INNOVATION January-February 2015

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we could become an important centre of the clean energy business. For the engineering profession, the call to action is to think in terms of these smaller projects and use our technical skills to be the best at building housing, equipment and facilities that are world class in terms of energy efficiency.” Growing the Industry and Giving Back Down through the years, Willis has been actively engaged in professional organiza- tions. He is a co-founder and past president of the Independent Power Producers of BC, a trade association now known as Clean Energy BC. Since 1992, the organization has fostered the growth of the independent power generation industry and influenced regulatory and public energy policies. Willis also co-founded the Pacific Energy Innovation Association. “This is a forum for discussing new ideas, because innovation is a key part of sustainability,” says Willis.

“We organized conferences and brought in guest speakers to make presentations on the latest technologies like electric vehicles and smart grids. It has now evolved as a monthly breakfast meeting.” Willis is also a member and a sponsor of the International Protocol for Measurement and Verification. “It’s a way of authenti- cating claims about energy savings,” says Willis. “To become certified you have to take a course, which I took and now we help others become certified. “There’s also a Certification for Energy Managers. One of the first things we do for our employ- ees when they start is have them become Certified Energy Managers.” Many former employees of Willis Energy Services have gone on to make a profound impact on the clean energy landscape of B.C. Willis and his company also nurture young engineering students through the Green Energy Group at UBC. “Students who already have an engineering degree can enter a master’s program where

they look at energy efficiency technologies and options,” Willis explains. “It’s on a co- op basis where a student gets a project and then has to find a sponsor. Our company has sponsored a number of people to help them obtain their master’s degrees.” Outside of work, Willis is active in the community. He served for nine years as the senior lay person for the First Baptist Church in downtown Vancouver and has developed outreach programs for the poor and the homeless. It’s clear that his vision- ary qualities have made an impact here too. As Chair of Envisioning, the church leadership team, Willis leads the effort for developing a soaring new tower on church property. “I worked on accumulating the land for the project and negotiated with the neighbouring YMCA and the City to gain approvals,” says Willis. “We hope to begin construction in 2017. The development will probably be about 40 storeys and will include office space and luxury apartments as well as low-income housing.” v

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