Awards competition seeks the most efficient computer monitors

The second competition of super-efficient equipment and appliance deployment (SEAD) global efficiency medals recognizes and highly-efficient desktop computer monitors. This global competition winner take-all is efficiency in the shows by the recognition of the products with the best energy efficiency forward. SEAD is an initiative of the clean energy ministerial and an operation within the international partnership for energy efficiency cooperation (IPEEC); The Energy Department serves as the U.S. Government lead agency.

It is estimated that in 2008, the same amount of 11 to 13 shows in the residential sector medium-sized coal-fired power plants produced was consumed. Sales of award-winning displays can lead to substantial energy savings. Will be accepted through March 31, 2013, product nominations and winners will be announced in September. The first competition of SEAD of global efficiency medal recognized Samsung and LG for making the world the most energy efficient televisions. Find the website of SEAD competition.

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EPA Awards $675,000 to Students in Sustainable Tech Competition

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 4 awarded a total of $675,000 in grants to 45 college teams in its "People, Prosperity and the Planet" annual student design competition. Each grant, which awarded up to $15,000 per team, will be applied toward designing and developing sustainable technologies to help protect health and the environment while promoting economic development.

For example, a team from Southern Polytechnic State University in Georgia will work on increasing photovoltaic panel energy output by having solar cells track the sun. Another team from Johns Hopkins University will study the integration of waste treatment with algal cultivation for aquaculture and renewable biofuel production.

After eight months of work on their projects, the teams will bring their designs to Washington, D.C. to participate in EPA's National Sustainable Design Expo, scheduled for April 20-21, 2013. A panel of scientific experts will judge the projects, and winners receive an award and recommendation for a second phase grant of up to $90,000 to further develop their designs and prepare them for the marketplace. See the EPA press release.

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Department of energy starts SunShot price competition

The SunShot prize is intended to reduce in the soft costs associated with small solar systems of more than 65%.
Credit: MREA

Within the framework of the initiative announced the Energy Ministry SunShot the Department on September 12 beginning to make a new contest faster, easier and cheaper, solar panels on the roof to install. The SunShot price makes a total of $10 million in cash prizes for the first three teams that consistently demonstrate that the non-hardware costs or price to plug in, as low as $1 per watt (W) for small photovoltaic (PV) systems, which can be installed to American homes and businesses. This objective corresponds to a decline in the "soft costs" of solar installations - including permitting, licensing, connection to the grid and other non-hardware costs - more than 65%. The winning teams will show that solar energy is a solution affordable for families and businesses in the United States.

The SunShot Prize to inspire innovative, sustainable and verifiable business practices to reduce soft costs $1 / W. achieving which this target SunShot within will bring soft cost target of $0.60 / W for residential system, reach by the end of the Decade. During phase I of the competition to win the teams will be successful to deploy, 5,000 small-scale (is kilowatt) rooftop PV systems with non-hardware costs an average $1 / W. phase II, which is provided the company sustainability the winner, calls for the installation of an additional 1,000 qualified systems.

The competition runs over 2015.The winner first place will receive $7 million, $2 million will get second place and runners-up will receive $1 million for the competition to achieve goals successfully. In addition to the prize money, which are officially first place team "the winner of America's best rooftop solar"-price. The SunShot initiative is a joint project of the national to solar energy until the end of the decade with other energies get competitive. See the press release of Ministry of energy and SunShot Prize Web site.

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SunShot initiative investment and solar competition announced

DOE's SunShot initiative is a new competition and investment so that easier and less expensive to solar energy technologies to provide it.
Credit card: Craig Miller Productions

In the context of the initiative announced the Department of energy SunShot the Department on June 13 one new competition and investment to it easier and less expensive to solar energy technologies to deploy. The Department "Americas Best rooftop solar" competition starts to aggressively drive the cost of solar panels on the roof. It is also providing almost 8 million $ on nine small businesses, reduce the cost of financing, with a beautiful and other "soft costs", the almost half of the cost of residential solar systems can make. To promote the use of low-cost residential and small commercial roof solar systems across the nation, the Department of America at the most affordable rooftop solar launches competition us quickly to challenge reduction in the cost of installed roof photovoltaic (PV) systems team. The contest offers prize money $10 million total for the first three U.S. teams, which can install solar PV systems at an average price of $2 per watt 5,000 roof. The competition is to set by an ambitious goal, to make affordable helical creative public private partnerships, original business models and innovative approaches for solar energy for millions of families and businesses. Find America's most affordable rooftop solar competition Web site.

The Energy Department to support incubator program awards up to $8 million to nine highly innovative start-ups in four States by the SunShot. These companies in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, develop transformative solutions to optimize the solar system processes such as financing, approval and control. See the list of projects.

A national joint effort to solar power cost is the SunShot initiative until the end of the decade with other energies to make competitive. "Moon Shot" program, to put the first man on the Moon inspired by President Kennedy, SunShot has created initiative provides new impulses for the solar industry, by the need for American competitiveness in the clean energy race. See the DOE press release and the SunShot initiative Web site.

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Green machine: Saint-Gobain NOVA innovation competition taps North American startups

Saint-Gobain, has joined co-present the world's largest construction companies of the materials chapter (USGBC-NCC) to the company NOVA innovation competition with the U.S. Green Building Council - Northern California. Competition rewards start Greentech and innovations in sustainable products, new materials, highly efficient solutions, clean technology and renewable energy sources with cash prizes and access to partnership opportunities with Saint-Gobain offers Cleantech companies around the world.
The deadline to submit entry is 30 June; Finalists win the chance their innovative companies the top management team of Saint-Gobain in a live speed dating format to the 2012 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in San Francisco on November 15 pitch.

NOVA identifies external car, the international group of Saint-Gobain analysts, and evaluates start up companies for partnerships with Saint-Gobain believes companies, there is a thriving entrepreneurial community in the United States and Canada, and exceptional contributions to the NOVA innovation competition 2012 expected as it for the first time in North America is hosted.
John Crowe, President and CEO of which Saint-Gobain Corporation and member of the NOVA said: "we have a responsibility maintain for start-ups, which otherwise would have had no access to bring to their innovation, be it sustainable building solutions or technologies for renewable energy on the civilian market."

At Greenbuild NOVA external venturing awards a winner of the first place with $50,000 and second and third place winners with $25,000 and $10,000 or. Winner also works with NOVA, a variety of partnerships with the company such as licensing, manufacturing or commercial agreements to explore equity participation or joint venture.

Rakesh Kapoor, Director, Saint-Gobain Northboro R & D Center and NOVA external car, says that companies that provide missing for growth but gain the ability to market the most advantages of the NOVA innovation competition.
"Since 2006, we in dozens of promising startups in the United States and in Europe, with a select few rises to above the competition innovation invested", Kapoor said. He adds that the award-winning companies thrive with access to the global market through Saint-Gobain established distribution channels and above all the support, resources and expertise that innovation comes from nearly 350-year history of the company of construction of materials.

The 2012 NOVA innovation competition come the extensive list of progressive companies that has evaluated external car NOVA since 2006, participants and winners will be part of an elite group of more than 40 existing partnerships.
Earlier in this spring on the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco, announced Saint-Gobain it the innovation competition with USGBC-NCC co-present would. Sheeraz Haji, CEO of Cleantech Group, said the i3 platform creators and producers of Cleantech Forum innovation competition emerging companies would provide the power of a global partnership to unlock new markets, increasing their brand and to validate their technology.

Sheeraz also said: "this goes well beyond the provision of funds landmark competition and instead supports young companies establish to prove themselves on the global market, to maintain their business models and their customer base."

To learn more about the NOVA innovation competition, a start-up recommend or apply via the online form, please visit www.saint-gobain.com/innovationcompetition2012 before the 30 June 2012.

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Management ensures a 26 million US-dollar competition for advanced manufacturing

The Obama Government announced on May 29 a $26 million multi-agency advanced manufacturing jobs and Innovation Accelerator challenge fueled job creation through public private partnerships to promote innovation. The challenge will support projects aimed at, grow a region industrial cluster by strengthening connections on regional economic development opportunities and advanced manufacturing facilities to help; Capacity one region, to create high-quality sustainable employment; develop a skilled and various advanced production workers; Exports should be increased; Promoting the development of small businesses; and technological innovation to speed up.

This is the third round of the competition jobs Accelerator, which is financed by the Ministry of energy; The U.S. Department of Commerce economic development administration and National Institute of standards and technology; Employment and training administration of U.S. Department of labor; the small business administration; and the National Science Foundation. In this round about 12 projects should by a competitive inter-agency grant will be selected. These coordinated investments help catalyze and using private capital to promote building an entrepreneurial ecosystem and cluster-based development in regions in the United States. The deadline for applications is July 9, 2012. See Web site Manufacturing.gov and the possibility of granting on Grants.gov interagency press release, jobs and Innovation Accelerator challenge.

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Energy Department to Back $30 Million Storage Competition

The Energy Department on April 11 announced a $30 million research competition for improving the performance and safety of energy storage devices, including hybrid energy storage modules being developed by the U.S. Department of Defense for military applications.

DOE, through its Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E), is funding the Advanced Management and Protection of Energy-storage Devices (AMPED) program. It is designed to seek out transformational, breakthrough energy storage technologies that are too risky for private-sector investment.

Specifically, AMPED technologies have the potential to create a new generation of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles; increase the fuel efficiency of military generators to help reduce the need for fuel convoys on the battlefield; improve the reliability of military aircraft generators to help to reduce operation and maintenance costs; enable next-generation high-power weapons systems and fuel-efficient operations for U.S. Navy ships; and enhance the efficiency and reliability of the U.S. electricity grid. See the DOE press release and the ARPA-E website for funding details.

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