Live Near a Waterway? HydroVolts Can Power Your Home
Posted by Amie Vaccaro November 20th, 2009 
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Hydrovolts develops modular hydrikinetic turbines for use in canals & other waterways
At Tuesday’s Academy Awards of Cleantech (The Cleantech Open), attendees were all abuzz about Seattle-based HydroVolts, winner of the $20,000 Cleantech Open sustainability prize. HydroVolts has created a floating in-stream hydrokinetic turbine that generates distributed renewable energy anywhere around the world. Hydrovolts’ vision is to provide renewable energy to millions of people around the world who live near water. The turbines are designed to drop into moving water, such as irrigation canals, spillways, tidal currents, wastewater flows, streams, rivers and other waterways. Energy is collected from the force of moving water rather than pressure, operating like an underwater paddlewheel, so the turbine is safe for fish, unobtrusive, non-polluting and of course, renewable. Each turbine can power 1 to 10 homes along the waterway and is about the size and cost of a small car. The technology is modular, scalable and simple to deploy. Check out this video to learn more.
Ecofactor Smart Thermostat System Wins Cleantech Open
Posted by BC Upham November 20th, 2009 0 Comments
A maker of thermostat data systems that claims to be able to reduce heating and cooling costs for buildings by 20-30 percent won Grand Prize at this year’s Cleantech Open, one of the leading environmental technology competitions in the country.
Ecofactor makes integrated systems that calibrate a residential or commercial thermostat for maximum energy efficiency without having any noticeable effect on comfort. The system uses information from 24,000 data points, such as local weather, typical customer behavior and the design characteristics of a home or business to control the thermostat, which is connected to the Internet via a broadband connection.
As National Prize winner, Ecofactor took home $250,000, including $100,000 in seed capital. This is in addition to $100,000 the company won as California regional finalist in October. Started in 2006, Ecofactor has raised angel funding, and currently in negotiations for its Series A round, according to Earth2Tech.
Cleantech Open runners up were: Alphabet Energy (waste-heat recapture); and MicroMidas (transforms raw sewage into biodegradable plastic). Earlier in the day, audience members at the Awards Gala voted Alphabet Energy as the People’s Choice business competition winner.
Green Event Hit and Misses for 2009 Net Impact Conference
Posted by Nayelli Gonzalez November 19th, 2009 1 Comment
About 2,600 MBA students and business professionals from around the world got together a week ago at the 2009 Net Impact Conference at Cornell University to learn and discuss how to use business as a force for social and environmental good. The event was a success on many levels, and I’d like to highlight some of the creative ways that Net Impact made the conference a great Green Event–as well as suggesting tips for improvement for future conferences.
Cause for Applause
- Compostable cups, silverware, plates. Great job at making those products available throughout the conference.
- Farmer’s market closing reception. Way to integrate Cornell’s/Ithaca’s local food growers and community in the event! All that produce (and cheese!) from Upstate New York was quite a treat.
- Partnership with Terrapass to offset the conference’s carbon consumption and staff travel.
Tips for Improvement:
Greenbuild 2009 – The Three P’s in Action
Posted by 3p Guest Author November 18th, 2009 0 Comments
By Amy Berry
I recently returned from the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) 2009 Greenbuild Expo in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference boasted more than 28,000 attendees and more than 1800 exhibitors. Former Vice President Al Gore gave the keynote speech as leaders of the green building world converged to discuss the future of building and the impact this community of architects, designers, builders, project managers and corporate sustainability managers can have on mother earth’s future. Attendees snacked on organic appetizers and drank from compostable plastic cups. Student volunteers filled the convention center excited, to be able to participate in the event, and in exchange spent their time sorting attendees’ garbage into the appropriate recycling, composting or trash bins.
As one of those 1800 exhibitors (we had a full Windspire wind turbine up in our booth) I spent the majority of the show on the expo hall floor. The energy on the floor was described as electric, engaging and awesome by those tweeting with the hashtag #Greenbuild and by some of the more than 100 media in attendance. If you believe that smarter buildings that use less energy and water are a real solution to global warming, this was the place to see and be seen. The USGBC must be applauded for educating so many on real solutions to the global climate crisis.
Coming Up: Sustainable Industries Economic Forum with Paul Hawken
Posted by Nick Aster November 17th, 2009 0 Comments
If you haven’t heard Paul Hawken speak lately, and you happen to be in the Bay Area this week, now is a good time to put it on your to-do list.
Our friends at Sustainable Industries are putting together another phenomenal breakfast forum on Thursday the 19th at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco. It’s a $75 event, and having been to the last one I can tell you it’s more than worth it for the speeches as well as the panel that follows. In addition to the legendary Paul Hawken, Colin Wiel will moderate a panel featuring Lisa Michelle Galley of Galley Eco Capital, Phil Williams from Webcor, Matt Cheney from Renewable Ventures, and Peter Rumsey of Rumsey Engineers. Register online here.
If you’re not in the Bay Area, consider some other upcoming locations here. Or stay tuned to 3p for a write-up later in the week.
John Perkins: Learning from the Economic Meltdown
Posted by Jennifer Elder November 15th, 2009 0 Comments
John Perkins, author of “Hoodwinked” and “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” says he had a hand in creating the current economic crisis. As an “Economic Hitman” his job was to promote corporate interests at the expense of anyone, anywhere; an unjust, untenable, and unsustainable practice he referred to as “Predatory Capitalism”. Speaking at the 2009 Net Impact Conference, he discussed this side of multi-national corporate behavior with a surprisingly positive outlook. According to Perkins we still have an opportunity to learn from the mistakes of predatory capitalism and turn the economy around.
Predatory Capitalism, according to Perkins, is a mutation of capitalism that comes about when the single focus of a corporation is to make profits – ie, an extreme adoption of Milton Friedman. In the predatory world, when profit making conflicts with the public interest, profit making wins no matter the cost or consequences to others. As an Economic Hitman, Perkin’s job was to find Third World countries with desirable resources. He would arrange large and seemingly attractive loans loans for infrastructure development contracted out to US corporations. These loans were much larger than needed and ultimately the country would be unable to pay back the debt. When the country could not make the required payments, the financing group would extort payment in the form of economic resources.
Honest Tea Says It Will Stay Honest with Coca Cola Partnership
Posted by Nayelli Gonzalez November 14th, 2009 1 Comment
Honest Tea’s President and “TeaEO” Seth Goldman doesn’t think he’s sold out. During the closing keynote address at the 2009 Net Impact Conference today, Goldman explained his decision to allow Coca Cola to acquire 40% of Honest Tea by reassuring event goers that his commitment to producing a healthy, organic, less sweet drinks has not changed since the multinational became a majority player in his company. According to Goldman, the only thing that’s changed is that more people around the country have access to good iced tea.
When Goldman first started to make tea using thermal bottles and empty Snapple containers in 1998, he probably never thought that his home-grown business would be connected to Coca Cola, a producer of high fructose corn syrup drinks. From the beginning, Goldman wanted to produce a low-calorie, low-sugar, organic drink that was a healthy alternative to the high-sugar carbonated beverages already in the market.
Johnson & Johnson’s Sustainability Strategy Includes Avoiding Greenwashing
Posted by Nayelli Gonzalez November 14th, 2009 0 Comments
When you hear the name Johnson & Johnson, you might think about baby oil, baby powder and band-aids–and not necessarily think of them as leaders in sustainability. At a speaker panel at the Net Impact Conference on Friday, several J&J company leaders spoke to how the company’s Credo is the backbone of its sustainability strategy and how they have avoided greenwashing as they implement their “Healthy Planet 2010 goals.”
During the talk, Al Iannuzzi, Senior Director of J&J’s Worldwide Environmental Health & Safety unit, told a story of his early days as an environmentalist in the 1970s who believed that “corporations are evil.” He resisted working for big corporations until he read J&J’s Credo–which upholds its responsibility to its employees, the environment and communities–and found an interesting job within the company. He’s been with J&J now for nearly 30 years and wants everyone to know how J&J is using business for good.
Sustainable Brands Boot Camp Kicks Off: Interview With Founder, Koann Vikoren Skrzyniarz
Posted by Nick Aster November 14th, 2009 0 Comments
The first online Sustainable Brands Boot Camp produced by the folks at Sustainable Life Media who convene the annual Sustainable Brands Conference kicked off yesterday.
CEO KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz recently spoke to one of the SB community members, Diane MacEachern, Founder and CEO of Big Green Purse about what drove the launch. We’ve published the whole interview below. The Boot Camp, which continues weekly for 13 weeks, pulls together many of the top sustainable business consultants and teachers in the US to provide an inexpensive, convenient 360 overview of the principles and current best practices of building a sustainable brand. 3P readers looking to boost their career would do well to consider participating.
Net Impact Leaders’ Advice on Activitating Member Base
Posted by Nayelli Gonzalez November 13th, 2009 0 Comments
Net Impact chapter leaders from around the country kicked off the 2009 Net Impact Conference today to share best practices on how to successfully manage a social impact club that adds value to people’s lives and their communities. Many words of wisdom were imparted, especially about finding new ways to inspire member action and participation. If your city or school does not have a Net Impact chapter, keep reading because much of that advice can also be applied to various types of clubs and organizations.
Join me at the Academy Awards of Cleantech
Posted by Amie Vaccaro November 12th, 2009 1 Comment
This year’s Cleantech Open Awards Gala (Tues Nov 17th in San Francisco) is not to be missed. Along with Bill Roth, I’ll be covering the event for TriplePundit. Last year’s event was phenomenal and this year promises to be bigger and better.
The Cleantech Open launched in 2006 and has grown tremendously since. The mission is to “find, fund and foster the big ideas” that address today’s toughest challenges and to date 125 cleantech start-ups have benefited from the organization’s funding and resources. A tribute to the the organization’s strength in finding and nurturing high potential companies, Cleantech Open startups have raised $130 million in private funding, and have created 500 jobs to date. Each year the quality of the applicants has grown as well — a good sign for a still quite nascent industry.
This year’s gala brings together finalists from three Cleantech Open regions – California, Pacific Northwest, and Rocky Mountain - to select a winner, who will receive $250,000 in cash and services. From the all-star line-up of contending start-ups I’m excited to learn more about:
- How Green Lite Motors commuter vehicle gets 100 miles per gallon
- How Micromidas converts raw sewage into biodegradable plastic
- How SunTrac Solar makes a solar hot water heater which captures 50 to 70% of solar energy
- How Alphabet Energy plans to convert waste energy into electricity at low cost
- How tru2earth’s Life Cycle Roof Tile made of recycled plastic bottles is as cheap as asphalt and captures rainwater
- Plus interact with 120 cleantech companies at the pre-gala expo. Register here.
Who are you rooting for?
Speed Dating Meets Green Business at Green America’s Conference
Posted by Deborah Fleischer November 12th, 2009 2 Comments
By Deborah Fleischer, Green Impact
Green America’s Green Business Conference was the yenta of the green business world yesterday when it hosted its Product Expo: Marketplace and Community Connections. Participants were invited to set up a business display at this product expo that was modeled after the ever so popular speed dating concept.
The idea last night was to get all the conference attendees networking and doing business with each other. One of my complaints about conferences is that they don’t do enough to promote networking and Green America has done a great job at this conference on integrating creative ways to encourage us to meet each other.
At a traditional speed dating event, you spend only three minutes speaking to a potential love interest and then move on. If there is mutual interest, you follow-up on your own after the event. While the networking last night was a bit less structured, we were encouraged to circulate and meet as many businesses as possible.
Since Scott Cooney has been doing a great job of highlighting some of the sessions, I thought I would focus on a few of the businesses that made it onto my final dance card last night.
The Greening of Health: Sustainability and Health Converge
Posted by Nick Aster November 12th, 2009 0 Comments
One of the subject matters that we’ve been working on covering more often is that of healthcare. Never mind the politics, the working of hospitals, health insurers, company health programs and so-on should be deeply entwined into the conversation on sustainability.
On December 3rd, The Learning Forum is bringing together employee benefits experts, healthcare providers, health insurance executives and others who are focusing on long-term health strategies. The purpose of the meeting is to share ideas and experience on the emerging trends that link sustainability, wellness and productive workplaces.
The all day event will be held at the Institute For the Future in Palo Alto, CA and is limited in size to 20 firms to ensure a private, collegial and candid set of meetings. Attendees will include folks from Humana, the CDC, Burger King, Stanford University Hospitals, Nokia, Ascension Health, Steelcase.
Change – Using a Carrot Not a Stick
Posted by Jennifer Elder November 10th, 2009 0 Comments
Can fun make people exercise more? Can fun make people recycle more? Can fun improve safety? Won’t it be fun to find out? Now through December 15 TheFunTheory.com is sponsoring a contest to prove the concept that fun is the best way to change peoples’ behavior for the better. The site is looking for submissions of ideas and inventions that support the theory that people will change behavior for themselves or the environment–if making the change is fun.
The concept of positive reinforcement has been proven many times over. Pavlov proved it with his dogs, and every parent knows that children respond better to rewards than punishment. So why not apply the concept to environmental and social initiatives?
To inspire more people to take the stairs rather than the escalator at the Odenplan Subway Station in Stockholm, Volkswagon converted a set of stairs into piano keys. The novel concept increased stair use by 66%.
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