Bechtel Announces Inaugural Winner of the National Clean Energy Venture Competition; Konarka Technologies Inc. Honored for Photovoltaic Technology.Business Editors/Energy Writers ALBANY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2002 A small company developing advanced technology in solar power has won the first National Clean Energy Venture Competition at the 15th NREL NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory NREL Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory (Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO) Industry Growth Forum. Konarka Technologies, Inc., based in Lowell, Mass., beat out 45 other competitors to take the top prize of $7,000 cash plus incubation services valued at more than $3,000. Winners were announced Wednesday by Bechtel Corporation, founding sponsor of the competition. Konarka is commercializing polymer-based photovoltaic cells that promise to bring new benefits because of their flexibility and lightweight material -- they can be manufactured cheaply in large sheets that can be cut in any size. The company is targeting markets ranging from portable electronics to distributed power and rural electrification rural electrification Project of the U.S. government in the 1930s. As part of the New Deal, the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) was established (1935) to bring electric power to farms, thereby raising the standard of rural living and slowing the migration of farm . "It's an honor to be the first company to receive this award from Bechtel and be selected by such a distinguished panel of investors," said Konarka Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. Paul Wormser. "This shows that Konarka has a compelling value proposition for investors -- the plan, the technology, and the team to make it happen." Participants in the competition were selected from hundreds of applicants to present their business plans to energy executives and other potential investors. Outstanding Presentation Awards of $1,000 each were given to Starfire Systems, The Wind Turbine Company, and HelioVolt Corporation Starfire Systems, based in Malta, N.Y., produces and develops polymers for the manufacture of high-temperature, high-performance silicon carbide silicon carbide, chemical compound, SiC, that forms extremely hard, dark, iridescent crystals that are insoluble in water and other common solvents. Widely used as an abrasive, it is marketed under such familiar trade names as Carborundum and Crystolon. ceramics. Starfire materials have been used in NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. manned spacecraft This is a list of manned spacecraft (including space stations) sorted by manufacturer/operator and series in chronological order. Operational spacecraft China National Space Administration
"Our technology is especially exciting and promising because of its versatility and far-reaching potential benefits to a number of industries important to the U.S. economy and our environment, including energy, pollution control, transportation, aerospace, and national security," said Richard Saburro, Starfire's chief executive officer. The Wind Turbine Company, of Bell, Wash., developed new, cost-efficient wind turbine technology under contracts from the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission The California Energy Commission is California’s primary energy policy and planning agency. Created in 1974 and headquartered in Sacramento, the Commission has responsibility for activities that include forecasting future energy needs, promoting energy efficiency through . WTC WTC World Trade Center, see there plans to demonstrate its new turbine in a 15- to 20-megawatt wind project next year. HelioVolt Corporation is an Austin, Texas-based startup developing and commercializing a process for manufacturing thin-film solar power modules based on proven semiconductor technology. HelioVolt's proprietary FLASH(TM) process dramatically reduces the time required to make highly efficient thin film solar power modules. Bechtel provided $10,000 to launch this annual award in partnership with the National Renewable Energy laboratory The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located in Golden, Colorado, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy, is the United States' primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. (NREL), the Albany NanoTech Center, and Rensselaer Incubator Program. "Bechtel developed this competition to promote the success of clean-energy entrepreneurs and bring more technology options into the mainstream energy market," said Linda Trocki, principal vice president and manager of Bechtel's technology development and R&D functions. "We're excited about this competition and hope to attract more partners to expand the award next year." Headquartered in San Francisco, Bechtel is a global engineering, construction, development, and management organization, with 50,000 employees worldwide. Bechtel National, Inc., the company's government services arm, is a member of the consortium that manages and operates NREL. The team is led by the Midwest Research Institute Midwest Research Institute (MRI) is an independent, not-for-profit, contract research organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. MRI was established in Kansas City in 1944 to provide research and development for industry. of Kansas City, Mo., and also includes the Battelle Memorial Institute The Battelle Memorial Institute is a private not-for-profit applied science and technology development company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The institute opened in 1929 but traces its origins to the 1923 will of Ohio industrialist Gordon Battelle which provided for its of Columbus, Ohio. Located in Golden, Colo., NREL is a premier laboratory for renewable energy research. Its mission is to lead the nation toward a sustainable energy future by developing and employing renewable energy technologies and by improving energy efficiency. Contact information for the winning companies: Konarka Technologies, Inc. Paul Wormser, COO Lowell, Massachusetts 978-569-1407 pwormser@konarkatech.com The Wind Turbine Company Larry Miles, President, Co-founder Bellevue, WA 425-437-1470 miles@windturbinecompany.com Starfire Systems, Inc. Richard Saburro, President and Chief Executive Officer, Watervliet, NY 518-899-9336 saburror@starfiresystems.com HelioVolt Corporation B.J. Stanbery, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Austin, Texas 512-925-1810 stanbery@heliovolt.com |
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