Helios Altas Hits New Milestones

Helios Altas Hits New Milestones

Oct 19, 2018

Remember sitting outside at EcoFitness (on one of the hottest days of the year) hearing Mike Carroll talking about his Powerball small hydro technology at our June 21 MeetUp?  remember his excitement about being close to having a microgrid going operational in the Philippines with one of his units and some solar in a hybrid configuration? Well he did it!   It is all operational now.  You can learn more about the system that has provided first power to 150 people here: https://biofriendlyplanet.com/green-alternatives/solar/installation-of-the-firsthybrid-solar-micro-hydro-grid-project-in-the-philippines-is-complete/.  Mike adds, “With this system we have changed the architecture of the Powerball’s take off system which increased the power output of each of the units from 300 watts up to over 500 watts from the same water flow. This has enabled the village to expand the power usage well beyond what was originally intended. In the next phase of this project the Hydrofarm will be expanded by adding more PowerBall™ units and the battery storage will be doubled in size. The local electric co-op is expected to purchase the system to meet some of its RE credit requirements and also as a means for extending its supply grid to far flung areas of the Philippines such as Balingasag.” Mike also got an investor commitment to proceed with his 100-times larger capacity unit.  “We plan on this being the largest size unit we will manufacture,” Mike says. “This generator is approximately 2 meters in diameter, so it can be shipped in containers standing vertically. It will be able to produce up to 30 kW of power and multiple units can be installed in the same PowerWheel™ to produce more power.” While most of his attention has been focused overseas on rural areas without access to grid power, Helios also has a commitment from the Nevada Irrigation District to purchase 10 o fhte larger units when they are ready.   The next big milestone will be in putting together the $13 million in funding he is seeking to stay on track for over $200 million in sales in the next five years.   Great stuff!
Thomas Hall
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gary Simon is the Chair of CleanStarts Board. A seasoned energy executive and entrepreneur with 45 years of experience in business, government, and non-profits.
What company is combining Swagger with Clean Tech?

What company is combining Swagger with Clean Tech?

Aug 6, 2018

Sacramento’s Startup scene just got a little cooler with the introduction of a vintage take on new technology.  Kacy Marrs is building the coolest motorcycle on the market at his startup Marrs Cycles.

Marrs Cycles started when Kacy made a personal electric cruiser bike for himself.  He put pictures of it online and people started knocking down his door asking to buy one. He went into business building his now famous Marrs Cruiser and received recognition for his skills in fabricating and designing high quality electric bikes, He was even featured on Miller Welders Channel and is often compared to Harley Davidsons.  What really inspires and motivates Kacy though is to create a electric motorcycle for the masses. One that is easy to ride, practical, fun, and above all, cool!

Kacy isn’t new to entrepreneurship or fabricating bikes, he cut his teeth building electric assist bikes in Orange County. In fact, Metallica frontman James Hetfield bought one of the Marrs Cruiser bikes Kacy created. The good range, speed, and vintage style of his designs created a lot of excitement, but Kacy wanted to break out of the niche market and do something bigger. So, he brought Marrs Cycles back to his home town in the Sierra Foothills to work on building an electric motorcycle for the masses.

Currently, Kacy has modeled and is working on fabricating the first concept. To make his ideal bike Kacy has new ideas like incorroperating a liquid cooled of battery pack and a DOT approved systems.  The design has a shorter wheel base, a hub motor, and ergonomic design to make it easy to ride. With the hub motor, Kacy envisions the bike could hold up to a 20 kwh battery giving it unprecedented range and could double as a power supply for the home. With a vintage beach cruiser style, the motorcycle will attract a new younger crowd to the market. With an electric bike that fits what the Millennial and Gen X markets demand, Kacy is creating his own lane for a new take on the style of motorcycles.

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thomas is the Executive Director of CleanStart. Thomas has a strong background in supporting small businesses, leadership, financial management and is proficient in working with nonprofits. He has a BS in Finance and a BA in Economics from California State University, Chico. Thomas has a passion for sustainability and a commitment to supporting non-profits in the region.

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National CleanTech Venture Forum Open for Entries

National CleanTech Venture Forum Open for Entries

Jun 12, 2018

Here’s a great opportunity to consider if you are looking to raise money.  Rice University in Houston holds an annual forum for cleantech companies to present to dozens of investors.  It is one of the best forums of this type in the US. In the past 16 years, presenters have raised over a $1 billion from participating in the forum.  The investor who come are actually looking for clean tech startups to back. In that sense, it is a better platform than in Silicon Valley where clean tech is definitely low on the priority list.   

It is tough to get in, but once in a startup has a pretty good chance of getting funded.  The best news is that there is no fee to apply. If selected to present there is a modest $225 fee.  Applications are due July 13, so you would need to get busy. Details are here.

Even if you are not ready this year to apply, keep this forum on your radar screen.  It is an annual event, so you might be ready next year.

Helios Altas Hits New Milestones

Welcome Back, HeliosAltas!

May 24, 2018

After a three-year hiatus to step back to rethink its product and markets, Helios Altas is preparing to introduce a new and improved PowerBall and PowerWheel to the market. Mike Carroll, CEO, and his team have been working hard to unlock the potential for this technology and come up with several clever new designs. Helios, headquartered in Roseville, California is an early-stage CleanTech startup that builds micro hydroelectric generators for distributed power grids. The company’s flagship products, PowerBall and PowerWheel are waterwheels that drive generators to produce clean electricity. They use water flowing in canals, rivers, tides  and the base of dams day and night. No impediment is needed. During high-flow times or when a lot of deris is in the water, the unit lifts itself up to avoid being submerged or damaged. Helios is currently developing a range of PowerBall units from 100w to 4kW and PowerWheel units from 5kW to 40kW. They have a proprietary generator self contained in the water wheel allowing their wheels to generate sufficient energy in low flow areas to make them economical even in smaller units.  This adds up to Helio’s products having a comparative advantage by being 1) easy to install, 2) self-contained, 3) scalable, and 4) compact when compared to other systems. On top of all that Helios’ units generate over 3 x the energy of similarly rated wind and solar generators when the water is flowing 24/7.   They are targeting developing countries, especially rural areas far from the grid.  They see a niche market of $700 million in sales. They are not envisioning much of a market in the US.  Helio has placed its prototypes in California and the Philippines and is constantly collecting data for improvement. Mike envisions a mass deployment of their technology in the developing countries particularly concentrated in South East Asia and India.  They have a number of development agency prospects in the pipeline for situations where wind and solar are not suitable. Their model is to sell the equipment, and manufacture it in low cost the countries near where it will be installed. More information can be found here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Qidong is a CleanStart Associate who follows new technologies that can connect with his passion for sustainability, education and economic empowerment. Helping CleanStart and clean tech startups in the Sacramento Region, he is looking to help positively impact the world. He recently graduated from UC San Diego and has a B.S. in Managerial Economics. His multicultural background helps companies approach problems from new perspective.in the region.

Company Profile: AjO

Company Profile: AjO

May 1, 2018

Our next greatest energy resource may not be found in the ground, the wind or the ocean, but in the simple act of fine-tuning the systems we already have. What am I talking about? I introduce to you AjO, the startup shaking up the way the housing industry deals with energy efficiency.

AjO is a web-based data tool that integrates data and visual story to drive demand for home energy efficiency. The database is the first of its kind to supply fast, easy and accessible reports to track the details of home improvement projects. It will allow contractors, builders and real estate agents alike to inform homeowners on the percent and dollar value of upgrades that reduce energy usage, such as lighting and insulation. Additionally, all fields are coded for search capacity so AjO is helping create a standardized dictionary of terms and opening doors for people working in the housing industry that are not certified in energy efficiency.

Debra Little, the visionary entrepreneur behind AjO, says that by viewing energy efficiency as an energy resource, it has the power to displace other more costly measures such as building new energy plants. Investing in AjO, alongside other energy efficiency tools can ultimately reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and yield a cleaner planet. This one central goal has driven Debra to work tirelessly in R&D for years and bootstrap the entire project herself.

Debra is currently growing AjO, connecting with communities like CleanStart partner BlueTechValley (BTV), and looking for additional funding to push it to the next level. Unfortunately, taking advantage of support like BTV takes Debra an entire day to drive to and from Fresno or the Bay area. Naturally, AjOis looking forward to a larger CleanStart presence for support here in Sacramento. Entrepreneurs like Debra can benefit from CleanStart connections and events like last month’s grant workshop and future Cleantech Meetups. Make sure to keep on the look out for this rising startup!

For additional information, visit AjO’s website here or contact Debra Little at DL@AjOhp.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate is a recent graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and has a strong background in entrepreneurship and global politics. After helping launch an AgTech startup on the central coast, Kate is back in her hometown looking to take her experience into the world of Cleantech and help grow the Sacramento region.