CTSI Utility Technology Challenge Names 25 Semifinalists, Now One Step Closer to $100K Demonstration Funds

AUSTIN, Texas, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) announces 25 semifinalists for the third annual Utility Technology Challenge.

These 25 are recognized for exceptional promise in the areas of: pollution monitoring and reduction, HVAC, transportation, distributed generation, building and energy efficiency, energy storage, natural gas, smart grid, and transmission and distribution.

CTSI partnered, this year, with TechConnect, Fraunhofer TechBridge, Department of Energy, and Kauffman Foundation to award three organizations with $100,000 in pilot-demonstration funds for the testing of their solutions. Additionally, three companies will win 'Top Solution' recognition awards. From the 25 semifinalists, 15 will move on as finalists to present in Santa Clara, California this June at the Clean Technology Conference (http://www.techconnectworld.com/Cleantech2012).

"We're excited to bring this new opportunity for Utility Technology Challenge winners to receive testing and evaluation services for their clean energy technologies," said Jeff McAulay, manager of Fraunhofer TechBridge, a program of the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems. "The UTC presents a great opportunity for the companies involved to forge new partnerships."

In June, at the TechConnect World conference, a committee of utility and corporate integrators, who selected the semi-finalists and finalists, will judge the solution presentations and determine awardees. The committee includes: Arsenal Venture Partners, Anaheim Center for New Energy Technologies (AC-NET), Austin Energy, Constellation Energy, National Grid, Northeast Utilities, Shell GameChanger, and Southern California Edison.

"We have never seen an application base with such high level companies, before," said Matthew Laudon, CTSI president and chair. "CTSI is eager to see the demonstration of some of these technologies and to explore where the brightest minds in clean tech are taking the industry."

The mission of the Challenge is to help close the commercialization gap between prototype and market adoption for clean technology companies. In prior years, committee members have piloted and become customers of the Utility Technology Challenge finalists.

About the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization:

The Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI), a 501c6 non-profit industry association, represents the organizations developing, commercializing, and implementing energy, water, and environmental technologies. Clean technologies offer much needed solutions to growing resource security and sustainability concerns and are critical to maintaining economic competitiveness. CTSI brings together global leaders for advocacy, community development, networking, and information sharing to help bring these needed technologies to market more rapidly. Visit www.ct-si.org for more information.

Media Contact:

Laura Benold
CTSI
[email protected]
(512) 800-9798

SOURCE Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization