26. October 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

US
541 Jefferson Ave. Suite 100
Redwood City, CA  94063, USA
Tel: +1 650 206 2323

Eastern Europe
21, Lobanovskoho Str, block 6,
Chaiki, Kiev-Svyatoshin District, Kyiv Region, 08130, Ukraine
Tel: +(380)44 569 5678
Fax: +(380)44 569 5679

About

APowerCap Technologies, LLC (APCT) is a company backed by a pioneering Ukrainian venture capital firm TechInvest. Incorporated in the U.S. in 2006, APCT has R&D and production facilities in Kyiv, Ukraine. APCT develops breakthrough ultracapacitor-based power modules for wide range of applications.

APCT technologies will bring new level of efficiency to dozens of verticals, including vehicles (hybrid, PHEV, electro), consumer electronics, telecommunications, energy generation, quality power supply and others.

APowerCap development team has been conducting research in the field of ultracapacitors for more than 17 years. R&D on ultracapacitors began within the framework of a special project of the Ministry of Electronics of the former Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, members of the R&D team established a company, which offered contract R&D services for international clients in ultracapacitor technology. Among its clients were Skeleton Technologies (former SuperFarad), Idaho National Laboratory, Ener1, Inc.

In 2005, ultracapacitor technology project became a finalist of Ukrainian High-Tech Competition, and successfully presented the technology to international VC investors at SVOD Technology conference in Silicon Valley. In 2006, APowerCap Technologies was established and received seed investment from TechInvest.

APCT R&D team has a number of Ukrainian and Russian patents on ultracapacitors technology and ultracapacitor parts, which were transferred to APCT. Based on the know-how accumulated by the R&D team, APCT has filed two US patents.

Ultracapacitor prototypes, developed by APCT, have been tested by leading industry experts, including:

• ABB Research Center (Sweden, 1996-1997)
• INEEL (1997-1998)
• ITS, Davis, CA (1997-2006)

Test results of APCT ultracapacitor prototypes of 55 F, were highly appreciated by participants of the 16th International Seminar on Double Layer Capacitors & Hybrid Energy Storage Devices in 2006. According to Dr. Burke, a recognized expert in ultracapacitors and relative technologies, APCT ultracapacitors have superior performance comparing with other developers. «The RC time constant of the APowerCap cell is significantly lower and its peak power is considerably higher than any ultracapacitor previously tested from other developers», said Andrew Burke.

Tests have demonstrated that APCT has achieved the best results in the world in ultracapacitor performance and is able to achieve best cost advantage.

Technology

Key Features:

• novel organic electrolytes based on alkylamino phosphonium or alkylammonium salts and polar aprotic solvents
• low-cost porous carbons as electrode materials and technology for purification of these carbons
• special technique for electrode/electrolyte preparation together with some peculiarity of SC assembling and pre-starting (aging) procedure
• novel methods to significantly reduce ultracap inner resistance

Over the past decade or two ultracapacitors force their way to the market through the strong competition from advanced batteries. Today NiMH and in particular Li-ion batteries demonstrate the power density as high as 0.6-1 kW/kg (though at the expense of lower energy density, shorter cycle life and overheating). Therefore, to become competitive, ultracapacitors must demonstrate the power density much higher than 1 kW/kg providing at the same time the long cycle life. The best of our competitors and ultracapacitor manufacturers demonstrate 1-3 kW/kg at 95% efficiency, while our prototypes demonstrate 5-6 kW/kg.

Fig. 1  Comparison of APCT ultracapacitor power and energy density with major competitors:

Fig. 2  Ragone plot based on ITS test results presented at the Advanced Capacitor World Summit, San Diego in July 2008:

Fig. 3  Ragone plot (normalized) based on ITS test results presented at the Advanced Capacitor World Summit, San Diego in July 2008:

Another obstacle for ultracapacitors on the path to the market is cost of carbon. Nanoporous carbon, which is used as electrode material in supercapacitors, is rather expensive, and it typically contributes about 35% to the total cost. APCT has utilized carbon, which is 4 times cheaper than that used by its major competitors.

APCT middle and large devices can demonstrate the same performance being 2 or 3 times smaller (due to much higher power density), this means that APCT uses 2-3 times less material than competitors.
Currently, APCT research team is focused on achieving the following:

• to reduce ESR, in particular, to reduce the contact resistance at C/Al interface due to modification of Al current collector
• to modify some of the natural carbonaceous materials in order to produce low-cost nanoporous carbon electrodes
• to best match the electrode nanoporous texture with ion size in organic electrolytes
• to optimize the ratio between nanopores and ion transport channels in the electrode texture
• to optimize the electrode thickness
• to protect the Al current collector from anode corrosion
• to develop special fire retardant agents to assure safety

Products

APowerCap offers ultracapacitors that have been designed using our proprietary breakthrough ultracapacitor technology. This unique technology allowed us to reach values of specific power that exceed 5 kW/kg at a 95% efficiency that corresponds to more than 20 kW/kg at a 50%, keeping the energy density within 1.5-4.5 Wh/kg despite the use of low-cost nanoporous carbon.

Our major goal is to satisfy global market requirements for ultracapacitors in both performance and price. We offer products for prices that at least 20% lower, compared to products with similar voltage/capacitance rates already available on the market.

APowerCap has designed ultracapacitors with outstanding performance that have been recognized by the leading industry experts to be the best in the world in terms of power density. APowerCap ultracapacitors can be used for a wide range of applications, including consumer electronics, power quality systems, automotive industry and many others. Feel free to contact us to discuss usage of our ultracapacitors in your application.

APCT products consists of two major categories:

Pic.1 Single ultracapacitor cells in hard Al enclosure in the range of 480F to 550F, 2.7V

Pic.2 Single ultracapacitor cells in soft Al enclosure in the range of 4F to 550F, 2.7V

On the basis of these single ultracapacitor elements, APCT may develop and produce wide product range of high quality modules, with different voltages and capacitance values. Our best modules are made with this type of cell. They are the most efficient, perform the best in most conditions, and last the longest.

APCT’s R&D team may also produce preproduction pilot samples as a single element or modules;

We pride ourselves on a unique combination of high quality, competitive technology innovation, excellent technical knowledge and outstanding customer service.

Quality to us is paramount! We only deal with quality assured manufacturers of the raw materials and our quality commitment permeates our working practices at every level.

Posted in Ukraine, Energy Storage Techs, California, Automotive Techs | 1 Comment »

26. October 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Factory：Hi - Tech industrial Park Xinyu Jiangxi P. R. C. ZIP：338032 WEB: www.ldksolar.com E-mail: ir@ldksolar.com ; sales@ldksolar.com LDK  Solar USA,Inc. 1290 Oakmead Parkway ,Suite 306 Sunnyvale ,   CA 94085   USA TEL: +1-408-245-0858 Fax: +1-408 245 8802

About As the worldwide demand for electricity increases and the historical reliance on fossil fuels is being challenged by increasing environmental awareness, the focus has turned to renewable energy sources. As a reliable and versatile form of renewable energy, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are expected to become a dominant energy source. According to market research, PV is expected to account for over 50% of the world’s total electricity generated by renewable energy sources by 2070. LDK Solar is a pure-play manufacturer dedicated solely to the design, development, manufacturing and distribution of multicrystalline solar wafers. Wafers are the principal raw material used to produce solar cells, which are devices capable of converting sunlight into electricity. Their manufacturing process is based on proprietary production processes utilizing both virgin and recyclable polysilicon for ingot production. Through this proprietary process, they are able to offer their global solar cell and module manufacturer customers considerable cost advantages while maintaining quality and performance. LDK Solars also provides wafering services to both multicrystalline and monocrystalline solar cell and module manufacturers. LDK Solar made their first commercial shipment of solar wafers in April 2006 and have quickly become one of the leading manufacturers in the industry, with their annual production capacity expected to increase to 400 megawatts, or MW by the end of 2007 from 215 MW as of March 31, 2007. Their headquarters and their large scale, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities are located in Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Xinyu city, Jiangxi province in the People’s Republic of China. Products LDK Solar manufactures and sells multicrystalline solar wafers. They currently produce and sell multicrystalline wafers in two principal sizes of 125 by 125 mm and 156 by 156 mm, with thicknesses from 180 and 240 microns. LDK also provides wafering services to both monocrystalline and multicrystalline solar cell and module manufactures, which provide us their own ingots to be sliced. They charge a fee based on the number of wafers to be sliced. The main technological process of multi-crystalline wafers contains: ingot and wire saw. Strategic relationships with world class PV equipment manufacturers GT Solar(USA) HCT (Switzerland), support LDK on equipment, process and technology.Cooperate with Shanghai Jiaotong University formed “Shanghai Jiaotong University-LDK Solar R&D Lab” engages in industry leading or LDK R&D projects, endeavor together toreach state-level lab, supply technology support for LDK to develop into a world class wafer manufacture. Cooperate with Nanchang University formed “Nanchang University-LDK Solar Research Center”, research in projects such as wafer purification, crystallization improvement, and wire breakage reduction etc. Ingot         1、Muticrystalline DSS capacity : 275kg/ingot （standard） 2、Ingot size: 690mm（L）× 690mm（W）×240mm（H） Multi-crystalline wafer Conductivity type：P Dimension: 103×103±0.5mm ，125×125±0.5mm，150×150±0.5mm，156×156±0.5mm，210×210±0.5mm Shape：Square Resistivity：0.5Ω/cm-3Ω/cm Lifetime： ≥2μs Oxygen concentration ≤ 1×1018atom/cm3 Carbon concentration ≤ 5×1016atom/cm3 Thickness：200μm± 20μm, 220μm± 20μm,240μm± 20μm TTV：≤ 50 μm BOW：≤ 30 μm Saw mark：≤ 10 μm Chips：L≤1mm, D≤1mm,Max. 2 places Crack and pinhole： no cracks and pin holes visible with the naked eyes 125×125 150×150 156×156 210×210 Mono-crystalline wafer Lifetime: ≥10μs BOW：≤35 μm Resistivity: 0.5—3，3—6，6—10Ω·cm Oxygen concentration ≤ 1×1018atom/cm3 Carbon concentration ≤ 5×1016atom/cm3 Dimension: 125mmX125mm±0.5mm ,156mmX156mm±0.5mm Thickness: 200μm ,220μm, 240μm(±20μm) TTV：≤ 50 μm Squareness Angle Variety : ＜0.6mm Squareness Angle: 90°±0.25° Crystal direction : ≤100≥ 125×125 156×156

Posted in China, California, Solar Techs, USA | 1 Comment »

26. October 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Ausra, Inc.

Ausra, Inc.
2585 East Bayshore Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94303

phone: 650.424.9300
fax: 650.494.3893

Email:
General Information: info@ausra.comAbout
Ausra develops and deploys utility-scale solar technologies to serve global electricity needs in a dependable, market competitive, environmentally responsible manner.

Amid growing public demand for clean energy, Ausra offers solar thermal electric power stations that provide large-scale low-cost, reliable, renewable energy. Unlike competing approaches, Ausra’s technology is proven, easily manufactured and installed, and scalable to high volume.

Ausra’s zero-carbon power plants generate electricity at current market prices for fossil-fired power without the emissions caused by burning fuels. Solar concentrators boil water with focused sunlight, generating high-pressure steam that drives conventional turbine generators. Low-cost thermal energy storage systems now under development by Ausra will allow solar electric power to be generated on demand, day and night.

Electric utilities in the U.S. and worldwide are under growing pressure to expand their deliveries of clean, renewable power. The Ausra team brings together expertise in solar energy research, engineering, manufacturing, power project development and finance to address this need. The company designs, manufactures and deploys low-cost, large-scale, solar electric power stations, selling electric power at prices competitive with today’s fossil-fired generation.

Ausra’s core technology, the Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) solar collector and steam generation system, was originally conceived in the early 1990s at Sydney University. It was first commercialized by Solar Heat and Power Pty Ltd. in 2004 in Australia and is now being refined and built at large scale by Ausra around the world.

CLFR technology has significant advantages in cost, scalability and emissions profile. Ausra develops large-scale power projects incorporating CLFR solar fields, and helps utilities generate clean energy for millions of customers.

Innovation in Action

• Research and Development: Ausra’s core group of chemists, physicists and engineers are working on optics, coatings, materials and manufacturing processes to improve the performance and reduce the cost of solar collector systems, thermal energy storage systems and power plant cooling systems. Their ongoing refinements to Ausra’s technology will continue to reduce costs and extend Ausra’s leadership in these fields.
• Engineering: Ausra’s engineering managers and engineers come from a variety of disciplines across the electric power industry. The team optimizes Ausra’s existing technologies for production, and brings new technologies from R&D into volume manufacturing. Ausra partners with leading consulting engineering firms to test and verify energy production and lifecycle performance of its plants.
• Manufacturing: Ausra’s approach to solar plant production emphasizes manufacturing facilities located near power plants, low-cost commodity materials (steel, glass and concrete), and mass produced components. Ausra operates its own production facilities for the manufacture of its solar collectors to deliver the highest performance at lowest possible system costs.
• Project Management: Ausra draws experts from many sectors of the energy industry to manage land permits, project finance and power purchase agreements. The team has a strong track record of success with multiple generations of technologies.

Solar Thermal Electric Power is Energy Independence and Security
We have a secure source of electric power with guaranteed stable prices, no emissions, and the ability to scale to meet all our needs. With a 20-year track record of over 99 percent availability, solar thermal electric power has proven to be a dependable source of electric power for America’s growing energy needs. Solar power is entirely domestically produced, is protected against fuel price and availability fluctuations, and is secure against future costs of carbon emissions.

Ausra’s innovations in collector design dramatically reduce the cost of solar thermal generation equipment and bring solar

power to prices directly competitive with fossil fuel power.

Using Ausra’s current solar technologies, all U.S. electric power, day and night, can be generated using a land area smaller than 92 by 92 miles.

Ausra’s business will benefit local economies by bringing “green collar” manufacturing and operating jobs to rural communities. By delivering clean, reliable energy at market-competitive prices, Ausra will help meet America’s growing needs for climate-friendly power while maintaining consumer-friendly prices.

Posted in California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

23. September 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Sopogy

Corporate Solar Solutions Center
2660 Waiwai Loop
Honolulu, Hawaii 96819
US Toll Free: (866) 767-6491, (866-Sopogy1)
International Phone: (808) 237-2409
FAX: (808) 356-0565

West Coast Solar Solutions Center
1735 Technology Drive, Suite 400
San Jose, California 95110
US Toll Free: (866) 767-6491, (866-Sopogy1)
FAX: (408) 351-8883

Southwest USA Solar Solutions Center
2942 N 24^th Street, Suite 114
Phoenix, AZ 85016
US Toll Free: (866) 767-6491, (866-Sopogy1)
FAX: (602) 391-2000What They Do
Sopogy is a leader in MicroCSP technologies that bring the economics of proven large scale Concentrating Power Systems (CSP) to the distributed generation markets. MicroCSP technologies are used to create Process Heat, Solar Air Conditioning or Electrical Power. For more information on the technology visit our How It Works page.

About

Originally founded in 2002 at the Energy Laboratories an energy concept incubator of Energy Industries, Sopogy is focused at bringing a new renewable energy technology to the market. The future is clean power, green systems and LEED™ smart buildings. The Sopogy energy system is enabling the solar energy revolution and for our customers “every day is a Sopogy day™”.

Philosophy
Sopogy is dedicated to helping their customers achieve their renewable energy goals. Using their solar energy systems to produce electricity, process heat or solar A/C we maximize energy production while minimizing costs.

Mission
Sopogy’s mission is to invent, manufacture and sell the world’s most innovative and affordable solar collectors. Their company strives to become part of the solution to global problems including climate change, energy security and sustainability.

Goals:

* Establish a global solar energy brand.
* Make solar energy competitive to fossil fuel energy worldwide.
* Achieve entrepreneurial success.
* Create solar solutions that improve the quality of life for all human kind.
* Bring order and simplicity to the chaos which is the current solar power business.

Technology

Sopogy MicroCSP technologies present a new and unique approach to harnessing the power of the sun.

Posted in Hawaii, California, Solar Techs, USA, Arizona | No Comments »

5. September 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Verenium, LLC

Verenium Corporation
55 Cambridge Parkway, 8th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142
TEL: 617.674.5300

4955 Directors Place
San Diego, CA 92121
TEL: 858.526.5000

Verenium Biofuels, LLC
PO Box 389
11107 Campbell Wells Road
East Highway 90
Jennings, LA 70546
TEL: 337.824.4180

About
Verenium Corporation is a leader in the development and the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol, an environmentally-friendly and renewable transportation fuel, as well as higher performance specialty enzymes for applications within the biofuels, industrial, and animal nutrition and health markets.

Integrated capabilities: our competitive edge

The Company possesses integrated, end-to-end capabilities in pre-treatment, novel enzyme development, fermentation, engineering, and project development and is moving rapidly to commercialize its proprietary technology for the production of cellulosic ethanol from a wide array of feedstocks, including sugarcane bagasse, dedicated energy crops, agricultural waste, and wood products. In addition to the vast potential for biofuels, a multitude of large-scale industrial opportunities exist for the Company for products derived from the production of low-cost, biomass-derived sugars.

Verenium’s Specialty Enzyme business harnesses the power of enzymes to create a broad range of specialty products to meet high-value commercial needs. Verenium’s world class R&D organization is renowned for its capabilities in the rapid screening, identification, and expression of enzymes that act as the catalysts of biochemical reactions.

Cellulosic ethanol: first mover advantage

Verenium operates one of the nation’s first cellulosic ethanol pilot plants, an R&D facility, in Jennings, Louisiana and has recently entered the start-up phase at its 1.4 million-gallon-per-year demonstration-scale facility. In addition, the Company’s process technology has been licensed by Tokyo-based Marubeni Corp. and Tsukishima Kikai Co., LTD and has been incorporated into BioEthanol Japan’s 1.4 million liter-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant in Osaka, Japan — the world’s first commercial-scale plant to produce cellulosic ethanol from wood construction waste.

Verenium and Marubeni are continuing to advance the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol projects utilizing Verenium’s proprietary technology in Asia with the opening of a three million-liter-per-year plant in Saraburi, Thailand. The cellulosic plant in Thailand is co-located with a facility that will produce ethanol from sugar-cane derived sucrose, which is widely abundant in the region.

The need for alternative fuels

The urgent need for cleaner automotive fuels is pushing the private sector to develop low-carbon alternatives. Cellulosic ethanol is widely recognized as one of the most promising ways to meet our need for clean fuels with dramatically lower energy inputs and net carbon emissions. Verenium is a leader in the development of cellulosic ethanol - a clean-burning fuel derived from canes, grasses, softwoods, and other biomass sources that are readily available and are not utilized for food.

The need for alternative fuels has led to new federal law mandating the production and use of billions of gallons of biofuels within the next decade. The market is vast. The first companies entering the market for next-generation cellulosic ethanol will be tapping into a multi-billion dollar market at the beginning of commercialization.

Posted in Louisiana, California, Biofuel Techs, Massachusetts, USA | No Comments »

5. September 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

The OptiSolar, Inc.

31302 Huntwood Avenue
Hayward, CA 94544
Phone: 510.401.5800
Fax: 510.401.5859

About
OptiSolar manufactures photovoltaic (PV) modules and produces power from their own large-scale solar farms. Their innovative manufacturing processes, technologies, and management strength are at the core of the OptiSolar Advantage.

OptiSolar’s combination of proprietary manufacturing processes and innovative design yields affordable, durable, amorphous silicon thin-film solar PV panels that significantly reduce the cost of clean solar power. Amorphous silicon PV panels have been successfully used for over 20 years. Their technology helps utility companies meet their customers’ daytime power demand and increases renewable energy supplies while reducing greenhouse emissions.

OptiSolar’s management team has extensive experience in the energy, solar, high-technology, and manufacturing sectors. This unique combination enables continuous innovation, efficient manufacturing, and the consistent supply of large-scale solar power to the energy industry.

Founded in 2005, OptiSolar is a fast-growing California-based company with hundreds of employees. OptiSolar has established its R&D facilities and manufacturing operations in Hayward, California. We are on the fast track to provide clean, renewable PV solar into the global energy mix now . . . to ensure a cleaner future for our children.

Business

A vertically integrated, low-cost solar energy producer, OptiSolar manufactures solar panels, and designs, develops, finances, owns and operates large-scale solar farms for the generation and delivery of clean, renewable solar-powered electricity.

This vertical integration from design and manufacture through to installation and operation of OptiSolar-owned solar farms allows them to provide solar electricity at a low cost.

As the world embraces renewable energy technologies, such as solar power, OptiSolar is committed to delivering competitively-priced solar electricity from their solar farms to the power grid.

Environment-FriendlyOptiSolar’s panels are constructed with highly-available and inexpensive materials with long-term reliability in outdoor environments. OptiSolar systems are an environmentally sensitive method of producing power, containing no toxic materials, utilizing essentially no moving parts, consuming no fuel and creating zero emissions. The materials that make up the solar farms — mostly glass, metal, silicon and concrete — are recyclable.

OptiSolar’s Large-Scale Solar Farms

OptiSolar’s large-scale solar farm projects contain millions of amorphous PV solar cells that convert sunlight to electricity. Their solar farms meet utility customer demand by producing their greatest amounts of electricity on hot, sunny summer days, when electricity demand often reaches its peak. Power generation sites are selected based on environmental considerations, the amount of available sunshine, and distance to power lines. Their construction teams mount the PV panels in rows near ground level, minimizing visual impact. OptiSolar is committed to safe, efficient and site-friendly installation of the systems on their solar farms.

OptiSolar’s farms operate with little maintenance after the initial setup. Electricity from their panels is interconnected to the electricity distribution and transmission system, just like any other generation source. Operation is virtually silent, with only a slight hum due to electrical equipment.

Posted in California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

5. September 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Cyrium Technologies, Inc.

Canada Office:

1200 Montreal Road, M50-building, IPF wing
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1A 0R6

USA Office:

1250 Oakmead Parkway, Suite 210
Sunnyvale, California, U.S.A.
94085

About

Cyrium Technologies™ is developing a proprietary breakthrough photovoltaic solar cell technology using semiconductor nanotechnolgy. Their business strategy is to become a leader in advanced solar cells, with a focused market-entry addressing terrestrial applications.

Cyrium Technologies leverages a decade of R&D on semiconductor quantum dots and will help concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) system manufacture semiconductor fabrication facilities and a board of directors comprised of industry veterans.

Product

High-efficiency solar cells for concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) applications are now available for independent validations.

Posted in Canada, California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

25. July 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Innovalight, Inc.

965 East Arques Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94085-4521

t: 408-419-4400
f: 408-419-4758

info@innovalight.com

About

Innovalight is focused on bringing ultra low-cost solar power modules to the marketplace. Innovalight is harnessing a proprietary silicon-ink process, developed by the company to print thin-film solar power modules. Leveraging the advantages of solvent-based processing, Innovalight will help accelerate the promise of more affordable solar power solutions for residential and commercial applications.

The Company was recognized as a 2006 Technology Pioneer winner at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. The Company has been extensively profiled in Time Magazine, The Economist, Red Herring and other major news organizations as a technology leader crusading for new cleaner energy solutions.

Innovalight is an early-stage company and is based in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Technology

Innovalight has developed a technology that has the promise to take current silicon-based solar cells (90 percent of market today) to a completely new level of cost. The high cost of production of solar cells today has been one of the major factors inhibiting the overall growth of solar energy as a market.

Innovalight has developed a silicon nanocrystalline ink that holds the promise to bring flexible solar panels to cost that could be as much as ten times cheaper than current solar cell solutions. Using proprietary methods, Innovalight has developed a solvent-based silicon process that lends itself to a low cost production and high throughput manufacturing.

Products

Innovalight is developing products for grid-connected solar power generation. The products that Innovalight is developing will be for both residential and commercial applications.

Posted in California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

25. July 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

EdeniQ

1520 N. Kelsey St.
Visalia, CA
93291
559-302-1777

About
Peak oil. Inflation. Global warming. Conflict. Today’s headlines make it clear: we need a sustainable, affordable source of energy that protects the environment and meets the needs of nearly 7 billion – and growing – aspiring, remarkable humans.

EdeniQ’s scientists are pursuing solutions that cost-effectively convert abundant, non-food biomass into fuels. Making fuels from agricultural waste such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, rice straw and woodchips takes the controversy out of biofuels and puts the green – and the humanity – in.

Their name says a great deal about their mission. EdeniQ is an intentional misspelling of Edenic an adjective meaning “of or pertaining to the Garden of Eden.” The “IQ” ending of EdeniQ connotes intelligence. Together Eden IQ expresses our profound desire to engage in the wise use of all that nature provides.

Most of the energy plants store is not in their seeds, fruits or tubers. Most of the energy they store is in their actual structure, the so-called lignocellulosic parts of the plant. But these stiffer, woodier parts of plants, though rich in complex sugars, are not easily broken down into useable energy. Yet, we all know that given enough time, even the mightiest trees decay. There are animals, plants, bacteria and fungi that make their livings off of plant structure. In nature, nothing is wasted.

Harnessing natural processes that breakdown complex lignocellulosic materials into simpler sugars that can be fermented or otherwise crafted into fuels is just one area where EdeniQ’s team has made significant breakthroughs.

With natural processes as their guide, they give consideration to every aspect of turning biomass into useable energy. This means thinking not only about how to breakdown complex lignocellulosic polymers, but also about the use of water, the generation of waste, and the input of energy. Unlike other cellulosic ethanol processes EdeniQ’s process does not use harsh acids or rely on expensive metal catalysts. And, the heat and electricity needed for production are derived by burning residual lignin (the toughest of all plant matter). The end result is carbon-neutral energy that does not add incremental CO2 to our atmosphere.

By emulating nature, EdeniQ knows that remarkable things happen: processes become cyclical, adaptable and efficient. Costs actually decrease. To thrive in the 21st century it is clear that nations, companies, investors, shareholders and citizens alike must embrace the awesome, ancient lessons of our living world. EdeniQ does exactly that.

Technology

EdeniQ’s technologies help new and existing biofuels producers derive clean, affordable energy from a wide variety of biomass.

Their patented processes can be implemented for a fraction of the $6 to $12 per gallon capital cost it takes to build a cellulosic plant employing today’s acid hydrolosis or syngas technologies. And, by eliminating expensive catalysts and additives, EdeniQ’s solution is not only capital efficient, but also costs far less to operate.

EdeniQ knows that cellulosic ethanol will only enter the mainstream when the following key conditions are met:

• The processes for breaking down complex lignocelluosic materials must be fast and affordable;
• These processes must not produce wastestreams that are expensive to handle and deleterious to the environment;
• The refining processes must not use fossil fuels to generate the required inputs of heat and electricity;
• The plants employing these processes should not be tied to the use of any one type of feedstock, but rather be free to work with a wide variety of feedstocks;
• The processes should cost-effectively yield sugars that can be fermented or otherwise processed into a range of fuels (not just ethanol);
• The processes should be water efficient (meaning that a significant portion of the water required is reused);
• When measured end-to-end, the fuel produced by these processes should be carbon-neutral (i.e., not introduce incremental CO2 into the atmosphere);
• The processes should take advantage of valuable co-products;
• The processes should be able to work with many elements of today’s existing biofuels infrastructure and not require a complete overhaul of the industry;
• Plants should be able to add the processes in an incremental fashion by deploying profitable modules that help manage precious capital;
• The all-in cost of a gallon of fuel produced by these processes must be under $1.50 per gallon;
• The processes need to be available today, not 2-5 years from now.

Posted in California, Biofuel Techs, USA | No Comments »

25. July 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

ECO2 Plastics
680 Second Street, Suite 200
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-829-6000
info@eco2plastics.com

About

Inspiration

You have to wash plastic to recycle it, but traditional recycling technology uses billions of gallons of water each year in the process. A decade ago, industry veteran, Gary De Laurentiis, set out to change that. He discovered a process developed by Honeywell and the Department of Energy for recycling used HDPE oil bottles. This would be the inspiration for the process Eco2 plastics utilize today.

Vision

Following years of research and development in conjunction with researchers from Honeywell, he expanded the process to clean PET beverage containers by combining a biodegradable solvent and liquid carbon dioxide to replace traditional water-based methods. With this newly patented technique, he gave the world a completely closed-loop plastic recycling system — one that uses no water and continually reuses the cleaning agents.

The company built around that idea is now known as ECO2 Plastics. They’ve assembled the finest, most experienced minds in the plastics and recycling industries to revolutionize the business. Recognizing the benefits of their process, the State of California supported the company with a loan in 2005. Private investors have invested over $20 million. They are now in full-scale production in California, and have plans for 10 plants in the U.S. within five years.
Innovation

But the idea doesn’t stop there. They now see additional applications for this unique process and they are hard at work on next generation technology, such as work currently underway with USCAR.

They’re making plastic recycling more ecological, more economical, and quite simply more logical. A process they call eco.logical.recycling.

Product

PET plastic flakes are a commodity product, processed and delivered to industry for use in hundreds of applications. Our product is virtually identical to traditionally recycled plastic, but produced in a more efficient and earth-friendly way.

Quality Assurance.

Their recycled plastic is of the highest quality. It is odor-free and contaminant-free to 100 parts per million. Every 1,000 pounds is tested for intrinsic viscosity, melt flow, density, moisture content and PVC content. You’re guaranteed a perfect product.

Supply Chain Stability.

Their process enables us to provide high-quality plastic flake at the lowest cost of production. In a commodity business, they are positioned as a company with staying power.

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