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Clean Tech Open
Alumni Directory
ALUMNI SPONSOR
A word about our sponsor…
In 2008, our Alumni Program was made possible by the generous sponsorship of CalCEF. This support
has enabled us to create programs to educate and further the business momentum of the teams that
have participated in the Clean Tech Open in years one and two.
“We’re invested in 37 startups and I have to say, this has
been the most productive investment so far. The flow of
ideas and continued growth validates the thesis of innova-
tion as the best [energy] solution. No matter how challeng-
ing the problem is, there is innovation out there that allows
us to put all the oars in the water and truly address it.”
– Dan Adler, President, California Clean Energy Fund
The California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) was formed in 2004 to accelerate investment in California’s
clean energy economy. The Fund arises from the California electricity crisis of 1999-2000 and the
bankruptcy settlement negotiated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and Pacific Gas
and Electric Company (PG&E). Deploying a number of investment strategies, CalCEF will make equity
investments totaling up to $30 million in emerging clean energy technology companies. The Fund will
invest in companies, located in PG&E’s service territory and elsewhere, that are developing technology
or products that offer benefits to the region and advance California’s world-leading clean energy agenda.
CalCEF is a non-profit entity, but makes for-profit investments in commercially viable companies.
Profits are reinvested in the Fund. Funds will be invested in private companies creating technologies
or products that will lead directly or indirectly to decreased reliance on non-renewable fuels. This can
include companies focusing on renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy storage, and other areas.
It can also include companies providing products and services, such as software, that are designed to
enhance a particular aspect of the clean energy sector.
CalCEF is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors and recently hired two staff, a President
and a Director of Technology and Policy Development. The Board has also retained a team of private
equity firms to serve as investment managers for CalCEF.
In April of 2008, CalCEF announced the launch of the Center for Innovation and Sustainability, a new
public policy arm created to address critical issues affecting the long-term transformation of the
energy industry. The Center will work to identify and address high-level issues of market and policy
design, such as the balance between market forces and regulatory mandates, as well as issues specific
to particular clean energy technologies, such as barriers to increased energy efficiency, sustainably-
derived biofuels, and aggressive renewable electricity development.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Letter from the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Cleantech Open Program Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
CTO Alumni Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Letter from the Alumni Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
CTO Alumni Program Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Alumni Metrics and Testimonials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Featured Alumni Success Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Alumni List At-A-Glance by Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Alumni Profile in Alphabetical Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
CTO Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
3
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Clean Tech Supporters!
Thank you for your support of the Clean Tech Open. It gives me great
pleasure to introduce this first issue of the CTO Alumni Directory.
Clean Tech Open is an organization of leading entrepreneurs,
academics, investors and companies, working together to accelerate
the development of clean technology startups. This directory will be
your resource to find information on all of the companies that have
been through the CTO process in 2006 and 2007.
Our Alumni Program, begun this year and financially supported by
our sponsor CalCEF, has been a great success in terms of creating
community and opportunities for these companies.
You’ll find a wealth of information that will help you identify opportunities to invest, to
partner, to purchase and recommend the products and services these companies are
producing, and we hope you’ll take advantage of the information here to better acquaint
yourselves with them.
The six competition categories of Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Smart Power, Green
Building, Transportation, and Air, Water & Waste have produced a number of highly successful
companies, and we look forward to more as we finish our 2008 competition.
Generous sponsorship by the US Department of Energy, AMD, Argon National Labs,
Grundfos, Google, Lawrence Berkeley Labs, Lexus National Renewable Energy Lab, Oak Ridge
National Lab, Pacific Northwest National Lab, PG&E, Siemens TTB, SDG&E, and SCE, have
enabled us to grow the competition each year and to expand geographically.
The companies you’ll see showcased here are on the forefront of clean technology, and
are already making a difference. With each year’s competition, we further our mission of
providing resources, education and support for clean tech entrepreneurs.
Please join me in congratulating our Alumni and in supporting them as they continue to
flourish and prosper.
Sincerely,
Annette Walker
Executive Director
California Clean Tech Open
4
OVERVIEW
An innovation catalyst
for cleantech startups that are creating clean,
environmentally sustainable technologies
The CTO Vision
Clean Tech Open is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping great ideas become viable cleantech businesses. The
mission of Clean Tech Open is to serve as an innovation catalyst, providing the infrastructure and processes to develop
and motivate entrepreneurs and early stage companies creating clean, environmentally sustainable technologies.
Our core activity is a series of annual regional business plan competitions for cleantech startups looking for a jump-start
in bringing their products to market. We help by providing cleantech entrepreneurs with support, education, resources,
expert mentoring, access to potential customers and funding sources, high profile events, press and publicity.
Our focus has always been on providing every resource possible to our entrepreneurs and inventors. In the process, Clean
Tech Open has created a unique network of corporations, venture and angel capital firms, entrepreneurs, inventors,
business professionals, universities, national and private labs and governmental agencies, and over 400 volunteers.
The Competition and its Components
Each competition recruits early stage cleantech start-ups, vets their executive summaries, culls them to a set of 40-50
finalists and applies formal criteria for selecting winners and runners up. CTO’s role is producing viable companies, not
simply judging business plans. The entrants and finalists are supported and developed through a series of events and
resources that include the following:
• Executive Summary Workshops – Education seminars held before the entry deadline, enabling contestants to
understand the competition requirements and judging criteria.
• Matching Event – Provides an opportunity for entrants to meet technologists in labs and universities for the
purpose of commercializing available technology.
• Sustainability Workshop – Grounds the competitors in building companies that incorporate sound sustainability
practices and measurement.
• Symposia – The symposia, hosted by the competition sponsors, focus on each of the competition categories and
feature a panel discussion and networking opportunity.
• Mentors – Every finalist is matched with one or more seasoned mentors who help each team maximize their
chance of winning and of turning their company into a successful start-up. Mentors with specific expertise in areas
of legal, accounting, PR and marketing can also be accessed by any entrant for free.
• Summer Workshop Series – The “M.B.A. boot camp” series, targeted only for finalists to improve their fundability,
addresses every aspect of the business creation process, including financial, legal, business plan writing, funding
presentations, and a host of other relevant skills. CTO leverages its network of entrepreneurs, service providers,
and investors to ensure the volunteer speakers provide highly credible content.
• Networking Events – Provide the winners the opportunity to meet a broad array of resources, including angel
investors and venture capitalists.
• The Awards Gala – The culmination of the competition, providing wide exposure for both sponsors and finalists. Six
winners are announced and presented with a “Start-up in a Box” prize package worth $100,000, including $50,000
in cash and a year of services from legal, financial, marketing and office space sponsors. With a showcase of finalist
exhibits and attended by a high level mix of media, VCs, sponsors, clean tech players, politicians and national
organization representatives, this Awards Gala is proof that true solutions are available and continue to arrive.
• Alumni Program – To ensure that our Finalists, Runners-up and Winners continue to thrive as sustainable
companies, churn out clean technology solutions and add to the clean tech job sector, CTO created the Alumni
program. The program provides second-tier workshops focused on topics for established companies, matches the
companies with advanced mentorship, and facilitates extensive funding and networking opportunities.
5
CLEAN TECH OPEN ALUMNI PROGRAM
Welcome to the 2008 California Clean Tech Open Alumni Directory!
We are very proud to showcase the Alumni of the California
Clean Tech Open. In its first two years, the CTO had nearly
260 contestants, of whom 90 became finalists. These finalists,
including winners and runners up for both years, comprise our
Alumni population, and of course this year, we will add another
stellar group from 2008.
We believe that all the companies that have participated in
the Clean Tech Open have great potential, and it is our goal
to continue to provide a community of business resources for
them. To that end, we created a formal Alumni Program in
2008, generously sponsored by the California Clean Energy Fund
(CalCEF). The program is described fully on page 7.
Our world is rapidly changing, and global warming is no longer an abstract concept. Together,
we have an opportunity to support new technologies that can make a real difference in the
world’s environmental survival, by helping to grow companies that will replace fossil fuels with
renewable energy, replace disposable products with sustainable ones, and support the myriad
of other technologies that replace older, carbon-intensive processes.
This directory is a guide to those companies who competed in the California Clean Tech Open
in 2006 and in 2007. You’ll find profiles of the companies, with specific information on their
products, patents, funding status, and other relevant news. We hope you’ll use the directory
to learn about the exciting technologies that these companies are bringing to market, and to
consider the opportunities created by this massive commitment to clean technology.
Regards,
Kathleen Gilligan
Alumni Program Chair
California Clean Tech Open
6
CLEAN TECH OPEN ALUMNI PROGRAM
Alumni Program Summary
The Clean Tech Open (CTO) Alumni Program is designed to create a community that fosters connection, innovation and
business acceleration. Members of the community are all past CTO finalists. The goal of these activities is to add value
for finalists and investment partners, and for CTO to act as a key resource for cleantech entrepreneurs.
Key activities include
• Maintaining a directory of CTO Alumni company information and products
• Providing success stories and news for press placement
• Continuing entrepreneurial education and on-going support services
• Facilitating introductions to investors, sponsors, and other interested parties, as well as possible employees and interns
• Identifying opportunities for panel presentations, exhibits, and speaking engagements
• Annual Alumni Award
Programs
Alumni Workshop Series
Clean Tech Law Master Classes
Sustainability
Funding
Business Practices
Energy Efficiency Momentum
Alumni Directory
Comprehensive view of each alumni company
Metrics
Success stories
Events & Engagements
Exhibitions
Panels
Speaking Opportunities
The primary mission of the Clean Tech Open is to provide the infrastructure and processes to develop and motivate
entrepreneurs and early stage companies creating clean, environmentally sustainable technologies. Their resulting
success is normally measured by equity or other funding, grants received and/or by early customer acquisition. By
continuing to support and demonstrate our alumni success the core mission of the Clean Tech Open can be realized.
Sponsorship
For 2008, financial sponsorship for the Clean Tech Open Alumni Program has generously been provided by the
California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF).
7
ALUMNI SUCCESSES
Clean Tech Open Alumni Successes
CTO teams have achieved many milestones in funding, customer acquisition, and technology
development. We are proud to present some of the statistics we’ve tracked as our Alumni have gone
through the process of becoming commercially viable businesses.
• Over $118M in funding for Alumni to date with a pipeline of future funding events
• Total revenue over $5M
• 795 customers
• 20 Patents awarded
• 2 UL Labs Certifications awarded
• Product Status: Shipping - 12; In Pilot Programs - 11; Prototype - 13
• Over 90% of alumni companies still active
• 320 new jobs created
Testimonials from Alumni Companies
“All of the in-kind services have helped us get
traction in those areas quicker than we had
anticipated because of the willingness and
enthusiasm demonstrated by these partners,
who are the best in their respective fields. WSGR
has provided fantastic counsel for us, we have
a new hire in mind from PeopleConnect, A&R
Edelman has already begun to engage on the
PR front, and we’re excited about starting our
relationship with Horn Murdock Cole. We can’t
wait to move into our new offices that were
provided by PG&E!”
– Bob Cart, GreenVolts, 2006 Renewables Winner,
2007 Alumni Award Winner GreenVolts’ concentrating photovoltaic
“The California Clean Tech Open was a refreshing combination of critical business analysis combined
with recognition for social responsibility. We were driven to defend a sound business plan and
demonstrate the reality of our socially responsible mission to a host of qualified business people
and technically astute advisers. The working sessions were enlightening and on target for the goal of
developing a progressive company, and we thank CCTO for the great support and guidance throughout.”
– Dan Matthews, Meridian Design, 2006 Water Management Runner Up
“The benefits of the competition outweigh any costs. You receive candid feedback and learn from
that feedback. You’ll miss a chance if you don’t pay attention and learn from the questions. It’s a good
opportunity to refine your pitch and see questions and prepare for those questions, because you’ll get
the same ones in the future. Learn as much as you can. See it as a marketing event for the company.”
– Matt Caspari, Aurora Biofuels, 2006 Transportation Runner Up
8
ALUMNI SUCCESSES
“The professional advice and mentoring provided
by the CCTO led NiLA Inc. to winning the 2007
Energy Efficiency prize. Many thanks to the generous
sponsors and amazing staff. Winning has brought
us validation from the clean tech community and
the ability to deliver the NiLA Lighting System to
our first big customer. Entering the CCTO has taken
our company to the next level. I strongly urge you
to enter the CCTO; the process will change you and
your business for the better.”
– Jim Sanfilippo, NiLA, 2007 Energy Efficiency Winner NiLA light on set of “James Bond: Quantum of Solace”
“CTO is better than any other business plan competition at this, providing amazing support all the
way through the process. Once you get to a certain level in the contest, we get free time with WSGR
attorneys. That’s unbelievable. The training along the way for all kinds of areas, pitching to VCs,
business plan training, determining valuation, creating financials, how to network...All the stuff
provide along the way blew me away. We still got so much out of it, even if we had come in last.”
– Eric van Gestel, Enverity, 2007 Green Building Runner Up, 2008 Green Building Finalist
“The California Clean Tech Open is one of the most significant efforts being made today to shift our
nation’s focus towards sustainability. Second to none and unique among all, this competition provides
immensely valuable tools for the success of the novel disruptive technology ventures of tomorrow.”
– Fatemeh Shirazi, Microvi Biotech, 2007 Air, Water & Waste Winner
“The California Clean Tech Open competition
gave Cool Earth Solar a lightning course in
Silicon Valley business. It relentlessly rushed and
guided us to craft a competitive business plan
starting with nothing but a great technology.
The competition introduced us to investors and
mentors, culminating in a ‘you-can’t-pay-for-this-
kind- of-press’ opportunities, as we were invited
to present at Solar Power 2006, the world’s
premier solar energy meeting. It was the most
stressful summer of my life, but Cool Earth Solar
is now off the ground and on our way to making
solar electricity beat coal without subsidies,
thanks to the CCTO.”
Cool Earth Solar mylar balloon – Eric Cummings, Cool Earth Solar, 2006 Energy
Efficiency Runner Up
“The California Clean Tech Open is a fabulous opportunity that opens doors to investors and
experienced professionals in legal, finance, and other areas. The CCTO may be the most important
thing to do while a startup.”
– Michael Murray, Lucid Design Group, 2007 Smart Power Winner
9
FEATURED ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES
Winner 2006 Profile
Company The co-founders of Adura Technologies, Zach Gentry and Josh Mooney,
Adura Technologies were looking for an opportunity to integrate their sense of social and
ecological responsibility with their business acumen. Concentrating
www.aduratech.com
415-227-0868 on untapped opportunities in energy efficiency, the pair hit upon a UC
Founders Berkeley scientist, Charlie Hiuzenga, who was doing innovative work on
wireless lighting control solutions as a way to drive electricity savings,
Zach Gentry, CEO
Josh Mooney, COO while avoiding the time-consuming wiring and construction costs
Charlie Huizenga, CTO associated with conventional controls.
Category
Gentry, Mooney and Huizenga initially tested their wireless technology
Energy Efficiency
at a UC Berkeley commercial building site with the expected goal of
achieving 40-50% energy savings. The system’s actual performance far
Prize Sponsors
outstripped those initial targets at 60-75% energy savings.
California Investor Owned Utilities
The team was drawn to the California Clean Tech Open (CCTO) because of its
Where they were broad definition of clean technology, which looks beyond energy generation
Two business school classmates to include efficiency, green building, and other sustainable categories.
and a UC Berkeley professor with
a beta- tested, wireless, lighting Gentry, Mooney and Huizenga found the CCTO had much more to
control concept and initial angel
funding offer them. The contracts, mentorship and networking proved to be
invaluable for their fledgling business, so much so that one member
Where they are now of the California CCTO network is now playing an active role in Adura’s
• Benefiting from office space fundraising efforts by serving as an advisor on the company’s board.
donated by PG&E Adura also benefited from the competition’s ability to open doors in the
• CLTC and Adura are develop- venture capital community.
ing a Wireless Interated Pho-
tosensor and Motion Sensor “It is indeed very strange for us to take calls from VCs who first
• Received UL certification -
congratulate us on our award, and then ask us if we would be interested
now manufacturing in China in meeting,” said Gentry.
• Showcased at the Cleantech In 2008, the company received a $5 million commitment from
Venture Forum
VantagePoint Venture Partners and Claremont Ventures to promote their
• Recipient of $5 million in breakthrough technology’s ability to make more efficient use of existing
venture capital funding
lighting in commercial buildings.
Today Adura is turning workspace into Greenspace by providing a full-
service demand response and lighting energy management solution that
reduces the demand and use of electricity in commercial facilities.
10
FEATURED ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES
Winner 2006 Profile
A 20 year old company, EDC Technologies doesn’t fit the profile of the Company
typical California Clean Tech Open (CCTO) competitor. Terry Pfaff founded EDC Technologies, Inc
EDC in 1985 to help take the burn out of water heating costs. His
www.savegas.com
company’s computerized control and monitoring systems help building 888.346.8426
owners and managers significantly reduce energy costs.
EDC had partnered with multi-family apartment owners, property Founder
management companies and natural gas utilities to help them achieve Terry Pfaff
energy efficiency. Even as an established company with an installed
customer base, EDC was stimulated by the quality and rigor of the CCTO Category
mentoring sessions. The sessions encouraged them to refine their messaging Smart Power
which helped them communicate their product benefits to customers.
Since 2006, EDC has garnered contracts with major utilities and Prize Sponsor
government agencies that recognize the value of online management AMD
and performance data in streamlining maintenance and reducing costs.
In 2006, EDC was awarded a contract by San Diego Gas & Electric’s third Where they were
party energy conservation program. The initial contract has since been A 20 year old company ready to
expanded to also include SoCal Gas and expanded through 2011. The secure larger customers
program is designed to install unique domestic hot water controller
technology on the domestic hot water system in Hotels/Motels in Where they are now
SDG&E's and SCG’s service territories. • 11 employees throughout CA
The EDC system has also been approved for SD&E’s and Southern • Awarded a contract with
California Gas Company’s Energy Efficiency Rebates for Multifamily SDG&E for third party energy
Properties. This encourages installation of qualifying energy-efficient conservation using EDC’s
products in individual tenant units and in common areas of residential technology for the Hotel/
apartment buildings, mobile home parks, and condominium complexes. Motel sector
• Approved by SCG and SDG&E
The EDC team said, “CCTO is a high-level experience that will help you
for Energy Efficiency Rebates
grow in many ways. The process provides expert-level education from for Multifamily Properties
those who have already been successful. And, following the process
will provide you with your own validation that what you are trying to • Grew 22% in one year, on
track to double in size
accomplish is feasible.”
• Awarded two $1 million
contracts
11
FEATURED ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES
2007 Runner Up Profile
Company Eric van Gestel has been in the environmental industry for many
Enverity Corporation years, starting with the U.S. EPA in Boston, Massachusetts, where he
successfully remediated three large Superfund hazardous waste sites. He
www.enverity.com then moved to EPA headquarters in Washington, D.C. where he helped
650-342-5334
the EPA establish guidelines for the Energy Star Program. He started
Enverity in 2000, with the intent of producing products to help everyday
Founders
businesses and consumers ensure that their buildings and homes are
Eric van Gestel energy compliant.
Michael Hermus
Van Gestel admits that, although he wasn’t an IT guy, he saw the need
Category for software in the compliance industry. He recognized the mix of
environmentalism and technology as an opportunity to use software in a
Green Building
field that really needed it.
Prize Sponsor A former student who was working at PG&E and also as a volunteer for
Google the California Clean Tech Open (CCTO) had encouraged van Gestel to
enter Enverity in the CCTO competition.
Where they were Van Gestel describes the experience as the best business plan
Former EPA and World Bank envi- competition available. “The training for all kinds of areas, pitching to VCs,
ronmental compliance expert (van business plan training, determining valuation, creating financials, how to
Gestel), and founder of the first network...blew me away…We got so much out of it.”
company to provide retail investors
the ability to trade equities after Although the company had already signed Johnson Controls as a
hours utilizing a proprietary, all customer before the competition, they were eager to add other
digital exchange format (Hermus) large clients. They have since added International Truck and Engine
Corporation, and The Gillette Company as clients.
Where they are now
“Our software allows for much easier and much more efficient
• Design and develop custom
reporting of data…It allows for changes to happen quickly and easily”
applications unique to cus-
tomers’ organization, in ad-
in a variety of industries.
dition to a robust “Software- To help larger clients, Enverity produces web-enabled compliance
as-a-Service” Greenhouse modules and customized software solutions for business management,
Gas Management/Reporting environmental, health and safety compliance, and permit preparation.
application
Van Gestel offers sound advice to future CCTO contestants: “Definitely
• Lists Johnson Controls, The
take advantage of all the opportunities along the way in the contest,
Gillette Company as clients
the in-kind sessions and training sessions.” He also encourages
• Depth of expertise in 14 mem- contestants to take the advice of CCTO mentors. “We don’t always
ber Advisory Board
know all we think we know as entrepreneurs.”
12
FEATURED ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES
2007 Runner Up Profile
Clifford Federspiel has spent his career in the smart power industry, Company
starting with a Ph.D. at MIT, then working at Johnson Controls and UC Federspiel Corporation
Berkeley developing energy management technologies. Elisa Federspiel’s
www.federspielcontrols.com
expertise is in finance, including financing wind power projects and 510-524-8480
performance contracts. Kurt Federspiel specialized in enterprise software
notably manufacturing software for datacenter servers. Founders
Clifford Federspiel
Together the Federspiels recognized the need and opportunity for better Elisa Federspiel
energy management solutions. The company’s solutions reduce cooling Kurt Federspiel
and heating costs using advanced control software combined with state-
of-the-art wireless mesh network sensors. The company’s products deliver Category
intelligent energy management solutions for data centers and buildings. Smart Power
At the time of the California Clean Tech Open (CCTO), Federspiel Controls Prize Sponsor
was already shipping product and had contracts with several university AMD
campuses. The company also had grants from the California Energy
Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research Program. Where they were
• Small technology driven con-
After hearing about the CCTO, Cliff Federspiel started formulating ideas
sulting business
to write a business plan for the competition. He acknowledges that the
• Selling products and consult-
best part of the CCTO was the structure of imposed deadlines. “It forced
ing services to local commer-
us to take time away from the business to write the business plan.” cial builders
Today the company is installing its datacenter and buildings solutions Where they are now
through a number of energy efficiency channels. Customers are quick to • Cohesive business plan in
recognize the value of Federspiel Corporation solutions; the company’s place with implementation
rapid installations result in 20-40% energy savings with a one and a half milestones
to three year payback period. • Added two key members to
the FC team
Cliff says CCTO “got us quite a bit of exposure. We got some calls from • Raising funds from Angel
interested investors and customers whom we talked to.” The team investors
continues to see a great future. • Executing their datacenter
solution with lead customers,
and expanding their cus-
tomer base for their buildings
customers
13
FEATURED ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES
2006 Winner Profile
Company A seasoned entrepreneur and solar enthusiast, GreenVolts’ CEO Bob
GreenVolts Cart was inspired to invent the company’s patent-pending CarouSol
concentrating PV technology while on an 18-month Pacific Ocean voyage.
www.greenvolts.com
415.963.4030
Cart set out to address costs where he saw the biggest opportunity
Founder for economies of scale in an otherwise distributed and piecemeal
solar industry – at the utility level. He wanted to apply innovation in
Bob Cart, CEO
concentration and tracking technologies to the utility-scale solar market
Category thus delivering a solar product that matches the peak demand costs of
electricity generated by fossil fuels.
Renewables
After researching several business plan contests, Cart entered the California
Prize Sponsors
Clean Tech Open (CCTO) competition. His firm won the Renewables category
Mark Farley, Charlene and Derry award in CCTO’s inaugural year. In 2007, GreenVolts received the first-ever
Kabcenell, Frank H. Levinson, Geoff
Ralston, and Michael and Amy CCTO Alumni Award for excellence in growth and productivity.
Santullo
The credibility and exposure associated with winning the inaugural CCTO
Where they were competition opened a lot of doors for the company and accelerated its grown.
• An undeveloped business
“Investors and potential customers have heard of GreenVolts through
model with a passion for solar
energy the CCTO. They are instantly confident in us as a company because
they know a distinguished group of investors, financiers, technologists
• Focused on R&D on solar for
utilities and others have reviewed and endorsed our business plan and early
activities,” Cart said.
• A recommendation from a VC
to enter a business plan com-
In the two years since winning, Cart has grown his business to a team of
petition
30 people. He has signed several customers, most notably PG&E, to build a
Where they are now two-megawatt facility in Byron, California. In September 2008, the company
• 30 employees secured $30 million in Series B financing from Oak Investment Partners.
• Received contract from PG&E
Brian Hinman of Oak Investment Partners states, “We believe that over
to build the largest concentrat-
ing photovoltaic plant in the time, the GreenVolts system can produce solar energy more efficiently
world and at a lower levelized cost than competing technologies.”
• Secured $30 million in Series B
Cart’s long-term goal is to be the company that defines what a solar-
financing
powered America, is while continuing to set the standard for new
levels of efficiency.
14
FEATURED ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES
2007 Winner Profile
After working with lighting in the motion picture industry for more than Company
20 years, Jim Sanfilippo had a revolutionary idea. He decided to build a NiLA Inc.
light that was energy efficient, environmentally sustainable, and safer www.nila.tv
than the mercury-based lighting prevalent in the industry. 818.392.8370
He founded NiLA Inc. in 2004, and spent three years perfecting the Founder
product and attracting a team to develop, design and manufacture the Jim Sanfilippo
NiLA Lighting System. The NiLA Lighting System is 75% more energy
efficient, lasts 25 times longer, generates 80% less heat, reducing the air Category
conditioning load without the use of any toxic heavy metals, and is more Energy Efficiency
durable than any other motion picture light. When NiLA’s customers
are done using the NiLA Lighting System they sell it back to NiLA to be Prize Sponsors
repurpose the components. PG&E, SCE and SDG&E
Sanfilippo heard about the California Clean Tech Open (CCTO) Where they were
competition three days before the 2006 entrance deadline. Despite Founded in 2004, working on in-
the short notice, he thought he would give it a try. NiLA was the 2006 creasing the utility of the product
Runner Up in the Energy Efficiency category.
Where they are now
The team entered the competition again in 2007 and this time won.
• Expanding customer base
Sanfilippo says “winning the cash prize in 2007 helped the company and penetrating the industry
launch the NiLA Lighting System by providing the needed capital to
• Lighting for dozens of major
deliver products to their first customer and to secure some debt motion pictures and televi-
financing. Since the product launch the start up in a box bundle of sion shows
service has been extremely valuable.” • Provided lights for CNN’s
coverage of the Democratic
NiLA recently secured a worldwide distributor for its lighting systems. They and Republican National Con-
provided lighting for the 2008 James Bond film “Quantum of Solace” and ventions
Ron Howard’s “Angels and Demons”. The company also provided lighting for
CNN coverage of the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
When asked about his experience with CCTO, Sanfilippo said “making it
as a finalist is great, the opportunity given to finalists to help grow their
ideas and their business is invaluable. The CCTO is also a fabulous place
for networking and meeting other people with the goal of sustainability;
the CCTO is worth pursuing from everyone’s aspect.”
Advice for future contestants? “Just do it.”
15
FEATURED ALUMNI SUCCESS STORIES
2007 Winner Profile
Company After realizing there was a large need for a cost-effective transit
Syncromatics monitoring solution, Josh Bigelow and Stephen Salazer started
Syncromatics, focusing on the underserved transit market.
www.syncromatics.com
310.728.6997
“Syncromatics provides real-time bus tracking for bus operators,”
Founders explains Bigelow. “The system gives transportation operators the ability
to track and analyze routes, monitor the number of people getting
Stephen Salazar
Josh Bigelow on and off at specific stops via sensors installed on the bus, and share
real time arrival and loading information with the public. This allows
Category transportation operators to tune their routes to increase efficiency while
Transportation demonstrating to the public that transit can work for them. The system
is installed in each transit owned bus and uses Global Positioning Service
Prize Sponsor (GPS) to detect movement and location.
Lexus
With a successful pilot showing returns ten times the original
Where they were investment, Syncromatics moved to the University of Miami to
implement their solution The pilot yielded similar results: excellent
Two pilot clients, 60 buses installed
value for the university and its riders, and increasing effectiveness of
Where they are now transit while drastically reducing cost and fuel consumption. With two
successful ventures, Bigelow and Salazar saw the potential for increased
• Pilot Program in place with
major metropolitan transit growth and went on to add 13 new customers in five months.
agency
Bigelow was exhibiting at a Sustainability Conference when he was
• Currently working with 11
approached by a manager from PG&E who told him about the California
universities and 2 municipal
transit agencies in Florida, Clean Tech Open (CCTO) competition. Syncromatics went on to win the
California, Pennsylvania, and Transportation category in 2007, giving them “a big boost in credibility.”
Virginia
Since then, the Syncromatics team has focused on product development,
• System installed in 243 buses
nationwide releasing a new version of their product every few months. In the past
year they have exhibited at trade shows and presented at transportation
conferences.
Asked how he thinks Syncromatics won the CCTO competition, Bigelow
says, “We attribute our success to the proven results we had already
demonstrated.” His advice to others entering the competition?
“Preparation is the key. You have to have a strong sell. It has to be
genuinely green and provably profitable.”
16
Alumni Profiles
17
ALUMNI AT A GLANCE
Product
Seeking
Company Name Category Year City State Ship- Patents Funded
Funding
ping
A-Z Comp Air, Water & Waste 2006 Rocklin CA Yes No
Acillix Incorporated Air, Water & Waste 2006 No No
CASCADE CLEAN ENERGY Air, Water & Waste 2007 Santa Clara CA No No
Crystal Clear Technologies, Inc. Air, Water & Waste 2006 Portland OR No No Yes
EarthGuard Air, Water & Waste 2007 Southington CT No Yes No
Exergy Systems, Inc. Air, Water & Waste 2007 Irvine CA Yes Yes
Filtration Dynamics Air, Water & Waste 2006 Los Gatos CA No No
Friendly Cow Biogas Air, Water & Waste 2007 San Francisco CA No No
GreenPyro Air, Water & Waste 2007 Palo Alto CA No No Yes
Meridian Design Air, Water & Waste 2006 San Jose CA Yes No Yes
Microvi Biotech Inc. Air, Water & Waste 2007 Union City CA Yes No Yes
Nanoaqueonics Air, Water & Waste 2007 San Jose CA No No Yes
Vision Energy Corp. Air, Water & Waste 2007 Marina del Rey CA No No
WaterWise Systems Air, Water & Waste 2006 Willits CA No No
Adura Technologies, Inc. Energy Efficiency 2006 San Francisco CA Yes Yes No
Ahwahnee Technology Energy Efficiency 2007 San Jose CA No Yes No
Aquarian Microsystems Energy Efficiency 2006, 2007 Palo Alto CA No No Yes
Blue Earth Energy, Inc. Energy Efficiency 2007 Los Gatos CA No No
High Merit Thermoelectrics Energy Efficiency 2006 Sacramento CA No No No
Hyphase Energy Energy Efficiency 2006 Mountain View CA No Yes Yes
J Systems Research Corp Energy Efficiency 2006 No No
NiLA Inc. Energy Efficiency 2006, 2007 Sherman Oaks CA Yes Yes Yes Yes
NovaTorque Energy Efficiency 2006 North Highlands CA Yes Yes
Practical Technology Energy Efficiency 2006 Georgetown TX No Yes
Progressive Cooling Solutions Energy Efficiency 2007 Berkeley CA No Yes Yes Yes
Reclaim Electric Energy Efficiency 2006 Redwood City CA No No
SuperBulbs Energy Efficiency 2007 Redwood City CA No Yes Yes
Zee Dynamics Inc. Energy Efficiency 2007 Campbell CA No No
Zikon electronic Ink Energy Efficiency 2006 Santa Clara CA No No
BuildFast Green Building 2007 San Carlos CA No No Yes
E-Mod Green Building 2007 Sacramento CA No No
Enverity Corporation Green Building 2007 Burlingame CA Yes Yes No
Morgan Digital Works Green Building 2007 Palo Alto CA No No
Redwood Renewables Green Building 2007 Corte Madera CA No No Yes
Vertical Landscape Green Building 2007 San Francisco CA No No
1-Solar Renewables 2007 Rohnert Park CA No No Yes
Aerotecture International, Inc. Renewables 2006 Chicago IL Yes No
Ascentool Inc. Renewables 2007 Milpitas CA No No
CoolEarth Solar Renewables 2006 Livermore CA No Yes No
18
ALUMNI AT A GLANCE
Product
Seeking
Company Name Category Year City State Ship- Patents Funded
Funding
ping
GreenVolts Renewables 2006 San Francisco CA Yes Yes Yes
Hoda Globe Company Renewables 2007 San Jose CA No Yes Yes
Humdinger Wind Energy, LLC Renewables 2007 Honolulu HI No Yes Yes No
Lite Trough Renewables 2007 Milford CT Yes No No Yes
SEPCOR Renewables 2006 Vista CA Yes No No Yes
Sereno Solar Renewables 2007 Monte Sereno CA Yes No
Silicon Valley Solar Renewables 2006 Yes Yes Yes
SolarAire, LLC Renewables 2007 Folsom CA Yes No No
SolarRoofs, Inc. Renewables 2006 Carmichael CA No No
SolarSeal Technologies Renewables 2007 Santa Cruz CA Yes Yes No Yes
Sun Phocus Technologies Renewables 2006 Chicago IL No No
Tahoe Water Systems Renewables 2007 San Jose CA Yes No Yes
Aptility Smart Power 2007 Berkeley CA No No
Blue Joule Technologies Inc. Smart Power 2007 Santa Clara CA No No
EDC Technologies, Inc. Smart Power 2006 Sebastopol CA Yes No No
Energi.ca Smart Power 2007 San Jose CA No No
Energy Box Smart Power 2006 No No
Energy Recommerce Smart Power 2006 San Francisco CA Yes Yes Yes Yes
Federspiel Corporation Smart Power 2007 El Cerrito CA Yes Yes Yes
Grid Saver Smart Power 2006, 2007 El Cerrito CA No No Yes
Lucid Design Group Smart Power 2007 Oakland CA Yes Yes No Yes
AC FOX Transportation 2006 No No
Aurora BioFuels Transportation 2006 Alameda CA Yes Yes No
Barefoot Motors, LLC Transportation 2007 Ashland OR Yes No Yes
BGT Biogasoline Transportation 2006, 2007 Virginia Beach VA No No
Compressor Control Company Transportation 2006 No No
High Merit Thermoelectrics Transportation 2007 Sacramento CA No No No
Hum Cycles, Inc. Transportation 2007 San Francisco CA No Yes Yes
ICR Advanced Vehicle Engine Transportation 2007 San Diego CA No Yes Yes
KiteShip Transportation 2006 Martinez CA No No Yes
New American Energy, Inc., Transportation 2007 Redwood City CA No No
d/b/a Mighty Algae Biofuels
RFT Transportation 2007 Fremont CA No No
RideSpring Transportation 2006, 2007 Santa Cruz CA Yes Yes No Yes
SAgA Fuel Systems, Inc. Transportation 2006 San Francisco CA Yes No Yes Yes
SoCool Transportation 2006 No No
Syncromatics Transportation 2007 Los Angeles CA Yes No No
The Last Mile Transportation 2007 San Francisco CA No No No
Thermokinetics Transportation 2006 San Francisco CA No No Yes
19
ALUMNI PROFILES
2007
1-Solar WINNER Adura provides a turnkey solution that is easy to install and
easy to use. It utilizes the latest innovations in wireless mesh
2007 Winner / Renewables networking technology and an intuitive software management
Low-priced long-life inverters for solar PV tool, bringing the flexibility of a wireless platform to lighting
Sandia National Laboratories has identified a dire need for an controls that are appropriate for both retrofits and new con-
inexpensive, long-lasting inverter for solar power generation struction. No more costly wiring or wall penetrations.
and other alternative energy systems. 1-Solar has prototypes Zach Gentry
of patent-pending technologies as well as the industry experi- zach@aduratech.com
ence to design, manufacture and market the next generation of 28 Second Street, 4th Floor
inverters with double to triple the life of inverters currently in San Francisco, CA 94105
use. Yet they cost less. The company’s 6kW inverter weighs less 415.227.0868
than 20 lbs and is lighter and smaller than grid-tied inverters www.aduratech.com
currently sold.
Tranh Nguyen Aerotecture International, Inc.
tnguyen@1-solar.com 2006 Finalist / Renewables
170 Professional Center Drive, Suite K
Rohnert Park, CA 94928 Building-integrated wind power
707.535.9431 Aerotecture International seeks to radically transform the
www.1-solar.com dominant paradigm of energy production and consumption
around the globe. Blending the concepts of aerodynamics and
A-Z Comp architecture, aeroturbines are wind electric turbines designed
to be attached to buildings or integrated into the very form of
2006 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste buildings. With Aeroturbines, buildings and other structures
Low-cost water pollution removal will not only consume electricity, but produce it on-site. The
Using nanotechnology, A-Z Comp has come up with a method self-regulating turbines can easily be retrofitted into existing
of removing oil and hydrocarbons from water that significantly structures or design plans, and use buildings and walls of the
surpasses the filtering efficiency of existing methods, but costs urban landscape to accelerate rather than damp wind. Aero-
less. A-Z Comp is currently shipping Graphene, a high reactivity tecture is currently in limited production and custom fabrica-
carbon mixture that filters both drinking water and heavy water. tion at seven zoning-approved and permitted installations.
Dr. Alisher S. Abdul Bil Becker
azcomp@starstream.net bli@aerotecture.com
1961 Hunter Drive 3035 North Rockwell
Rocklin, CA 95765 Chicago, IL 60618
916.315.0211 773.604.4300
www.aerotecture.com
Acillix Incorporated
2006 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste
Ahwahnee Technology 2007
RUNNER UP
2007 Runner Up / Energy Efficiency
Microbial-based water treatment for industrial users
Acillix is developing a microbial-based technology for deminer- Advanced area lighting
alizing water for industrial use. The technology offers comple- Did you know that 20 percent of our global energy is used for
mentary performance for reverse osmosis (RO). Acillix will sig- lighting, generating 1.9 billion tons of greenhouse gases per
nificantly reduce expenses for industrial water consumers using year? Today, lighting wastes more than 70 percent of this en-
RO systems by reducing water purchasing, sewage disposal and ergy as heat. This whole process causes nearly as much CO2 as
overall energy costs, while at the same time generating a mar- that made by all cars. Ahwahnee Technology’s energy-efficient
ketable by-product. lighting is the simplest way to cut 10 percent of global electrici-
ty usage and greenhouse gases. Ahwahnee’s revolutionary light
Todd Perry
source product is based on a highly-differentiated proprietary
tod@acillix.com
617.852.9627 technology called Edge Emission Lighting (EEL). From it, we’re
creating cool, bright, and flat light sources. The EEL module can
2006 be embedded into existing light bulb designs and sockets. The
Adura Technologies, Inc. WINNER
company has built proofs-of-concept and are ready to build
2006 Winner / Energy Efficiency their prototype.
Wireless lighting management for businesses Paul Dennig
Adura Technologies provides a full-service demand response pdennig@ahwahneetech.com
and lighting energy management solution that substantially 5941 Optical Court
reduces the demand and use of electricity in commercial facili- San Jose, CA 95138
ties. This cost-effective solution will deliver bottom-line results 408.960.3812
to end-use customers. Using advanced wireless technology, www.ahwahneetech.com
20
ALUMNI PROFILES
2006
Aptility Aurora BioFuels, Inc. RUNNER UP
2007 Finalist / Smart Power
2006 Runner Up / Transportation
Distributed thermostat HVAC thermal controls
Aptility offers a control solution to the homeowner who wants Biofuels from algae
better climate comfort from their central HVAC system and a Aurora BioFuels, Inc. is a renewable energy company explor-
lower monthly utility bill. The Aptility Residential Environment ing new sources of feedstock for the production of biofuels. In
Manager is a thermal control solution that reduces room- particular, Aurora utilizes microalgae to generate bio-oil, which
to-room variations, temperature swings, and your utility bill. can be converted into biodiesel at a price point that makes
Unlike a programmable thermostat, the company’s product algae derived biofuels cost competitive with fossil fuels. Algae
understands the behavior of every room in your home. biomass have many advantages over traditional biofuel crops
in that they are naturally oily and grow very quickly, produce
Nathan Ota
much more bio-oil per acre than traditional biodiesel crops,
nathan.ota@aptility.com
2680 Bancroft Way and can be grown on marginal land so as not compete with
Berkeley, CA 94704 food crops. They also remove CO2 from the air as they grow.
510.708.5932 Aurora BioFuels is headquartered in Northern California and
www.aptility.com has additional operations in Florida. The company is currently
exploring international expansion opportunities.
Aquarian Microsystems Matt Caspari
matt@aurorabiofuels.com
2007 Finalist / Energy Efficiency 1201 Harbor Bay Parkway
2006 Finalist / Energy Efficiency Alameda, CA 94502
510.816.3052
Active micro control of refrigerant liquids www.aurorabiofuels.com
Microfluidic devices have been built for some time using the
techniques of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). These
microfabrication techniques result in low-cost, high-volume, Barefoot Motors, LLC
and high-reliability devices such as inkjet print heads, microac- 2007 Finalist / Transportation
celerators for airbag deployment and digital mirror devices.
“Green” electric all-terrain utility vehicles
Aquarian focuses on the design and production of MEMS-based
Barefoot Motors was founded to design, manufacture and
microvalves which substantially reduce energy losses in heating,
distribute “green” all-terrain utility vehicles. There is unprec-
ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR). Since
edented and growing demand for clean vehicles and lower
30 percent of U.S. electrical energy is consumed by residential
emissions output across all vehicle sectors. Yet the ATV market,
refrigerators and air conditioners, even small energy efficiency
where close to a million units are sold annually and where the
improvements become important. Aquarian is now working on
market is expected to grow by 20 percent between 2005 and
development of alternate microvalve actuation technology and
2010, has all but ignored this trend. Barefoot’s first product, a
has teamed with faculty at Penn State University.
heavy duty ATV, will be designed to meet the performance re-
Albert Henning quirements of existing gas-powered heavy duty ATVs with all of
henning@aquarianmicro.com the benefits of a clean tech, eco-friendly alternative low noise,
199 Heather Lane zero emissions, and high torque. The company’s motor is cur-
Palo Alto, CA 94303 rently in development.
650.843.1352
www.aquarianmicro.com Melissa Brandao
melissab@barefootmotors.com
PO Box 58
Ascentool Inc. Sebastopol, CA 95472
2007 Finalist / Renewables 707.490.8339
www.barefootmotors.com
Equipment and process technologies to enable sustainable solar PV
With its patent pending high-volume production equipment
and process, as well as direct experience in thin-film solar cells, BGT Biogasoline
Ascentool will lower the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar mod- 2007 Finalist / Transportation
ules to $0.50 per watt and is determined to stay at 50 percent High octane biogasoline from sugar
of current market leader’s cost. The company is currently in BGT Biogasoline has developed cutting-edge proprietary pro-
development with strategic customers. cesses that capitalize on the growing demand for biofuels while
Kai-An Wang remaining compatible with the existing petroleum infrastruc-
Kai-an.wang@ascentool.com ture. Unlike ethanol, BGT’s technology can efficiently convert
743 Ames Avenue xylose from hemicellulose into an effective biofuel— biogasoline
Milpitas, CA 94303 (heptanone). Biogasoline’s advantages over ethanol include
408.230.6929 greater energy per gallon and easier shipping and storage. Most
www.ascentool.com
21
ALUMNI PROFILES
importantly, biogasoline can be used directly in regular gasoline David Buuck
engines without any need for engine modification, and can be dbuuck@bluejoule.com
blended in any concentration with other existing fuels such as 1855 Main Street
petroleum gasoline or ethanol. No other technology produces Santa Clara, CA 95050
a hydrocarbon fuel product with these advantages, using this 408.803.0833
feedstock. The two-step BGT process has been proven on a 100- www.bluejoule.com
gallon scale, and commercial quantities could immediately be
produced upon construction of a processing facility. BGT’s pro- BuildFast 2007
WINNER
cess is as scalable as ethanol’s, and will continue to benefit from 2007 Winner / Green Building
further advantages in ethanol technology. BGT’s patent-pending
process offers an alternative to ethanol that is also symbiotic House kit for low-income and post-disaster housing
with the growing ethanol industry, and thus represents a signifi- BuildFast is a building materials manufacturing company that
cant investment opportunity. has developed an innovative House Kit solution to help gov-
ernments and nonprofit organizations build low-income and
Guerry Grune post-disaster housing around the world – an untapped, multi-
ggrune@cpsbiofuels.com billion dollar market. BuildFast will generate positive significant
784 Villier Court
societal impact, since it is an eco-friendly, highly-insulated,
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757.486.2088 earthquake-resistant building technology that will help the
www.bgtbiogasoline.com world’s poor, leverage local labor and help to build local econo-
mies. The company has completed design of its prototype and
has begun selling to beta customers.
Blue Earth Energy, Inc.
Patrick Freeburger
2007 Finalist / Energy Efficiency patrick@buildfast.com
Low-powered refrigeration and cooling from heat capture 1180 Alameda de las Pulgas
Blue Earth Energy Systems, Inc. is developing a heat pump San Carlos, CA 94070
technology with a wide range of applications. The company’s 650.771.5027
www.buildfast.com
technology will provide commercial refrigeration and cooling
for just 13 percent of the power draw of a conventional refrig-
eration or air conditioning system. The key to this invention is Cascade Clean Energy, Inc.
simple – tapping the heat captured from where it is not wanted 2007 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste
and convert it into power to provide more cooling. In doing so,
Smart microorganisms for wastewater energy recovery
costs are cut as is the environmental impact of cooling and re-
Cascade Clean Energy is developing and marketing a serve
frigeration demand year round. The company’s technology also
designed for U.S. Navy ships, the food processing industry and
substantially reduces the damage that summer peak power
wastewater treatment plants. CCES is able to choose smart
draw can do to the power grid infrastructure.
metabolic-efficient microorganisms to harvest electricity from
Bruce Maxwell wastewaters, providing an effective and sustainable method
brucem@blueearthenergy.com to offset wastewater treatment costs while at the same time
21510 Oak Court making wastewater cleaner. The market for CCES’ technology
Los Gatos, CA 95033
is $10 billion per year in the U.S. alone. The company claims its
650.867.7471
www.blueearthenergy.com technology is more sustainable than any other known method
for wastewater treatment.
Blue Joule Technologies Inc. Bowen Jiang
bowenj@stanford.edu
2007 Finalist / Smart Power 3375 Scott Blvd, Suite 100, Garrett Business Center
Advanced inverter for concentrating PV power plants Santa Clara, CA 95054
301.768.7528
Blue Joule Technologies’ products will address the emerging
www.ccleanenergy.com
market need for a “smart inverter” that is capable of integrating
multiple sources (both renewable and conventional) and adapt-
ing to local distribution system requirements for generation and Compressor Control Company
conditioning. While today’s inverters convert power adequately, 2006 Finalist / Transportation
they are not capable of interacting with developing alternative
Advanced electric storage for plug-in hybrids
power sources. Blue Joule’s initial product will be the first of a Richard Beedon
series of increasingly more-capable energy gateways that will rbeedon@macbeedon.com
soon become the standard for neighborhoods, campuses, or 734.323.0114
even entire municipalities seeking the increased security and
reliability made available by “energy islanding” capabilities.
22
ALUMNI PROFILES
2007
Cool Earth Solar 2006
RUNNER UP EarthGuard RUNNER UP
2006 Runner Up / Renewables 2007 Runner Up / Air, Water & Waste
Extremely low-cost, inflated-mirror solar concentration Earth-conscious packaging options
Cool Earth Solar has developed a breakthrough solar technology EarthGuard is a manufacturer of environmentally responsible
that can dramatically reduce the cost and time to develop solar plastic packaging. The food packaging industry is a $54 billion
power plants at prices competitive with fossil fuels. Cool Earth dollar per year market. With the growing concern over global
has engineered a solar power plant that competes at a price warming and demands for greater environmental stewardship,
point with conventional fuels by radically reducing the material the retail community is diligently seeking affordable, earth-
and weight of concentrated photovoltaic cells. This novel tech- conscious options that can be seamlessly transitioned into
nology employs an approach that minimizes materials and sup- their existing operations. Because major U.S. retailers are de-
ports scaling to meet the world’s growing energy needs. manding environmental packaging solutions, this has created a
Eric Cummings timely opportunity for EarthGuard.
ecummings@coolearthsolar.com Enoch Lenge
4659 Las Positas Road, Suite C enochl@egpackaging.com
Livermore, CA 94551 814 Laning Street
925.454.8506 Southington, CT 06489
www.coolearthsolar.com 860.919.4022
www.egpackaging.com
2006
Crystal Clear Technologies, Inc. WINNER
2006 Winner / Air, Water & Waste EDC Technologies, Inc. 2006
WINNER
Low-cost water treatment for recycling and drinking 2006 Winner / Smart Power
Crystal Clear Technologies (CCT), is developing proprietary filter Hot water controller for condominiums and hotels
materials that have a dramatically higher absorption capability EDC Technologies has developed a hot water controller that
than conventional technology, at considerably lower cost. CCT’s reduces natural gas consumption in multi-family apartments,
technology enables low-cost water purification and recycling condominiums, dormitories, and hotels and motels by between
of metal contaminants. The company is currently preparing to 15 to 40 percent. The technology allows users to see proof of
go to market with a filter for metal recovery and recycling, fol- their savings via the Internet, where they are offered the abil-
lowed by a water purification system for the home market. ity to view performance of other components within their hot
James Harris water environment.
jmharris@simplyclearwater.com Terry Pfaff
12423 NE Whitaker Way terry@savegas.com
Portland, OR 97230 424 Pleasant Hill Road
503.542.1239 Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.simplyclearwater.com 707.829.8011 ext 705
www.savegas.com
E-Mod 2006
2007 Finalist / Green Building Energy Recommerce RUNNER UP
Semi-customizable modular home, focused on sustainability 2006 Runner Up / Smart Power
When we imagine our dream homes, we tend not to put it into Web-enabled renewable energy
a larger context and this lack of a larger context has created a Energy Recommerce is the preferred provider of solar energy
downward cycle: cookie cutter homes create suburban sprawl, monitoring and management solutions for owners and opera-
which creates traffic jams and polluted cities. The E-Mod Home tors concerned about system performance and their return
is a semi-customizable modular home which focuses on sustain- on investment. The company provides internet monitoring
ability on all fronts. The company is targeting progressive young systems and services to help private and commercial energy
professionals who are willing to embrace more efficient and investors maximize their return on investment. The monitoring
flexible spaces, which optimize space usage in dense infill sites. system, and its related services, helps to ensure a solar photo-
E-Mod’s interactive IT system enables the owner to not only cus- voltaic system performs as expected throughout its lifetime.
tomize the aesthetic of the home, but offers semi-packaged solu- Peter Rexelius
tions to achieve the type of sustainability that is most important peter@energyrecommerce.com
to them, whether it be health-driven, cost-driven, or a desire to 1875 Lombard Street
achieve carbon neutrality. San Francisco, CA 94123 PMS 7408u
Julia Hu 415.651.4640 PMS 293u
PMS 293u
juliahu324@gmail.com www.energyrecommerce.com PMS 295u
40 Park City Court, #5201
Sacramento, CA 95831
818.294.0888
23
ALUMNI PROFILES
2007
Enverity Corporation RUNNER UP Clifford Federspiel
cf@federspielcontrols.com
2007 Runner Up / Green Building 701 El Cerrito Plaza
The greenhouse gas data-management solution El Cerrito, CA 94530
Enverity Corporation develops and markets web-based enter- 510.524.8480
www.federspielcontrols.com
prise software applications that automate and facilitate im-
proved corporate data management and reporting, and reduce
compliance costs. The company is initially focused on environ- Filtration Dynamics
mental, health, safety compliance, Greenhouse Gas Inventory 2006 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste
and Reductions Tracking, and green-building. Enverity’s clients
Novel industrial and municipal wastewater treatment
include Johnson Controls, International Truck and Engine, Gil-
Filtration Dynamics has the concept, potential, and goal to
lette, and many others.
improve the drinking water and wastewater treatment market
Eric van Gestel with a time, space, and energy-saving patents-pending fluid
evg@enverity.com filtration technology. The approach is designed to address
500 Airport Boulevard, Suite 100 industrial, agricultural, and municipal wastewater using a cen-
Burlingame, CA 94010 trifugal wastewater filtration system. Upon early-stage fund-
650.342.5334
ing, Filtration Dynamics’ first project will be the creation of a
www.enverity.com
state-of-the-art, 3D computer model, followed by a functional
pre-prototype.
Exergy Systems, Inc.
Melvin Cook
2007 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste melvinc@filtrationdynamics.com
Separation and purification for process chemical and water reuse 1484 Pollard Road, Suite 532
Exergy systems offers proprietary and patented “Plug and Play” Los Gatos, CA 95032
408.884.4015
electro-membrane purification technologies to rejuvenate,
www.filtrationdynamics.com
purify and recycle water and chemicals. The technologies are
developed to substantially reduce operating costs for manu-
facturing segment customers while reducing waste generation Friendly Cow Biogas
and environmental concerns. Exergy’s objective is to transform 2007 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste
the way customers utilize materials and resources by closed-
Biodigesters for rural areas
looping the manufacturing cycle where raw materials and
Friendly Cow Biogas plans to market a biodigester based on an
resources are either efficiently utilized in production processes
original valve technology and gas pressure regulator system de-
or are recycled. The company’s first product is being launched
signed for rural areas in developing and transitioning countries.
following a round of institutional investment.
The system will provide a reliable and easily-accessible source of
Chris Gallagher both energy and organic fertilizer. This will solve social and envi-
chrisgallagher@rcn.com ronmental problems in under-served markets capable of large-
PO Box 54684 scale adoption. Sales of the biodigester will encourage ancillary
Irvine, CA 92619 entrepreneurship, thereby speeding widespread adoption of the
949.713.5760
technology. Friendly Cow also plans to sell the carbon offsets
www.exergycorp.com
associated with the bundled total of installed biodigesters. The
2007 company’s biodigester is currently in development.
Federspiel Corporation RUNNER UP
Wireless supervisory control of HVAC systems Sonia Aggarwal
Sonia.plant.the.seed@gmail.com
2007 Runner Up / Smart Power 1170 Florida Street
Federspiel Controls provides energy management solutions San Francisco, CA 94110
415.977.1921
for data centers and large buildings. The company’s solutions
combine control and automation software with wireless mesh
network sensors that provide feedback from the right locations GreenPyro
so that thermal performance is improved and assured while 2007 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste
energy costs are minimized. Federspiel’s datacenter solution
Carbon Negative Solutions
helps datacenter owners and operators automatically and
GreenPyro is developing a next-generation pyrolysis plant that
reliably optimize temperature, humidity, and airflow. Its large
generates electricity and sequesters greenhouse gases through
building solution helps building owners and operators achieve
high-temperature decomposition. Agricultural crop waste is
energy efficiency and maximum demand response from older
used to generate electricity, thereby significantly reducing the
buildings without major retrofitting.
total CO2, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere –
24
ALUMNI PROFILES
what GreenPyro refers to as “carbon-negative electricity.” We electricity, with efficiencies far greater than previously possible.
are also developing unique applications for the use of bio-char The company is focused on bringing this technology to the
and changing the economics of pyrolysis. trucking industry. Using its solid state, compact devices to cap-
Jerry Scharf ture waste heat from exhaust systems and catalytic converters
scharf@greenpyro.com on heavy trucks, enough electricity can be generated so that
4018 Laguna Way the standard alternator, power steering pump, and air condi-
Palo Alto, CA 94306 tioner pump can be powered electrically, rather than driven by
650.279.7017 belts. Removing the parasitic load of these components from
www.greenpyro.com the truck’s engine promises 13 to 15 percent improved fuel
efficiency for the trucking industry. The company’s product is in
GreenVolts 2006
WINNER early the early prototype stage.
2006 Winner / Renewables Geoff Jennings
geoffcj@gmail.com
Utility-scale solar technology 5397 Calabria Way
GreenVolts’ concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) solution is a Sacramento, CA 95835
state-of-the-art technology that achieves the world’s highest 530.852.4754
solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency through an innovative www.highmerit.com
integration of optics and solar tracking. Similar to central sta-
tion power plants, GreenVolts’ system is designed to deliver Hoda Globe Company
the lowest levelized cost of energy, and yet it can be built close
to load, increasing efficiency and further reducing costs. Green- 2007 Finalist / Renewables
Volts is launching a one-megawatt power plant in fall 2008, its Clean thermoelectric energy
first commercial deployment and the largest HCPV plant in the Hoda Globe is committed to delivering the state-of-the-art
world. clean energy solutions to domestic and international renew-
Bob Cart able energy markets that cost less, occupy less space, and
bob@greenvolts.com provide superior performance contrasted to currently available
50 1st Street technology, such as solar PV panels. With its innovative and
San Francisco, CA 94105 patented technologies, Hoda Globe enables an infrastructure
415.963.4030 that utilizes renewable natural resources, providing an immedi-
www.greenvolts.com ate, clean and economical energy supply.
Jerry Jin
Grid Saver ajjin@ieee.org
2006 Finalist / Smart Power 861 University Avenue, Suite 9
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Appliance remote control and monitoring 650.853.3089
GridSaver is an appliance remote control and monitoring sys- www.hodaglobe.com
tem that delivers an integrated energy solution of demand
response for utilities and energy cost analysis to utility cus- Hum Cycles, Inc. 2007
RUNNER UP
tomers. Initial targeted application is residential refrigerators.
GridSaver’s product enables electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles 2007 Runner Up / Transportation
to optimize energy costs and participate real-time in the elec- High performance electric sport motorcycles
tricity market. GridSaver is an emissions-free clean energy Hum Cycles is the first production electric motorcycle to rival a
resource. gasoline sportbike. More importantly, the motorcycle and the
Andy Green company intend to be at the cutting edge of environmental
asgreen@comcast.net sustainability. Hum motorcycles are designed from cradle to
1522 Madera Court cradle with recycled and recyclable materials, are non-toxic,
El Cerrito, CA 94530 and amazingly efficient. Hum motorcycles are “the fastest way
510.215.8814 to go green and the greenest way to go fast!”
Forrest Deuth
High Merit Thermoelectrics Forrest@Humcycles.com
San Francisco, CA 94103
2006 Finalist / Energy Efficiency 415.385.1170
Converts waste heat to electricity www.humcycles.com
High Merit was founded by a team of UC Davis graduates that
have developed and patented high-temperature thermoelectric
technologies that are able to convert waste heat directly into
25
ALUMNI PROFILES
Humdinger Wind Energy, LLC to maintain good fuel efficiency across a wide range power out-
put levels therefore substantially reducing fuel use for almost
2007 Finalist / Renewables all heavy vehicles. The company’s initial prototypes are being
Windbel—the future of wind energy built for delivery to an international trucking company.
Until recently, the only commercially viable wind harvesting Mark Juergensen
device was the turbine. If you wanted more power you made MJuergensen@CleanTechEnergy.com
a bigger turbine and if you needed increased wind speed you 11754 Lake Grove Court
placed the turbine higher in the air. Humdinger’s Windbelt™ San Diego, CA 92131
updates the paradigm. Windbelt™ relies on an aerodynamic phe- 858.336.4676
nomenon known as aeroelastic flutter. While the phenomenon is www.braytonenergy.com
a well-known destructive force, researchers at Humdinger have
discovered that it can also be a useful and powerful mechanism KiteShip 2006
WINNER
for “catching the wind” at a variety of scales and costs beyond
2006 Winner / Transportation
the reach of turbines. Just as thousands of solar panel is com-
prised of thousands of individual solar cells, mutiple Windbelts™ Wind power for commercial shipping
can be fashioned to generate power from wind. Windbelt™ is The world’s fleet of 90,000 ships burns two billion barrels of
currently in prototype stage. heavy fuel oil a year, producing three times as much atmo-
spheric pollution as all of the automobiles on the planet com-
John Chun
jchun@humdingerwind.com bined. KiteShip develops, builds, and sells very large traction
4959-3 Maunalani Circle kites, which reduce ship owners’ crippling fuel costs by up to
Honolulu, HI 96816 25 percent in prevailing winds, and vastly reduce emissions of
808.386.0588 greenhouse gases and pollutants. The company’s kites are in
www.humdingerwind.com prototype stage.
David Culp
Hyphase Energy dave@kiteship.com
2004 Silver Lake Way
2006 Finalist / Energy Efficiency Martinez, CA 94553
Polymers for more efficient fuel cells 925.550.6738
Hyphase Energy is developing a fuel cell-enabling technology www.kiteship.com
known as Catalyst Enhancing Polymers™ (CEP) that will reduce
the amount of platinum required to run a fuel cell by half, Lite Trough, LLC
improve fuel cell performance, and lower production costs.
2007 Finalist / Renewables
Hyphase is currently beginning limited in-house production and
sale of its CEP catalyst powder iteration. Concentrating parabolic trough collectors
Lite Trough, LLC is developing a new, patented, lightweight,
Kenth Pendersen
kenth.pedersen@hyphaseenergy.com low-cost, low-tech, and proven concentrating parabolic trough
1025 Terra Bella Avenue collector and associated low-cost manufacturing techniques.
Mountain View, CA 94043 Primarily for industrial, institutional & commercial customers,
530.574.5584 it promises faster return on investment and greater CO2 reduc-
www.hyphaseenergy.com tion than other thermal & PV solar systems. The company is
currently producing of arrays for field testing.
ICR Advanced Vehicle Engine Eric Hochberg
2007 Finalist / Transportation hochberg1@earthlink.net
252 Depot Road
Leader in clean and efficient vehicle engines Milford, CT 06460
ICR is developing its namesake powerplant, the intercooled 626.797.3946
recuperated microturbine (ICR) to replace conventional diesel www.litetrough.com
engines in the transit bus and trucking industry. This class of
engine will provide dramatic improvements in economy, per- Lucid Design Group 2007
WINNER
formance, reliability, emissions, greenhouse gas reductions and
2007 Winner / Smart Power
fuel flexibility. The company’s powerplant represents the most
cost-effective means for meeting efficiency, emission, and reli- Making energy and water use available in real time
ability goals for this vehicle class, with the ability to use a vari- Lucid provides real-time web-based feedback on the environ-
ety today’s fuels, including diesel, gasoline, propane, biodiesel, mental performance of buildings to engage, educate, and mo-
liquid natural gas and hydrogen. The company offers a propri- tivate occupants to better conserve environmental resources.
etary transportation engine solution that delivers performance Several independent studies have shown that real-time infor-
advantages unattainable by today’s engines or microturbine mation feedback can reduce energy usage by 10-56 percent.
products. Most compelling among these is the engine’s ability With the onset of green building and increased energy prices,
26
ALUMNI PROFILES
there is a rapidly growing interest in technologies that monitor Morgan Digital Works
resources and empower individuals to change their behavior
and witness verified reductions in energy consumption. 2007 Finalist / Green Building
Michael Murray Website for green home improvement plans
info@luciddg.com Greener homes and greener wallets. For the average hom-
484 Lake Park Avenue, Suite 600 eowner who wants to reduce their environmental footprint –
Oakland, CA 94610 and save money while saving the planet – GreenforHomes.com
510.907.0400 is a commercially-sponsored website that provides a great user
www.luciddg.com experience while presenting customized green home improve-
ment plans based on sound return on investment criteria. Un-
Meridian Design 2006
RUNNER UP like websites operated by state or local government agencies
that offer generic suggestions or guidelines, GreenforHomes.
2006 Runner Up / Air, Water & Waste
com will compile targeted commercial solutions for the hom-
Developing solutions for commercial and developing world eowner based on their ability to invest in green building prod-
markets ucts and services.
Meridian designs and develops to manufacturing a variety of
Art Morgan
small-scale systems (down to hand-held) for low-cost light- art@morgandigitalworks.com
ing, water purification and energy creation. The company has 555 Bryant Street, PMB 287
several products on the market for water purification and solar Palo Alto, CA 94301
powered lighting, and has contributed to many charitable proj- 408.667.6054
ects with design support. Meridian has products in all stages; www.morgandigitalworks.com
some shipping, others in pilot, and still others in prototype or
development. Its company’s solar power and battery charging Nanoaqueonics
technologies are in pilot or prototype.
2007 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste
Dan Matthews
dan@meridian-design.com Environmentally safe fabric and automobile care products
820 Canoas Creek Circle Nanoaqueonics will manufacture environmentally safe fab-
San Jose, CA 95136 ric and automobile care products that will be marketed to
480.213.5717 consumers and distributors. Its products repel dirt, decrease
www.meridian-design.com energy used for drying clothes and open up a new market seg-
ment not served by current products. Nanoaqueonics products
Microvi Biotech Inc. 2007
WINNER have a total available market exceeding $1 billion in the fabric
and upholstery care market.
2007 Winner / Air, Water & Waste
Vinod Nair
Waste-free low-cost water treatment technologies vinod.s.nair@nanoaqueonics.com
Water scarcity and water pollution have become critical long- 1037 Bret Cove Court
term problems that are severely impacting industry and the San Jose, CA 95120
quality of human health around the globe. As a result, the 408.268.9064
$200 billion water treatment market, which grows in excess of www.nanoaqueonics.com
8 percent per year, is facing an enormous challenge to replace
existing complicated and costly treatment methods. Microvi New American Energy, Inc.
Biotech, through its award-winning technologies and multi-
tiered approach, is uniquely positioned to meet this challenge dba Mighty Algae Biofuels
by providing simple, cost-effective, and clean new technolo- 2007 Finalist / Transportation
gies that offer significant cost savings over traditional systems
Farming algae for biodiesel
without producing waste. The company is currently involved in
Mighty Algae Biofuels farms algae for biodiesel. Using low-cost
numerous demonstration projects.
manufacturing methods and a proprietary bioreactor, the com-
Fatemeh Shirazi pany is working to produce algal oil as a competitively priced
fshirazi@microvibiotech.com alternative to petroleum-based diesel. Specializing in algal
Clocktower Commerce Center farming will enable Might Algae to adapt to and leverage tech-
2941 Kohoutek Way nological advances furnished even by perceived competitors
Union City, CA 94544
in algal biofuels generation For example, companies seeking to
913.696.9934
develop new strains through genetic modification. Mighty Al-
www.microvibiotech.com
gae’s team of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs are well
positioned to succeed.
Michael Fertik
fertik@post.harvard.edu
617.905.3468
27
ALUMNI PROFILES
2006
NiLA Inc. RUNNER UP
2007
WINNER of the electronics industry. Progressive Cooling Solutions (PCS)
aims to develop and commercialize a novel thermal hardware
2006 Runner Up / Energy Efficiency known as micro loop heat pipe (MLHP) in order to more effi-
2007 Winner/Energy Efficiency ciently cool microelectronics and power electronics. The MLHP
is based on a novel platform manufacturing technology called
Environmentally sustainable lighting
coherent porous silicon etching (CPSE). More efficient solutions
NiLA Inc. develops and sells innovative and environmentally
in the field of waste heat management for electronics are to-
sustainable high-output, solid-state lighting systems. The com-
day aggressively sought by multiple industry sectors, including
pany’s first market is the motion picture and television industry.
computer manufacturers.m PCS is currently being incubated
NiLA has been shipping products since January 2008. NiLA is
by Siemens Technology-to-Business Center, Siemens’ new busi-
working on the next generation of its light technology. This new
nesses accelerator in Berkeley, California.
light will use less than 700 watts, replacing a 6,000 watt fixture.
Ahmed Shuja
Jim Sanfilippo
ashuja@progressivecooling.com
jim@nila.tv
1995 University Avenue, Suite 375
4335 Van Nuys Boulevard, Suite 237
Berkeley, CA 94704
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
510.665.1340
818.392.8370
www.progressivecooling.com
www.nila.tv
NovaTorque Redwood Renewables
2007 Finalist / Green Building
2006 Finalist / Energy Efficiency
Integrated solar PV roofing tiles
Highly efficient electric motors
Manufacturing firm Redwood Renewables has developed an en-
NovaTorque has developed patent-protected, bench-top mo-
vironmentally friendly, chemical free, patent-protected technol-
tors that reduce energy consumption, heat build-up and overall
ogy that can inexpensively recycle waste elastomers such as tires
size. While focusing on manufacturability and production costs,
into devulcanized rubber roofing tiles and high-quality molded
NovaTorque expects to replace less efficient five horsepower
consumer-end products. To date, the company has developed
motors while remaining price competitive. NovaTorque’s mo-
an integrated solar roofing product that enables homeowners
tor is available and shipping.
to use energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable materials to
Don Burch achieve a nea zero carbon footprint by producing solar electricity
d.burch@novatorque.com for both their home and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Redwood
4616 Roseville Road, Suite 108 is lowering the cost of integrated PV materials by 50 percent
North Highlands, CA 95660 with its “coolroof” solar roofing tiles.
650.947.7031
www.novatorque.com Tom Faust
tfaust@redwoodrenewables.com
6 Endeavor Drive
NuEdison Corte Madera, CA 94925
2006 Finalist / Renewables 415.924.8140
Low-cost PV module with concentrating optics
NuEdison has developed a photovoltaic module that reduces the RideSpring
amount of silicon solar cell material required for a given power 2006 Finalist / Transportation
output, reducing module cost and increasing productivity. Con-
centrating optics generate more power from less cell area, which
2007 Finalist / Transportation
reduces manufacturing costs by an estimated 25 percent. The Outsourced web-based trip reduction – an alternative com-
company began pilot production in July of this year. mute solution
Joseph Lichy RideSpring is an internet-based web 2.0 service that provides
jlichy@sv-solar.com companies and organizations a complete outsourced alterna-
585 Maude Court tive commute solution, including ridesharing, bicycling and use
Sunnyvale, CA 94085 of public transportation. By focusing on a company-specific
408.886.9450 model, RideSpring enables the most cost-effective and rapid
www.sv-solar.com/nuedison solution to the huge and growing challenges of traffic conges-
tion, air pollution and global warming throughout the U.S. and
Progressive Cooling Solutions beyond. RideSpring delivers a painless, low-cost and measur-
able way for companies to significantly improve the worst part
2007 Finalist / Energy Efficiency of the workday for their employees – the daily commute. Ride-
Micro loop heat pipe cooler for microelectronics Spring’s services are currently available to companies through-
Waste heat dissipated from computer processors is the bane out the US.
28
ALUMNI PROFILES
Paul McGrath posed design is expected to perform on par with commercially
paulm@ridespring.com available panels but will cost significantly less. Sereno’s solar
849 Almar Avenue, Suite C205 panels are currently in pilot production.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831.278.0312 Bradley Stimson
www.RideSpring.com brad_s@yahoo.com
18201 Bancroft Avenue
Monte Sereno, CA 95030
SAgA Fuel Systems, Inc. 408.230.5172
2006 Finalist / Transportation www.serenosolar.com
Flexibly formulated alternative fuels
SAgA Fuel Systems is developing and patented the Sustainable
SoCool
Agricultural Additives (SAgA) renewable fuel system technology. 2006 Finalist / Transportation
SAgA covers a spectrum of fuel formulations that combine vege- Solar-powered vehicle air-conditioning
table oils, alcohols and water into remarkably clear, stable micro- SoCool has created a solar-powered air conditioning unit
emulsions that can be blended to match the viscosity of any host dubbed, Helios, designed for vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
fuel, including diesel, gasoline, heavier fuel oils, and biofuels. Helios will use the immense power of the sun to cool buses,
Deborah Wenzel RVs, trailers and more.
dcwenzel@sagafuels.com Chuck Boris
3145 Geary Boulevard, Suite 270 chuck.boris@travelsocool.com
San Francisco, CA 94118 949.235.9052
415.668.6360 www.travelsocool.com
Sepcor SolarAire, LLC
2006 Finalist / Renewables 2007 Finalist / Renewables
Utility-scale thermal solar power Pioneering Green Comfort
Sepcor has built a working 2kW system that has been operating The supply of solar thermal energy is perfectly in phase with
at a major university in California since December 2005. Work the demand for cooling energy. Solar thermally-driven air
to expand this demonstration plant to 30kW began in June conditioning is a cost-effective and proven carbon-free HVAC
2006. As of December last year, 25kW were completed. Sepcor technology. It can easily be installed as a retrofit to or in new
is now seeking additional capital to build a 1MW thermal solar construction. Solar HVAC is particularly attractive to a utility
power production plant. because it can shave off peak summer demand. And besides
Jeff Ruback providing cooling, solar thermal air-conditioning system also
jrubak@sepcor.net covers most of the heating and domestic hot water needs of a
1487 Poinsettia Ave, Suite 124 commercial building. Thus this one technology can supply up to
Vista, CA 92081 40% of a commercial buildings annual energy needs.
760.734.1700
www.sepcor.net Don Rhodes
drodes@solaraire.com
101 Parkshore Drive, Suite 100
Sereno Solar Folsom, CA 95630
2007 Finalist / Renewables 916.932.7296
www.solaraire.com
Building-integrated solar water heating panels
Sereno Solar has developed an innovative “invisible” solar wa-
ter heating panel which is installed under the standard roofing SolarRoofs, Inc.
(or siding) material. The proposed solar water heating panel, 2006 Finalist / Renewables
when compared to commercially available glazed or unglazed Residential solar thermal collectors
panels, is expected to be much lower in cost, lighter weight, SolarRoofs has a patent for an innovative collector, the Mega-
longer lasting and completely hidden from view. Homeowners Mat, along with advanced designs for all the components of a
and architects can incorporate the new hidden panel without complete solar thermal system. SolarRoofs is currently seeking
fear of disturbing the architectural integrity or aesthetics of funding for production of MegaMat.
the home design, leading to greater acceptance in the market-
place. The innovative panel can be used to heat water for use Al Rich
in domestic hot water systems, pools, and radiant heating sys- richsolar@solarroofs.com
tems. Furthermore, the panels are designed to keep the roof 5840 Gibbons Drive, Suite G
Carmichael, CA 95608
cooler. Thus, energy usage for air conditioning will be reduced
916.481.7200
and the lifetime of roofing materials will be increased. The pro- www.solarroofs.com
29
ALUMNI PROFILES
SolarSeal Technologies Syncromatics 2007
WINNER
2007 Finalist / Renewables 2007 Winner / Transportation
Solar-enabled building systems for roofs, walls and concrete GPS tracking and passenger counting for transit line efficiency
SolarSeal’s patent-pending technology combines everyday Syncromatics provides real-time tracking for public buses at
building products and materials with crystalline and thin film universities and for metro transit authorities which allows
photovoltaics in a new class building surfaces known as build- customers to see when the next bus is coming at the stop and
ing integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which are sustainable, assess arrival predictions via cell phone or computer. We also
environmentally friendly and energy efficient without sacrific- provide extensive statistical reports, partially based on data
ing comfort, aesthetics or economy. SolarSeal Technologies™ from automated infrared passenger counters, for transit op-
solar-to-building processes and application solutions integrate erators to see where demand is and isn’t on their routes, with
flexible laminate thin film PV or non-glass composite panel the practical effect of substantially increasing ridership and
crystalline PV modules into new solar roof, wall, masonry decreasing fuel and vehicle turnover costs. We have 10 active
and concrete surfaces, generating energy from the sun while customers, most fully deployed and others in the process of
weatherproofing and protecting the building. installation, and are rapidly adding new features based on cus-
Michael Gumm tomer demand.
mgumm@solarpower-restoration.com Josh Bigelow
343 Soquel Avenue, Suite 320 josh@syncromatics.com
Santa Cruz, CA 95062 8350 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 108
831.621.8058 Los Angeles, CA 90069
www.solarpower-restoration.com 310.728.6997
www.syncromatics.com
Sun Phocus Technologies 2007
2006 Finalist / Renewables Tahoe Water Systems RUNNER UP
Building integrated solar concentration 2007 Runner Up / Renewables
Sun Phocus dramatically improves the cost-effectiveness, ef- Self-contained solar and wind-based water pumping
ficiency, and aesthetics of building integrated solar power. Sun For remote locations, extracting water from the earth is ex-
Phocus intends to sell its patented HoloSun™ solar concentra- pensive and produces significant amounts of pollution. Current
tor to manufacturers of electricity-generating windows, sky- systems primarily rely on miles of copper wire or fuel-hungry
lights, shingles and spandrel, which compose the $2.75 billion diesel engines. Tahoe Water Systems seeks to take advantage
global building-integrated photovoltaics market. The company’s of the considerable market for a self-contained solar and wind-
products are currently in prototype stage. based solution that is competitively priced in acquisition, install
Mike Mehawich and operational costs.
mehawich@sunphocus.com Mark Vilimek
University Technology Park at IIT mvilimek@yahoo.com
55 West 34th Street, Suite 117N 460 Navaro Way, Suite 219
Chicago, IL 60661 San Jose, CA 95134
773.294.6794 408.529.8291
www.sunphocus.com www.tahoews.com
SuperBulbs The Last Mile
2007 Finalist / Energy Efficiency 2007 Finalist / Transportation
New generation LEDs in light bulb form A personal vehicle that enables public transit
SuperBulbs will use its patent-pending technology to bring to Public transportation is inconvenient for commuters who live or
market a new generation of LED light bulbs that will enable users work more than 5 or 10 minutes from a station, causing them to
to easily replace the energy hungry incandescent bulb without drive for the sake of convenience. Oftentimes a 40 mile drive is
the performance and environmental sacrifices demanded by the result of a one-mile gap between home and public transpor-
compact fluorescent bulbs. Feedback from prospective customers tation. The “Last Mile” is a personal vehicle that bridges this gap
who have viewed the bulb in operation confirms that SuperBulbs to enable public transit use. It is an exciting business proposition
are vastly preferable to CFLs because of their familiar shape, color because it requires little capital investment, and can provide a
and performance. Given this consistent market feedback, we ex- fast return on investment. It uses only off-the-shelf technology.
pect to build a business spanning a range of lighting products. An alpha-prototype already exists.
Ron Lenk Jeremy Faludi
ron.lenk@superbulbs.com jer@faludidesign.com
1755 Bayshore Road, #16 660 4th Street, Suite 321
Redwood City, CA 94063 San Francisco, CA 94107
650.298.9910 206.407.7975
www.superbulbs.com
30
ALUMNI PROFILES
Thermokinetics WaterWise Systems
2006 Finalist / Transportation 2006 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste
Improvements to internal combustion engines Re-forestation enabled by biotechnology-treated wastewater
Thermokinetics is a group of engineers experienced in the design, WaterWise Systems has developed “living machine” biotech-
development, manufacture, and testing of internal combustion nologies that utilize waste water from municipalities to sub-
engines used in vehicles. We are developing technology that irrigate wastewater forests. This solution will produce large
substantially decreases internal combustion engine fuel consump- stands of trees, which sequester carbon dioxide into biomass,
tion, allows alternative and sustainable biofuels to be used, and producing shade and microclimate buffers.
achieves the same size, weight, cost, performance, reliability, and Jane Turnbull
ease of manufacture and integration into vehicles as current IC jaturnbu@ix.netcom.com
engines. Thermokinetics intends to license this engine technology 650.559.1766
to engine and vehicle manufacturers.
Tom Robinson Zee Dynamics Inc.
thomasrobinson828@comcast.net
828 Alvarado Street 2007 Finalist / Energy Efficiency
San Francisco, CA 94114 Natural or synthetic rubber and rubber-plastic compounding
415.282.0264 Zee Dynamics has a patent-pending technology that addresses
four important environmental concerns in today’s $200 bil-
Vertical Landscape lion worldwide rubber market. Its first technology reduces the
amount of fuel and energy used in the production of rubber
2007 Finalist / Green Building
products such as tries and shoes. A second reduces output of
Load-bearing shear walls that sustain vegetation carbon dioxide from the manufacture and consumer use of
Imagine gazing upon an urban skyline and seeing columns of tires. A third prolongs the life of rubber products used in out-
vegetation reaching into the sky. With its Vertical Ecosystem door applications thereby reducing tire landfills. And a fourth
structure (VES), Vertical Landscape has transformed the critical allows for up to 40 percent greater traction in tires and rubber
architectural component of the load bearing, shear wall to al- shoe soles on wet surfaces.
low it to sustain vegetation and create urban oasis. VL has cre-
John Carcich
ated the Vertical Ecosystem Structure (VES). A VES would also johnc@zeedynamics.com
help reduce “heat island” effect, filter air pollutants, provide 1649 Luika Place
urban inhabitants with a nature filled environment, and possi- Campbell, CA 95008
bly produce crops for consumption. The company’s technology 408.866.1220
is currently in development. www.zeedynamics.com
Kenneth Tucker
ken661@hotmail.com Zikon Electronic Ink
447 Broderick Street
San Francisco, CA 94115 2006 Finalist / Energy Efficiency
415.786.7739 Electronic ink for flat panel displays
www.vertlandscape.com Zikon Inc. uses proprietary reverse emulsion electrophoretic
display (REED) technology to create low-cost nanotechnology-
Vision Energy Corp. based “electronic ink” for flat panel displays. Zikon’s technology
enables next generation flat and flexible displays for the multi-
2007 Finalist / Air, Water & Waste
billion wave of up-and-coming consumer and commercial ap-
Carbon-neutral municipal waste-to-natural gas conversion plications. The company’s core business is to manufacture the
Vision Energy has developed a proven carbon-neutral technol- electronic ink and not the entire display. Zikon’s ink will enable
ogy to convert Municipal Solid Waste or sewage sludge directly its partners and customers to produce low-cost highly reflective
to pipeline-quality natural gas at a cost that is significantly flat panel displays through application of proven and patented
below today’s pipeline natural gas process. A commercializa- technology and processes.
tion program is now in progress and will be completed within
Alexander Fried
a year. afries@zikon.com
Ralph Greenberg 2953 Bunker Hill Lane, Suite 400, TEN Technology Center
ralph@visionenergycorp.com Santa Clara, CA 95054
4270 Promenade Way, Suite 127P 408.426.8040
Marina del Rey, CA, 90292 www.zikon.com
707.537.1068
www.visionenergygroup.com
31
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32
CLEAN TECH OPEN SPONSORS
In Kind Sponsors
new energy
finance
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Business Cluster
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Trilliant Incorporated SRI International
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Stanford University Office of Technology Licensing
UC Berkeley / BERC
Silver Sponsors UC Davis InnovationAccess
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Cleantech Group Competition Partners
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Venture Capital Sponsors The Climate Group
Connect
Accel Partners E2
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Battery Ventures FountainBlue
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33
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