True North Power Systems

TRUE-NORTH Power Systems Inc. was formed in Lion’s Head, Ontario, in 2002. Originating as the Canadian Distributor of an American small wind turbine as well as other renewable energy products and services, TRUE-NORTH sold small wind turbines and solar mounting and tracking systems throughout Canada, Central, South America and the Caribbean, and Mr. Cooke has personally installed hundreds of turbines in Ontario, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia and throughout Ontario, as well as the US and the Caribbean.

In 2002, TRUE-NORTH opened the Ferndale Renewable Energy Evaluation (F.R.E.E.) Wind Test Centre at Ferndale, Ontario, dedicated to evaluating renewable energy systems and components where they test turbines, towers, batteries, inverters and controllers. They also published the FREE Wind News, a monthly email summary of news in the Small Wind industry and activities at the test centre. 

In 2008, Mr. Cooke and investor Norm Guice founded True North Power NG Inc. (NG, for Next Generation energy) in Ayr, Ontario, and began manufacturing small wind turbines (WIND ARROW) and solar mounting and tracking systems (PowerSeries and SunpointGPS trackers). These products are currently installed in over 10 countries around the world including Korea, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Italy. In 2010, after renewable energy became a political and utilities fight for control over the industry, a strong-armed dispute with the Ministry of Labour led to closing the manufacturing operations and backruptcy of True North Power NG Inc. in 2012.

These leading edge renewable energy products are now manufactured by other companies ins Canada, USA and Turkey and the technology is supported by Mr. Cooke who acts as a technical source and service support advisor.

David Cooke, CEO

David Cooke comes from a varied aerospace, systems engineering and small business start-up background. As a senior military officer and pilot, he acquired a diverse background in satellite tracking and software development through his service with the US Air Force Space Command in Colorado, as Chief of Space Surveillance Division and NORAD Contact for Shuttle operations during 1977-1988. As Co-founder and President, SAT TRAK International, he designed, programmed and marketed the first commercially available software for tracking satellites from a personal computer, and sold to over 2000 users in 20 countries and territories around the world.

A Canadian, from Sarnia, Ontario, Mr. Cooke left active duty in 1988 to take on the role of Assistance Programme Manager, Operations, Canadian Space Station Program with Spar Aerospace Ltd. An astronaut candidate himself, Mr. Cooke, was one of first 4 interviewed and one of 68 quarter finalists from over 4000 applicants in the first Canadian Astronaut competition, in 1983. As a result of his leadership and foresight in development of advanced satellite tracking capabilities, Mr. Cooke was the first non-American to be awarded the USAF Sr. Space Badge, and in 1988 he was presented as an Officer the Order of Military Merit (O.M.M.) by the Governor General of Canada.

After leaving Spar in 1995 he served as Director R&D for software development and Vice President of four Internet start-up companies before starting his own Renewable Energy company TRUE-NORTH Power Systems Inc.

Today Mr. Cooke remains the design and technology authority for the renewable energy systems thet he helped create. He now consults for other companies that produce his designs.