Destination Decarbonization: Student Contest with Real Prizes

Destination Decarbonization: Student Contest with Real Prizes

Jan 12, 2023

Are you an undergraduate college student and want a shot at several thousand dollars in prize money? Consider entering the 90-day Destination Decarbonization Challenge! Sam Fairbanks at the Water and Energy Technology (WET) Center at Fresno State provided a quick overview of what the challenge is and how to apply. The main point is that the window is now open through January 31. If you want to give it a shot, better move fast. A video of Sam’s presentation is available on our YouTube Channel.

The idea of the challenge is for small teams of 2-4 students to propose ways to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions either from a brand new idea or from an idea on how to improve something that is already happening. Teams can look at anything that broadly will reduce emissions or capture carbon dioxide for beneficial. The teams will work with mentors and other resources the WET Center can help arrange. The payoff comes on April 21 when the teams pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges.

The top prize is $6,000, with $4,000 for second and $2,000 for third. There is a webinar that provides details on how to apply on January 19 at 5:30 pm. More information is available on the Challenge website.

Check it out!

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStart’s Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | Tobin, BlueTech Valley, Revrnt, River City Bank

Moss Adams, PowerSoft.biz, Greenberg Traurig, California Mobility Center

CalNEXT: A New Resource for Innovation

CalNEXT: A New Resource for Innovation

Dec 27, 2022

Looking for help to crystallize your cleantech idea into a commercial product that finds a ready market? In July, the utilities in the state launched a new initiative called CalNEXT to speed the pursuit of promising emerging technologies. “CalNEXT is a statewide initiative to identify, test, grow electric technologies and delivery methods to support California’s decarbonized future.” They will fund projects in the range of $20-400K to assess innovations and help shape them to fit product needs that have already been identified.

CalNEXT

CalNEXT

CalNEXT is run by Energy Solutions in Oakland, a 25-year old analytics firm that provides insights on markets, designs for programs to incentivize adoption of innovations, and assessments of the potential of clean technologies. Program Manager Casidee Kido and her colleague Erin Fitzgerald explained how CalNEXT works in our Perspectives session on December 15.

Cassidee Kido

Cassidee Kido

CalNEXT is funded by the ratepayers of the investor-owned utilities in the state (PG&E, SoCal Edison, SoCal Gas and San Diego G&E) and is intended to focus the efforts of energy-efficiency innovators to work on things that can have the most impact on reaching a decarbonized future and the most effective ways to market them. It is an outgrowth of the work of the Emerging Technologies Coordinating Council created by the CEC with participation of all the investor-owned utilities plus SMUD and LADWP a dozen years ago. The idea of the ETCC was to encourage collaboration on RD&D among the utilities and to assure alignment of priorities with the CEC programs as well. As the innovation process evolved into one that involved a much broader set of entities, the ETCC added roles in increasing the visibility of ET resources and opportunities for engagement with ETCC members, along with strengthening the knowledge and capabilities of the ET community by sharing project results, methodologies, and collaboration opportunities. CalNEXT is the new way to achieve these goals and it comes at a great time with more money than ever being committed to clean tech deployment.

Erin Fitzgerald

Erin Fitzgerald

CalNEXT works through “Technology Priority Maps.” These are wish lists of innovations and market information the ETCC would like to see developed. They cover 6 technology groups and 46 families of innovations. The six are HVAC, lighting, plug loads/appliances, water heating, process loads, and whole -buildings. You can look at these here, and then dive into the details of the half-dozen or so technology families in each. Click on those and you get to specific innovations or market support projects the ETCC would like to see. You can then propose projects to address these needs each year. The current round will be open until February 23. The TPMs will be updated and probably adopted late in 2023, with applications then open in Q1 of 2024. Even if you are rejected, you can apply as many times as you like, and on multiple wish list items. To date CalNEXT has funded 35 projects totaling $14 million. At the end of each project, CalNEXT will provide help to connect companies to those in the utilities and elsewhere that can help on moving to demos and commercialization opportunities.

“CalNEXT will track and vet the efficacy and claims of these technologies, products, and solutions to assess and confirm their potential energy savings and operational performance, help estimate long-term cost-effectiveness, prioritize technologies with significant energy savings opportunities, and identify potential barriers to market adoption. CalNEXT is a great opportunity for programs to see their full potential, to get the evaluation and implementation support they need, and for good ideas to come to life and make major impacts to support California’s decarbonized future.”

This looks like a very helpful gateway to the kinds of connections and follow-on funding that innovators need. It is worth exploring even if you have been rebuffed on other programs. The vetting and evaluation process will be helpful in generating investor interest. The whole session is recorded and available.

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStart’s Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | Tobin, BlueTech Valley, Revrnt, River City Bank

Moss Adams, PowerSoft.biz, Greenberg Traurig, California Mobility Center

A Friendly New Lender for Climate Tech Companies

A Friendly New Lender for Climate Tech Companies

Jul 11, 2022

Our friend Sedale Turbovsky at OpenGrants did a web interview with Dmitry Gershenson of Enduring Planet recently to highlight the increased availability of loans to build your company.  Enduring Planet is a much different lender than a bank because they understand startups and want to see more companies based on sustainability succeed.  Accordingly, their lending requirements are more generous than one typically finds at a bank.  

Specifically what Dmitry is offering is a revenue-based loan.  A company has to be generating revenue and growing to qualify, but doesn’t need to be immediately profitable.  It needs to show revenue of at least $25,000 per month and be growing 30% year-over-year.  Loan terms are pretty simple.  No collateral required and no personal guarantees.  As Dmitry says, this is the fastest and least expensive capital available.

Dmitry has also recognized a need for loans for another type of situation—cash flow loans to bridge the gap between expending money on a project funded by the government and getting reimbursed for that cost.  This may take more than 90 days.  Government grants and contracts are wonderful sources of non-dilutive capital, but a company can go broke dealing with the reality of the slow payment of invoices.  Dmitry hopes to have this offering ready before the end of the year.

Sedale recorded and transcribed the hour-long session and it is available here.  Check it out and even if you don’t qualify, keep this lender in mind when you are seeking capital.

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStart’s Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | Tobin, BlueTech Valley, Revrnt, 

Moss Adams, PowerSoft.biz, Greenberg Traurig

Applications Open in Summer for SMUD SHINE Awards 2022

Applications Open in Summer for SMUD SHINE Awards 2022

May 31, 2022

On June 1 through August 1 the window is open for applications for SHINE Awards from SMUD.  These awards can create sales opportunities for clean tech companies to install clean energy tech in underserved communities.  Here’s one example:   With a $10,000 award, a community organization in South Sacramento installed the “Friendliest Bus Stop in Town”, adding a bench, shade structure, solar power kiosk cell phone charger/Wi-Fi for public use, free little library, bike rack, bike pump and repair stand.  There are dozens of others that involved installing EV charging stations, new LED lighting, rooftop solar, and high-efficiency HVAC.  

Betty Low, Program Manager in the Sustainable Communities Department at SMUD, explained that the awards could be for as much as $100,000.  There are three levels of awards – the Spark level up to $10,000 (with a 25% match required), the Amplifier level ($10,001 to $50,000 with a 50% match requirement), and the Transformer level ($50,001 to $100,000 with a dollar-for-dollar match requirement).  SMUD is looking for applications in 4 categories:  

Social Well-being

Healthy Environment

Prosperous Economy

Improved Mobility
  • Community education
  • Community safety
  • Infrastructure improvements
  • Collective impact partnerships
  • Under-served community development
  • Air quality improvements
  • Carbon emission reduction
  • Climate readiness
  • Environmental justice
  • Health equity
  • Tree canopy
  • Digital accessibility
  • Economic development
  • Small business development
  • Low-income programs
  • Workforce development
  • Technology skills training
  • Electric vehicle
  • Autonomous transportation
  • Public transit access
  • Charging station
  • Walkability
  • Shared mobility access

 

These are pretty broad, so be creative.  A list of all the prior awards is on the SMUD website, so take a look at those for some inspiration.

The awards will cover materials, out-of-pocket expenses, consultants and vendors.  Covering staff costs requires paying prevailing wages, but can be done, according to Betty.  Matching money can be contributions of in-kind costs up to half of the match requirement.  

SMUD is making 6 webinars available in the summer to help you understand the requirements and to give an opportunity to ask questions.  Take advantage of one of those if you are interested.  The dates and sign-ups are on the SMUD website as well.  

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStart’s Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.

CleanStart Sponsors

Weintraub | Tobin, BlueTech Valley, Revrnt, 

Moss Adams, PowerSoft.biz, Greenberg Traurig