PHILADELPHIA - The
Energy Commercialization Institute (ECI), the region’s first
university-based energy commercialization partnership, has awarded $510K
to five regional alternative and clean technology companies and three university-based research projects.
The
funding is intended to jump-start promising technologies and help build
Southeastern Pennsylvania’s alternative energy infrastructure.
The ECI, with funding from the Commonwealth’s Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority, was created by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP),
Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and Penn State University. It supports the commercialization of energy-sector technology through translational research and sponsored research funding.
The ECI’s first awards come from two separate funds:
- The Energy Sponsored Research Agreement Fund (ESRA) provides matching funds for Sponsored Research Agreements to support institutional research for the advancement of a company’s
existing technology. - The Energy Translational Research Fund (ETRF) provides funding directly to institutional researchers to support multi-institutional projects with a high degree of potential success.
“The
Energy Commercialization Institute’s first funding awards go to
promising companies and research projects including solar, biofuel and
wind technologies,” said RoseAnn B. Rosenthal, President and
CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
CEO of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Receiving ERSA funding are:
Chika Nwankpa- Drexel University, with Viridity Energy, Inc.:
“Dynamic Load Model Development for Commercial Building Energy Price Forecasting”
Awarded $26,372
One
of the challenges presented by the plan to implement alternative energy
on a widespread scale is how to store the energy so it can be used
efficiently and reliably. Nwankpa, partnering with Viridity,
will work to develop an energy management system to store energy from several sources, including wind and solar power.
will work to develop an energy management system to store energy from several sources, including wind and solar power.
Bradley Layton – Drexel University, with NetScientific America, Inc.:
“Pennsylvania Energy Independence through Wind Turbine Technology”
Awarded $5,000
Layton will work with NetScientific to develop a wind-turbine for commercial use. Generating power from wind creates no waste products.
Alexander Fridman – Drexel University, with Chevron USA, Inc.:
“Energy Conversion and Suppression of Emission of Greenhouse Gases”
Awarded $50,000
The
Drexel Plasma Institute, led by Fridman, will work on a long-term
productive collaboration with Chevron to develop a process to produce hydrogen fuel
from fossil fuels without greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen is a
clean-burning, energy efficient fuel for industrial and commercial uses.
Alexander Fridman – Drexel University, with Accelbeam:
“Microwave Plasma Reforming of Pyrolysis Gas Mix in Coal-To-Liquid Scheme”
Awarded $30,000
Fridman will also work with Accelbeam to develop liquid fuels from low quality coals, which would otherwise be waste.
Cherie Kagan – University of Pennsylvania, with Rhodia, Inc.:
“Low-cost, Solution-Processable Transparent Electrodes for Solar Photovoltaics”
Awarded $49,150
Kagan and Rhodia will collaborate to develop inexpensive components for solar cells.
Receiving ETRF funding are:
Alexander Fridman - Drexel University, and Dmitri Vainchtein - Temple University:
“High Power Gliding Arc for Clean Energy Technologies of H2, Production from Biomass, Coal and Organic Wastes”
Awarded $150,000
Fridman and his co-investigators will work to create clean energy from coal and organic waste products that can be used for consumer and industrial purposes.
Emin Caglan Kumbar – Drexel University, and Matthew Mench – Pennsylvania State University:
“Development of Commercial Flow Battery Testing Device and Operating System”
Awarded $50,000
Kumbur and his co-investigators will design and develop advanced batteries that can be used for automotive or industrial applications.
Ying
Sun, Jason Baxter – Drexel University; Cherie Kagan – University of
Pennsylvania; Svetlana Neretina – Temple University; and Pritpal Singh –
Villanova University:
“Large-Scale Fabrication of Printable Hybrid Solar Cells”
Awarded $150,000
Sun and his co-investigators will research ways to advance printable solar cells, and low cost manufacturing technology.
