Boosting clean energy adoption

Aqua-Cell Energy is building better battery technology with saltwater - By Rose Simone University Relations - As someone born and raised in Calgary, Keith Cleland initially thought he would end up working in the oil industry. "Being from Alberta, that seemed like the natural thing to do," he says. However Cleland decided to follow a different path and work for a sustainable future instead. "I really want to be contributing to sustainability, cleaning the world up and transitioning the world away from fossil fuels." He switched his undergraduate minor to energy and environmental engineering and later began a battery that would use a cheap and available resource - saltwater - to store renewable energy. He continued developing his technology as part of his master's in chemical engineering degree at the University of Waterloo and founded Aqua-Cell Energy Inc. with plans to commercialize his saltwater battery. The company recently accepted a coveted residence through Venture R eady Waterloo's Velocity , which helps the founders of early-stage companies get the expertise connections they need to make their businesses a success.