US Department Of Energy Promoting Small Business Clean Energy Technologies
US Department Of Energy Promoting Small Business Clean Energy Technologies
The new White House administration has certainly be sending mixed messages with regards to their clean energy. On the one hand, the US has pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord and supports the coal industry, while on the other hand they are promoting a wall between the US and Mexico made entirely out of solar panels.
Here is another announcement that seems to lean towards renewable energy and small business clean energy.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $32 million in funding for small business-led projects to further develop clean energy technologies that have a strong potential for commercialization and job creation.
These 32 awards will help small businesses advance their promising concepts that improve manufacturing processes, boost the efficiency of buildings, increase transportation sustainability, and generate electricity from renewable sources.
Funded through DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, most of the projects that have advanced into Phase II were previously selected for Phase I funding in 2016. These 32 projects were selected based on scientific and technical merit, as well as the commercial potential of the project proposed to continue their research and development. Companies competing for these follow-on grants were encouraged to propose innovations to meet ambitious cost and performance targets.
Moves to support small business clean energy.
The 32 small businesses receiving the Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) SBIR/STTR awards are located in 18 states: California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Among the projects selected for awards are:
- From Rome, New York: Helios Remote Sensing Systems, Inc. is developing a low cost, low power, wind profiling Doppler radar measurement system to characterize offshore wind resources.
- From Torrance, California: Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc. is developing optical sensors to measure humidity that will have unprecedented long-term stability at costs comparable to those of existing sensors.
- From St. Louis, Missouri: MOgene Green Chemicals is developing a sustainable, bio-based biocatalyst to capture methane, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases present in biogas or natural gas sources and convert them into high value products.
- From Wesley Chapel, Florida: Ultrasonic Technologies, Inc. is developing a new quality and process control methodology and tool prototype for real-time inspection of photovoltaic solar cells and fuel cells. The tool will be used in-line to reduce cost, save energy and increase yield of module production.
- From Sacramento, California: Lucent Optics, Inc. is developing ultra-thin flexible lighting panels based on high-brightness, light-emitting diodes that are energy efficient and low-glare.
Source US Department of Energy also picture source
Gordon’s expertise in the area of industrial energy efficiency and alternative energy. He is an experienced electrical engineer with a Masters degree in Alternative Energy technology. He is the co-founder of several renewable energy media sites including Solar Thermal Magazine.
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