contributions as a co-op student.
“It’s been really rewarding to return and see that my work as a co-op student is now part of what we’re actively building,” Verma says.
As Evercloak continues to innovate and expand, ݮƵ co-op students will undoubtedly continue to play a key role in shaping the company’s future and the future of HVAC technology.