NREL News release:

NREL’s Industry Growth Forum Brings Together Energy Innovators

Event Highlights Clean Energy Technologies and Startup Businesses

Thursday, October 25, 2012

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 25th Industry Growth Forum this week attracted nearly 400 investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and policymakers to Denver.

The two-day forum highlighted clean energy industry technology and business developments. In addition to hearing business case presentations from thirty clean energy companies, including eight Colorado companies, participants participated in a comprehensive agenda of in-depth panel discussions and networking opportunities.

 

"There is a necessity to approach our energy issues differently in the future and this requires high levels of technical and business innovation," said Bill Farris, NREL Associate Laboratory Director for Innovation Partnering and Outreach. "This forum brought together the entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers that are critical to bringing those innovations to the market for transformational change."

 

More than $4 billion has been raised by companies presenting at the Forum since 2003. 

 

Three entrepreneurial companies were singled out from the 30 competitively-selected presenters to win the 2012 Clean Energy Venture Awards. Award winners will receive in-kind commercialization support to help increase their chances of becoming commercially successful.

 

Silver Bullet Water Treatment LLC received the top prize, the Best Venture award. This Colorado company has developed a cost-effective and environmentally responsible water treatment solution for cooling towers. The technology can be used in office buildings, hospitals, data centers and other commercial locations throughout the U.S. Their proprietary, electrochemical water treatment system eliminates microorganisms and scale formation without adding any harmful chemicals.

 

An Outstanding Venture award went to 7AC; this Massachusetts company commercializes a novel membrane-based liquid desiccant HVAC system that provides cooling in summer and heating in winter for commercial buildings.

 

An Outstanding Venture award also went to Carbo Analytics. This Colorado-based company specializes in automated real-time sugar analysis through a microchip with electrochemical detection.

 

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

 

For a list of participating companies and sponsors, please visit the Industry Growth Forum online at www.industrygrowthforum.org.

 

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