The Resource Technologies Group begins by taking a bird's-eye look at the community's infrastructure and its resource problems. We take an inventory of the area's businesses with their major resource use and costs, and associated waste streams with disposal costs.

Once the community has been mapped, TRTG classifies the businesses by their SIC or NAICS code and audits their materials use. We perform a materials flow analysis and create a database of products, by-products and wastes with their physical, chemical and biological properties.

Technologies

From the materials flow analysis TRTG identifies potential technologies for material, water and energy reuse and recovery alternatives. Our technologies adapt traditional materials processing and energy systems to meet new environmental concerns. They include:

• Conversion of biomass into chemicals and fuels
  
• Separation of high quality wastewater for reuse
  
• District heating and cogeneration from renewable resources
  
• New wind and solar photovoltaics for electricity and
  
• Increased research on fuel cells and hydrogen production.

Partnerships

For the successful implementation of the technologies, we select project champions, seek team sponsors and forge business partnerships. These community links encourage sustainable practices within the area and allow for the continuation of these efforts after the consultancy is complete.

To ensure optimal cost benefits, TRTG conducts a financial analysis to determine all costs, total savings and projected paybacks for the available projects.

During the final stage, TRTG develops an appropriate business plan integrating project concepts and financial costs, researches licenses and regulatory impacts, and most importantly, mobilizes the community for their support and participation.