“We’re working on several cogeneration installations in NSW, a biogas project in Victoria and have installed a Trigeneration installation at Swinburne University of Technology.”Ĭogeneration features onsite production of electricity while using waste heat for space heating, heating a pool or manufacturing processes. “We founded Simons Green Energy to provide Cogeneration and Trigeneration solutions, and have become leaders in the clean energy market,” Derek said. Simons offers Australian and European-made hot water boilers for space heating and process heating applications and in 2010 Simons Green Energy was born. Market demand as well as client requests and relationships the team made in the industry moved the business into providing high efficiency condensing boilers and non condensing boilers for HVAC and space heating to the commercial and industrial market place. In the 1970s the discovery and exploitation of natural gas brought demand for gas boilers and coincided with third-generation engineer Robert Simons entering the business.ĭerek joined the firm in 1992 and recognised opportunity in the emerging clean energy market, advancing Simons’ history in thermal engineering. The Simons iron was an instant hit and later became part of Australia’s War effort pressing military uniforms. In the late 1930s, Robert’s father Asher, also a mechanical engineer, invented a new way to press clothes using an electric iron with a small steam boiler. We’re proud to be one of the remaining companies that are still manufacturing in Australia.”ĭerek’s great-grandfather, artisan carpenter Woolf Simons started making ice chests in the days before refrigeration and in 1932 with his three sons Asher, Percy and Sol, founded Simons Boiler Company.Įighty-seven years later and Simons Boilers is thriving, having adapted to become a leader in thermal energy, thanks to the family’s constant innovations, and expanding to form Simons Green Energy.ĭerek, a fourth generation Simons and third generation mechanical engineer, currently runs the business and works proudly alongside his father Robert Simons, and wife Toni. “We spend a lot of time and money on research and development on steam and hot water products we manufacture. “There’s a constant evolution within our business responding directly to market changes,” Derek Simons said. The story of the family business closely parallels the history of steam and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) industries in Australia, changing over the years and finally evolving into green energy. SIMONS Boilers has grown from humble beginnings making ice chests and steam boilers to become leaders in clean energy nationwide.

Source – SUN HERALD MELBOURNE – 21 August 2019

Sun herald