Blog
Archive for January, 2012
Jan
Russ Weed: On Disappointment
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Commentary, Complete Digest
Source: Russ Weed, Graham & Dunn, Greentech Blog, January 26, 2012.
Very early in the morning on November 17, 2011, long before the sun came up, the president of smart grid company GridMobility and I drove from San Jose to SFO for a first flight back to Seattle. The prior two days, the CleanTech Open had held its national business competition.
The vehicle was thick with disappointment, because after advancing from nearly 300 entries to be among 120 regional semifinalists and then further advancing to be one of the 21 national finalists, GridMobility had won the Smart Grid category (and therefore in the top 5 nationally), but not the entire competition.
There were good reasons to be disappointed. The top prize was $250,000, which would have been handy for a start-up that had bootstrapped for over two years. (But last year had not indecent revenues from projects and pilots.) Without that funding, the entrepreneur would now take on some engineering consulting work. There was a feeling the presentation could have gone better. Subjectively, I agreed, but easy for me to say as I mentored and collaborated off-stage with the GridMobility team, including president Jim Holbery, VP operations Fred Barrett, and fellow mentors Dave Watts and Denis DuBois. Objectively, it was not helpful that in the midst of the filled ballroom, the order of the five final presentations was changed on the fly so GridMobility went first, the microphone then malfunctioned, the “times almost up” warning rang out several times halfway through the allotted time, and there was a judge on the some 20 person panel who at the onset of Q & A immediately took a distinctly partisan approach that resulted in the panel moderator shutting the judge down (that was not the end of the story, but it is for here).
But so go business competitions.
There were also good reasons NOT to be disappointed. Winning the Smart Grid category at the national level of the CleanTech Open rightfully caught the attention of the Washington cleantech community. (For another link, go to here). GridMobility is now gaining broader exposure and been identified as among the 12 Smart Grid startups to watch in 2012.
At the investment level, energy storage/smart grid was the top cleantech sector in Q3 2011 with the largest amount of capital invested, while energy efficiency was the most active sector in terms of number of deals. Large companies continue to show they will fill their product and service pipeline through acquisitions, such as Siemens’ acquisition of meter data management software company eMeter in December, and they will build vast global channels to market, such as the Global Intelligent Utility Network Coalition formed by IBM.
The smart integration of renewable energy into the grid is the subject of global attention from industry and government (see also here), and the move of Smart Grid services to the cloud is underway in earnest.
None of this is to say looking on the bright side was helpful during that very early morning drive, the air thick with disappointment. It most certainly was not. But after a time, the size and intensity of the opportunity shines through and dissipates the disappointment . . . until the next one arises and must be vanquished.
Jan
Itron Expands In Azerbaijan
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Company News, Complete Digest
Source: Itron, Press Release, January 31, 2012.
Itron announced it will provide more than 400,000 gas smart payment meters to SOCAR “Azeri Gas” Production Union (PU), a part of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). The new meter deployment follows a previous project that included installing 250,000 smart payment meters in the capital city of Baku. This marks the start of the second phase of the project, which will cover the remainder of the country. The roll-out plan gives Azerbaijan Republic the opportunity to capitalize on the benefits of smart payment technology throughout the entire country.
Meter deployment is underway and will be completed in February 2013. With Itron’s smart payment meters rolling out across Azerbaijan, consumers will benefit from the convenience of recharging their payment cards at several points of sales located throughout the country, including self-service terminals. With increased availability and simple access, consumers will be better equipped to effectively manage their gas consumption.“We constantly strive to streamline our operations and offer the best service to our customers. Itron’s technology helps us achieve both goals,” said Mr. Akbar Hajiyev, managing director, SOCAR “Azerigas” PU. “Selecting Itron for our phase-two deployment was based on the success of our phase-one project. After rolling out 250,000 meters in 2010, we know that Itron’s solution can scale up to meet our needs nationwide.”
“We are dedicated to continuing our long-term partnership with SOCAR “Azeri Gas” PU,” said Muness Charara, Itron regional manager, Middle East Energy. “We’ve delivered gas smart payment meters to Azerbaijan since early 2010, and we believe the service and support we’ve provided will now help us build a strong gas smart payment metering platform in the Caspian region of Central Asia.”
About Itron: Itron is the leading provider of energy and water resource management solutions for nearly 8,000 utilities around the world. We offer end-to-end solutions that include electricity, gas, water and heat measurement and control technology; communications systems; software; and professional services. With nearly 9,000 employees doing business in more than 130 countries, Itron empowers utilities to responsibly and efficiently manage energy and water resources. To realize a sustainable future, start here: www.itron.com.
About SOCAR: The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) is involved in exploring oil and gas fields, producing, processing, and transporting oil, gas, and gas condensate, marketing petroleum and petrochemical products in domestic and international markets, and supplying natural gas to industry and the public in Azerbaijan. Three production divisions, two oil refineries and one gas processing plant, an oil tanker fleet, a deep water platform fabrication yard, two trusts, one institution, and 22 subdivisions are operating as corporate entities under SOCAR. Joint ventures (including ventures in Georgia and Turkey), consortia, and operating companies established with SOCAR’s participation, are doing business in different parts of the petroleum industry. SOCAR has representative offices in Georgia, Turkey, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Germany and Ukraine and trading companies in Switzerland, Singapore, UAE and other countries.
SOCAR “Azerigaz” Production Union transmits, distributes, and markets natural gas in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The syndicate also transports SOCAR gas to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Georgia, and the Russian Federation.
Jan
Wind Power in Washington
Posted by Tom Ranken | 1 Comment | Categories: Complete Digest, Industry News
Source: American Wind Energy Association, published August 2011, in Seattle Business Magazine, print edition, February 2012.
- Washington was an early leader in the wind industry and ranks fifth in the nation for installed capacity
- Currently online: 2,357 Megawatts (MW)
- Added in 2011: 151 MW
- Added in 2010: 297 MW
- Under construction: 343 MW
- Wind projects in queue: 5,831 MW
- Percentage of Washington power provided by wind in 2010: 4.6%
- Equivalent number of homes Washington wind farms now power: 625,000
- State wind resource: 18,479 MW at 80 meters hub heights
- According to a resource assessment from the National Renewable Energy Lab, Washington’s wind resource could provide 64 percent of the state’s current electricity needs.
Jan
Innovation Showcase
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Complete Digest, Opportunities
The Innovation Showcase, a program of the Technology Alliance, helps bridge the gap between research and commercialization by highlighting the most promising discoveries and new technologies ready for commercialization in Washington. This quarterly event, attended by a cross-section of our state’s startup leaders, promotes the idea sharing and networking that helps turn research into results. Showcase attendees include investors, service providers, serial entrepreneurs, and others in the commercialization field.
Would your company benefit from the opportunity to:
- …expand your network to include those in the startup community with a keen interest in putting you on a path to achieving your next milestone?
- …work with expert coaches – at no cost to you – to hone your pitch before you meet with investors?
- …become a member of a collegial community interested in following your future successes?
Are you a Washington company:
- …commercializing around groundbreaking IP that you control?
- …headed by a CEO who is still building out the team?
- …with a prototype completed or very nearly so?
- …which has creatively financed its efforts through grants and bootstrapping to make it this far?
If you can answer yes to these questions, we encourage you to submit your free application to be considered for the next Innovation Showcase. Look here for additional information including Screening Committee Members, a list of past presenters and presenter testimonials.
Contact Liz Gruber or (206) 300-3033 for details.
Dates of note:
- Application Deadline: Friday, March 2
- Screening Committee: Tuesday, March 27
- Innovation Showcase: Tuesday, April 10
________________________________________
Technology Alliance
1301 5th Avenue, Suite 2500
Seattle, WA 98101
Jan
GreenSimian SolMate Charges iPhone With Solar Power
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Company News, Complete Digest
Does your iPhone battery life get you down? Don’t worry. Two enterprising Seattle geeks believe they’ve solved that ongoing frustration with the SolMate, a innovative iPhone case whose razor-thin solar panel and 16-bit microcontroller circuit board provides a charge directly to the mobile device.
Yes, the irony of the SolMate being developed in cloudy Seattle is not lost on us. But co-founders Adam Benzion, a 42-year-old former Microsoftie, and Jamie Wojcik, a 38-year-old former Texas Instruments engineer, aren’t letting the lack of sunlight stall their entrepreneurial dreams.
“In direct sunlight, we can provide a continuous charge for the iPhone,” boasts Benzion. But, he quickly points out, that continuous sunlight isn’t really a reality in most places in the world, including his home of Seattle.
“Today, yes, you can actually completely do away with the grid charging. But you have to live in California or Florida, and make sure that your phone is exposed to the sunlight at least four our five hours a day. It is not super realistic for most people,” Benzion told GeekWire. “But, technically, absolutely yes, if this device is in the sun a few hours a day, you don’t need to use a cable to charge.”
In direct sunlight, Benzion said it takes about five hours to go from a dead battery to a full charge on the iPhone. But the cool thing about the SolMate is that it also can charge in non-direct sunlight or the shade, something that Wojcik said is truly unique.
Wojcik shows off the SolMate: “Everyone that has done a mobile solar charger has to be in direct sunlight, and you have to have the planets align and the sun align exactly … to get any charge out of it,” Wojcik said. “Ours is different. We can charge in the shade, although you won’t get as good of charging, but you should be able to get at least your standby current in any light condition.”
The company, which operates under the name of GreenSimian, plans to finish development on the SolMate this Spring and start shipping to customers by May. The solar-powered iPhone case will cost $99, with the company targeting lovers of industrial design and “the geeky crowd” who love gadgets, said Benzion.
The entrepreneurial duo have already raised $28,453 toward a $30,000 goal on the startup funding site Kickstarter.
The solar power panel used on the SolMate: The SolMate system includes a high-efficiency, custom-made solar panel that affixes to the back of the iPhone. A backup battery runs at the base of case to manage the power between the solar panel, the charger and the phone. An app provides details of the power usage, and the company notes that the aluminum framed case does not exacerbate the frustrating reception problems associated with the iPhone 4.
Benzion doesn’t think the issue of short battery life will disappear anytime soon even as engineers at Apple, Samsung and other phone giants attack the problem. And even if it does go away, he said they’ve got other projects percolating.
“We are trying to be a company that is almost like a next-generation Sharper Image, or something much cooler” said Benzion. “Building amazing products in small batches, and then moving on to the next ones.”
Here’s the video pitch that chief technology officer Wojcik provided to Kickstarter in which he notes that they plan to develop a similar case for the iPad and the iPhone 5.
Jan
OneEnergy Renewables Raises Capital
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Company News, Complete Digest
Source: John Cook, Geekwire, January 26, 2012.
OneEnergy Renewables, a Seattle startup that utilizes funds from its carbon offset and Renewable Energy Certificates program to bankroll new cleantech projects, has raised $1.3 million in funding from Northwest Energy Angels and others. According to a SEC filing, the company could raise an additional $1 million.
The company plans to use the money for the development of its Renewable Energy Certificates business (also known as RECs) as well as its own cleantech projects in solar, wind and biogas.
“OneEnergy Renewables provides RECs and carbon offsets to businesses and institutions, offering simple, meaningful, and affordable solutions to help meet renewable, and greenhouse gas goals,” the company notes on its Web site. “Using proceeds from your REC and carbon offset purchases, we work directly with landowners and other partners to develop new solar, wind, and biogas projects from concept to operation.”
OneEnergy is working on roughly 15 projects in the U.S, totaling about 300 Megawatts of clean energy power generation. Those include solar energy projects in Arizona and Ohio.
Separately, the company just rolled out a Renewable Energy Certificates program with the PaTu wind farm in Oregon.
Other programs include a methane digester, which is designed to create nearly five megawatts of clean electricity from the waste of more than 20,000 head of cattle.
Founded in 2009, the company is led by Bryce Smith. He previously served as the director of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Project Management Group, where OneEnergy Renewables president Bill Eddie also worked.
Jan
Washington State Ranks 5th for LEED Buildings
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Complete Digest, Industry News
The top ten states (and DC) are:
1. District of Columbia – 31.50 sq. ft. per capita
2. Colorado – 2.74
3. Illinois – 2.69
4. Virginia – 2.42
5. Washington – 2.18
6. Maryland – 2.07
7. Massachusetts – 2.00
8. Texas – 1.99
9. California – 1.92
10. New York – 1.89
11. Minnesota – 1.81
Why per capita? Buildings are for people, so by looking at the hard data with the population they serve in mind creates a snapshot of the states that excelertate their portfolio of LEED-certified places to work, play, learn, live, heal, etc. in 2011.
Why did we include 11 entries in the top 10 list? Since D.C. is a federal district and not a state, we wanted to cover all the bases and make sure we included 10 states, but also underscore the District’s leadership in green building.
Why does D.C. eclipse the other states per by such a large margin? A few reasons. Although Washington, D.C. is a very small geographic area compared to U.S. states, the District packs in a substantial amount of green buildings due in part to the tremendous leadership from the government (nearly 30% of all LEED projects are government-owned or occupied LEED buildings, and the federal government alone owns and operates some 500,000 buildings) . On top of that, D.C. has a low residential population in comparison to the number of buildings it contains, on account of its small size and high commuter rate from Virginia and Maryland.
The rankings above reflect many buildings, but some notable, newly certified projects in 2011 include the Treasury Building in Washington, DC which is distinguished as the oldest LEED-certified project in the world; the LEED Platinum Casey Middle School in Boulder, CO; the iconic Wrigley Building in Chicago, IL; Frito-Lay in Lynchburg, VA, which earned LEED Gold for the operations and maintenance of an existing building; the LEED Silver Hard Rock Café in Seattle, WA; Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, MD; Yawkey Distribution Center of The Greater Boston Food Bank in MA; the LEED Gold Austin Convention Center in TX; SFO’s LEED Gold Terminal 2 in San Francisco, CA; the LEED Platinum Hotel Skylar in Syracuse, NY; and the LEED Platinum Marquette Plaza in Minneapolis, MN.
In terms of totals, there are more than 44,000 commercial projects participating in LEED, comprising more than 8 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 120 countries.
Jan
Home Grown Energy: SnoPUD Customers’ Solar Energy Output Hits One Megawatt
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Company News, Complete Digest
Source: SnoPUD Press Release, January 27, 2012.
Customers of Snohomish County Public Utility District have hit an energy milestone: their combined solar energy production now stands at one megawatt, double their solar energy output of two years ago. More than 200 PUD customers now cover part of their electricity needs through their own renewable energy, including rooftop solar units.
The bulk of the small-scale solar energy production comes from customers participating in the PUD’s Solar Express program, which offers financial incentives and technical assistance for solar photovoltaic and solar hot water systems.
“We’ve seen very strong interest in solar from both residential customers and businesses,” said PUD Energy Efficiency Program Manager Jessica Mitchell. “We can help customers identify models so projects pencil out and they can manage their energy future in a profitable manner.”
For the PUD, which serves a rapidly growing area, customer-generated solar energy is a wise investment as it reduces the utility’s need to purchase new energy. Renewable energy projects, such as rooftop solar units, also help customers reduce their environmental impact and utility bills.
“We’ve liked using less energy from traditional sources by getting our energy from the sun,” said Don Davis, a Solar Express participant on Camano Island. “The PUD makes the financing and installation process easy.”
Solar Express Incentives/Loans: Residential customers can qualify for up to $2,500 for solar photovoltaic systems and commercial customers can qualify for up to $10,000. All customers with electric hot water systems can qualify for a $500 incentive for solar hot water systems. Residential customers may instead opt for a 2.9% APR loan up to $25,000 for photovoltaic panels and up to $14,000 for solar hot water systems. Customers also may qualify for additional federal tax credits and state production incentives.
Solar Express is one of the ways the PUD is promoting clean, locally-generated renewable resources. For more information, including qualifications, call the PUD Energy Hotline at 425-783-1700 or visit here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: MEDIA RELATIONS — 425-783-8444
Jan
Itron Releases Active Smart Grid Analytics Solution for Rapid Deployment
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Company News, Complete Digest
Source: Itron Press Release, January 24, 2012.
Itron announced that it has released its first set of specialized analytic software applications built on the Active Smart Grid Analytics™ (ASA) platform. Each application is bundled with Itron’s Analytic Accelerators and Extension Toolkits, which help utilities take full advantage of their smart grid data.
Built to leverage Itron’s industry-leading metering, communication network and meter data management (MDM) solutions, these analytic applications provide actionable business intelligence to enable specific smart grid solutions for distribution operations, revenue cycle services and customer engagement. Each analytic application is operational “out-of-the-box” and comes with an Accelerator and Extension Toolkit. Each Accelerator offers immediate value by providing a fully-functional set of analytic dashboards and reporting tools, but also establishes an ideal launching point to develop customized analytic solutions using the ASA Extension Toolkits.
By embedding best-of-breed technology from SAP, IBM and Teradata, Itron’s ASA solution creates an extensible platform to incorporate data warehousing, business intelligence, interval meter data and state-of-the-art analytic methods. The solution allows utilities to combine and analyze data in new ways, providing new insights into their systems to streamline operations and lower costs.
“Successfully meeting the challenges that lie ahead requires a comprehensive, extensible set of analytic tools that create strong business value from the vast amounts of data utilities are now collecting,” said Mark deVere-White, senior vice president of Itron Energy in North America and Latin America. “The flexibility inherent in Itron’s ASA solution enables utilities to gain valuable insight into the delivery and use of energy.”
Energy Diversion Detection, Transformer Load Management and Power Quality analytics are the first analytic applications to be released on the ASA platform.
- Energy Diversion Detection: Itron’s Energy Diversion Detection analytics employ a variety of methods to analyze meter alerts, energy and voltage measurements, energy balancing and historic usage patterns to identify energy diversion and meter tampering on a system-wide scale.
- Transformer Load Management: Itron’s Transformer Load Management analytics continually monitor and identify under-utilized, over-utilized and at-risk transformers throughout the distribution system. The kit evaluates kVA utilization, percent loss of life, top oil and hot spot temperatures, increasing the visibility and management of this key utility asset.
- Power Quality: Itron’s Power Quality analytics enable utilities to measure performance throughout the delivery system by monitoring voltage, outage and restoration data from the grid. This system-wide monitoring allows the utility to identify opportunities for Voltage Optimization and evaluate the effectiveness of energy-saving measures deployed.
ASA Accelerators are designed to allow for customized expansion with the use of Itron’s ASA Extension Toolkits. By customizing Accelerators, utilities can create specific business processes, reports or interfaces to other enterprise solutions. The toolkits also provide an efficient path to integrate ASA with other core utility systems to enable closed-loop solutions.
“We set out with the goal of creating an analytics platform that had the flexibility of a custom solution while delivering the ‘time to value’ and decreased risk of an off-the-shelf application. By creating analytic applications that include prebuilt Accelerators for rapid deployment and Extension Toolkits for customization, we have created a best-of-both-worlds solution,” said deVere-White. “Now a utility can quickly learn from the data acquired from the grid and use that knowledge to extend and customize their analytics for added value or as their needs change.”
About Itron: Itron is the leading provider of energy and water resource management solutions for nearly 8,000 utilities around the world. We offer end-to-end solutions that include electricity, gas, water and heat measurement and control technology; communications systems; software; and professional services. With nearly 9,000 employees doing business in more than 130 countries, Itron empowers utilities to responsibly and efficiently manage energy and water resources. To realize a sustainable future, start here: www.itron.com.
Jan
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Meets With Cleantech Executives
Posted by Tom Ranken | No Comments | Categories: Commentary, Complete Digest
By Tom Ranken, Washington Clean Technology Alliance
Since being named President Obama’s cabinet member in charge of environmental protection, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson leads federal efforts to protect the environment. She and a staff of more than 18,000 professionals work to develop the nation’s green economy, address health threats from pollution in our air, water, and land, and renew the public’s trust in the EPA. Jackson is a summa cum laude graduate of Tulane and earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering from Princeton. She started with the EPA as a staff-level scientist in 1987 and has spent the majority of her career working in in New York. In 2002, Jackson joined the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and was appointed Commissioner of the agency in 2006. Jackson lives in Washington D.C. with her husband, Kenny, and two sons, Marcus and Brian.
In Seattle, Jackson toured EnerG2, a Seattle-based battery technology company, and spoke at a town hall meeting at the University of Washington.
In between those public meetings, Jackson met with a small group of leaders interested in the environment and the development of cleantech businesses at the University of Washington. Acting as hosts were EPA Regional Administrator Dennis McLerran, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, and executives from the University of Washington. WCTA Board members David Allen (McKinstry), Anson Fatland (Washington State University), Linden Rhoads (University of Washington Center for Commercialization) were present, as was I. Other WCTA members represented included Puget Sound Energy and Stoel Rives. The session opened with brief remarks from the Administrator, followed by short comments from each of the participants about issues of concern, then open discussion.
Jackson emphasized the Administration’s commitment to rebuilding the nation’s economy and protecting the environment. She discussed the President’s emphasis on equity, “fair share” wealth distribution, and assisting the middle class. She reiterated that the Recovery Act had created or saved 3.2 million jobs and helped create companies like EnerG2. She noted that imported oil had decreased and the importance of manufacturing to the US economy, which needs to be nimble enough to support the technologies of the future. She reiterated the Administration’s support for higher education.
Seattle area leaders emphasized the need to support technology development, entrepreneurs, and commercialization in order to grow companies, products and services, and new jobs. Environmental regulation that is stable adds to investor confidence and encourages private investment. Jackson was urged to find ways to reward efforts that go above the norm, and not just focus on regulating violations of policy. Several participants voiced support for more funding for cleantech business development—though all in the room understood the budget pressures in the federal government.
I was able to add brief comments emphasizing:
Administrator Jackson emphasized that regulation can created new business markets. While she said that the EPA would not regulate sustainability, she encouraged incorporating sustainability into business operations. The Holy Grail, she said, will be when we begin to think about the life cycle of products from initial development all the way to disposal.
More information: Ross MacFarlane, Sr. Advisor, Business Partnerships, Climate Solutions, Jackson Doubles Down on Clean Energy, January 27, 2012 | Gary Chittim, KING 5 News, EPA chief comes to Seattle, vows job growth, January 25, 2012.