Flying Towards Cleaner Energy With Dutch Startup KitePower

See how this Dutch company is utilising wind power innovatively to provide a brighter future towards carbon neutrality.
Wind energy is a source of clean, renewable energy, alongside solar and hydropower. Unlike fossil fuels, wind energy can provide an infinite supply of energy.

In 2020, 80% of the planet’s energy is dependent on fossil fuels, which are responsible for emitting carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the atmosphere. Yet, planet Earth has provided us with the resources to sustain humanity’s energy dependency with renewable energy.

The movement towards clean energy must be made this century, as it is predicted that the planet will run out of oil by 2052, followed by gas and coal in 2060.

The importance of wind energy
Scottish engineer James Blyth (1839-1906) first developed the wind-powered turbine in 1887, whilst teaching at Anderson’s College in Glasgow. His discovery was initially unpopular and neighbours objected to Blyth using it to power street lamps, as they feared the machine was powered by supernatural forces.

Blyth sadly never got to see how appreciated his invention would become, for, in the modern day, wind energy is being used in the fight against climate change and is utilised as an energy source in over 100 countries.

Wind turbines create energy by harnessing the wind from a great height, which turns propeller blades. The rotor then spins a generator which creates electricity. The UK runs the highest amount of offshore wind farms and makes up 35% of the capacity globally.

Furthermore, even as a top polluter, China has taken huge strides by adopting renewable energy sources, including building the world’s largest wind farm on land, the Gansu Wind Farm Project.

Dutch wind energy start-up looks to the skies for a future without carbon
Despite the benefits of unlimited and harmless energy, many people object to wind turbines, on account of their unflattering shape, the noise, their placement in the countryside and spoiling clear views – but KitePower has an alternative.

When one thinks of The Netherlands, one might picture the iconic, wooden windmills, but for start-up KitePower, the stereotype is only a small exaggeration. The Netherlands first utilised wind power for windmills in order to grind grains and pump water across flat, dry land.

Now, KitePower technology is based on the structure of a traditional kite, with inflatable membrane wings, instead of paper. The kite takes to the air whilst being attached to a motor or a generator on land, which is charged as the kite flies.

Powered by the wind
Aiming higher was the ambition of head researcher Roland Schmehl, who said in his Ted talk: “The higher you reach, the higher the energy density that you can harvest.” KitePower claims that with the amount of energy capable of being created, the machine can save up to 400 tonnes of Co2 and 150,000 litres of diesel, per year.

The kites also requite 90% less material than the humble wind turbine, making them easily transportable and available to remote communities and areas suffering from unexpected disaster.

If the use of fossil fuels continues, then the coastline will be at risk of flooding if the polar ice caps melt. Thus, there may be a very desperate need for KitePower in the future. But, if the planet can embrace wind energy with the gusto of the Chinese and the UK, there is every chance that KitePower will be seen both on and offshore.

Swiss Start-Up Captures Carbon from Air for Clean Fuels

Based in Switzerland, ClimeWorks is the leading company in the Direct Air Capture (DAC) industry.
The Swiss start-up aims to capture CO2 from the atmosphere, which is then stored underground, or used to manufacture carbon-neutral fuels.

Following the Paris Agreement, GHG emissions are estimated to reach 60 GtCO2e in 2030 under present policies. Due to the heightened ambition to stabilise global temperatures, adhering to the global carbon budget will require the elimination of carbon emissions from major sources by 2050.

Given the challenges of eliminating distributed sources of emissions, negative emission technologies (NETs) that sequester carbon dioxide from the environment have become an integral part of climate change strategies adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

How it works
Direct Air Capture technologies are solutions that aim to directly extract evenly distributed CO2 from ambient air in the atmosphere. Currently, the industry is still in its preliminary stages of development, consisting of several active companies concurrently designing and utilising variable DAC technologies that target different markets.

The DAC design adopted by ClimeWorks relies on alkaline-functionalised adsorbents bonded to a porous solid support, which is held within modular “collectors”. The CO2 adsorption process is initially carried out at ambient conditions before the temperature-vacuum-swing (TVS) process.

During TVS, CO2 is released through pressure reduction and heating of the system. The whole process is then repeated after a cooling phase. As the adsorbents only require a temperature range of 85–120 °C for regeneration, waste heat can be utilised, making it one of the lowest energy-consuming systems that yield high purity gaseous CO2.

ClimeWorks progress
Since its founding in 2009, ClimeWorks has developed multiple prototypes of its DAC technology and eventually constructed the world’s first negative emission plant in Iceland under the CarbFix2 project, alongside Reykjavik Energy.

Since ClimeWorks’ plants use only energy from renewable sources or waste heat, 900 tCO2/yr has been captured from the air nominally without the need for any fossil-based power plant in proximity for operation.

Based on comprehensive development goals for cost reduction and the data collected from all 14 DAC plants built and operated by ClimeWorks in Europe, the expected costs of CO2 removal and storage via mineralisation is projected to approach $100/tCO2 within a decade.

Towards a carbon-neutral future
Just recently in May 2020, Stripe, a tech start-up based in San Francisco has announced its commitment towards tackling climate change by spending an additional $1 million annually in carbon dioxide removal technologies.

ClimeWorks was one of the selected solutions within the mix, stating ambitious plans to bury 50 tonnes of CO2underground in 2020 through its pilot project which includes the potential development of a bigger plant capable of capturing several thousand tonnes of CO2 annually.

Alongside more than 350 businesses that have pledged to match emission reduction targets proposed by the IPCC, Stripe has started the ball rolling for companies to invest in NETs.

As pioneering companies emerge to support the upscaling of such technologies, greater cost reduction, and the proliferation of carbon dioxide removal solutions will be expected in the near future.

The Search Engine That Plants Trees

Ecosia, the search engine, is having a positive influence on the planet by using the profit they generate from internet searches for planting trees.
Based in Berlin, the company are currently on their way to reaching 95.3 million trees planted all over the world in the places where they’re needed the most. The project greatly benefits the environment, as well as local economies.

How does it work?
Each month, Ecosia pays its partners to plant trees and to bring back forests through practical methods, such as firefighting and natural regeneration.

Ecosia became the first German company to become accredited as a B Corporation. Also, Ecosia, built its own solar plants in Germany to ensure that only 100% renewable energy was being used to power searches. The company currently has over 9,000 planting sites and plants trees in five different continents – most notably Africa and South America.

The green search engine was founded by Christian Kroll in 2009 after he travelled around the word and saw the consequences of deforestation. Kroll, claims that countries aiming to become “carbon neutral” is not enough. He was, therefore, inspired to aid the drive to net carbon zero by planting trees, which effectively removes CO2 from the atmosphere, and aids in reducing the negative effects of deforestation.

Planting for the future
In 2020, Ecosia is becoming the first company to produce twice as much solar power needed to power all their searches. This will actively accelerate the energy transition away from fossil fuels by adding solar energy and crowding out dirty energy from the grid.

The search engine, which has won several awards, uses servers that run on 100% renewable energy, and every search request removes 1kg of CO2 from the atmosphere.

Mobile App Developer, Paul Quinney, said: “It’s pretty hard to find a job in the tech industry where you are doing something other than just making the investors rich. In our case, we are trying to make the world a better place.”

With over 15 million users, Ecosia was recently added to Google Chrome as an official search engine option, which means even more trees will be planted and people can now use Ecosia across all their devices.

As well as dedicating their profits to tree planting, Ecosia are also focused on privacy, so there is no third-party trackers and all searches are anonymized within one week.

It’s Time to Tackle the E-Waste Problem

With electronic devices getting cheaper and the explosive technology industry growth, the world is facing a massive e-waste problem.
What is e-waste?
Electronic devices, also known as e-waste and e-scrap, include such items as dated refrigerators, irons, lawn mowers, televisions, smart-phones, laptops and others. Only 20% of global e-waste is recycled and the rest 80% usually continues to be stored in households because of inconvenient recycling options or simply dumped in landfills.

As the devices become more affordable and the replacement cycle gets shorter, more of the “old” stuff keeps piling up. According to the World Economic Forum, there were 44.7 million metric tonnes of e-waste generated in one year which is the equivalent of 4,500 Eiffel Towers.

“Many thousands of tonnes also find their way around the world to be pulled apart by hand or burned by the world’s poorest workers,” the World Economic Forum notes. “This crude form of urban mining has consequences for people’s wellbeing and creates untold pollution.”

The importance of e-waste recycling
Currently, the majority of the world uses a so-called linear economy model where people take resources, use them to make something and then get rid of it when they no longer need it. If no action is taken soon, the amount of global e-waste is expected to go up to 120 million tonnes by 2050.

The United Nations reports that the e-waste produced annually is worth over $62.5 billion, more than the GDP of most countries. In addition, the UN has advised countries to get a clear plan on how to deal with e-waste.

Toxic waste is released into the atmosphere when no-longer-in-use electrical items are thrown away as most of the component parts are non-biodegradable, which means these particles contaminate soil and groundwater. As a result, the e-waste recycling becomes fundamental to the overall health of the ecosystem and the future of humanity.

Another important aspect of e-waste recycling is that the majority of electric goods contain a broad range of precious materials, such as nickel, zinc, aluminium and even gold or silver. In order to extract these precious metals, they need to be specially treated to separate and remove safely. It is possible to cut, not only costs, by reusing what has been already mined, but to also reduce the greenhouse gasses.

Klyk – a startup that helps tackle the e-waste problem
Klyk, a London-based technology refurbishment startup whose motto is “It’s Not About More Technology. It’s About The Right Technology”, and focuses on stimulating the circular economy in the technology sector.

Klyk’s mission is to empower businesses to be more sustainable with their technology tools. The company offers B2B solution to refurbish or lease technology devices by promoting a greener approach towards the environment and also saving other businesses money.

The startup supplies good-as-new refurbished phones, laptops and other devices from major manufacturers, so that clients can get the technology they desire at a much lower cost. Thus the startup not only helps to tackle the e-waste issue but also reduce the Co2 emissions.

Furthermore, Klyk finds new homes for the devices that are no longer needed from their clients. The startup aims to change the way people own and use technology and promote the circular economy in the technology supply chain.

Recently, UK mobile network operator O2 announced a new partnership with Klyk to reveal new efforts to tackle e-waste. Earlier this year O2 pledged to achieve net-zero across its entire business by 2025.

Canada’s Answer to Carbon-Negative Homes

This Canadian startup, Carbicrete, has created a carbon consuming alternative to cement, that will create the building blocks for a carbon negative future.
To live in a carbon-negative home, the human race does not have to pack up and move back into caves. We just have to change the way we build.

Yuri Mytko, Chief Marketing Officer of Carbicrete, told Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): “Concrete is the most consumed substance on the planet, after water.”

Concrete is used in the production of roads, pathways, bridges and buildings, as well as under-water structures and seaside piers.

Many such products are being constructed in developing nations, allowing the population to travel safer and more efficiently, have access to clean water as well as protection from flooding and generally live safer lives. Yet this progress comes at a cost to our planet.

Cement is a pollutant
Cement is an ingredient of concrete and the production of it accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, of which a total of 500,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide are emitted per year.

The excess amounts of these gases used in cement production cause damage to our ozone layer, more than all the fuel-guzzling trucks in the world.

As the human population continues to grow, the demand for concrete continues to rise, as well as the level of carbon dioxide used to produce it.

A carbon-negative answer to halt 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions
But there is an alternative: Carbicrete uses no cement at all but can do the job in the production of carbon-negative concrete.

The Montreal based company uses steel slag, an unwanted byproduct of steel as the base. The product is moulded into the desired shape and cured with carbon dioxide (the curing process toughens or hardens a material), then the Carbicrete is ready to go.

Thus, not only does Carbicrete not emit carbon dioxide in the process of being created, but it also consumes extra during the curing process, lowering the carbon footprint into a hugely carbon-negative one.

Does Carbicrete work?
The company claim that their carbon-negative bricks are cheaper to produce and are stronger than cement, in addition to causing less harm to the environment.

In Canada alone, Carbicrete claims that their product will help reduce cement emissions by 10%. Currently, they sell a license to concrete makers and then assist them in the production.

Carbicrete won the 2017 Pollution Probe Award, for offering an answer to the problem of cement.

Earlier this year, Carbicrete was also named a CleanTech Global 100, for its innovation. Chris Stern, CarbiCrete’s CEO, was proud of the recognition and said: “We work to bring a cost-effective, cement-free concrete solution to the global construction industry.”

With Carbicrete, the world can balance the progress of dependable infrastructure in Developing Nations, without causing any further damage to the planet.

In addition, with the construction of carbon-negative pathways and bridges, more people may choose to walk or cycle to their destination, than drive, adding another point to the benefits of Carbicrete.

Wireless Car Charging for HEVO’s Transport Evolution

HEVO has developed and tested a new wireless charging mat for electric vehicles despite stiff competition from larger competitors.
Brooklyn based company, HEVO, has developed a wireless charging pad for electric cars. The company, whose vision “is built on creating the global wireless charging standard for electric vehicles (EV) that provides users with the charging experience they are demanding,” finalised the product in May.

The company has developed this product with limited funding and staff, with CEO Jeremy McCool showcasing the product from his mother’s garage via Zoom. Their new ground-mounted pad beams electricity up to a car-mounted receiver which wirelessly charges the vehicle. The new charging pad is about to enter low-volume production at the Flex contract manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas.

It is through small investments from family and friends, along with government grants (most significant being the $50,000 from Veterans Affairs), McCool was able to launch HEVO. Now a successful company, HEVO want to “lead the transport evolution” which will “protect the environment and security interests of future generations”. The finalisation of this new product makes HEVO a key player in the wireless car charging market.

HEVO ready to turn EV charging wireless
During his Zoom demonstration, McCool demonstrated HEVO’s new charging pad with the assistance of their app. Not only does the app direct the user to the pad, but it also tracks how much power is beaming up and how much it will cost.

HEVO’s new product has a tower that draws power from the home and incorporates a utility-grade meter and an optional Level 2 charger. The technology has proved its worth in quality tests for fire flame, chemical and environmental safety according to McCool.

More safety features such as “foreign object detection” has been installed. The first type of this pad produced by HEVO delivers 8 kilowatts maximum charge, which works out as 20-24 miles of charge per hour.

The new pad has been through pilot testing in three continents with major automakers, utilities and EV charging companies. HEVO is now ready to ship their product and change the way people charge their electric vehicles.

Advantages of hands-free
The electric vehicle industry is expecting a wave of EV adoption in the upcoming years and wireless charging holds many advantages over the wired systems which are in place now.

Visually, the car charging pads, like this new innovative design by HEVO, are seamless to install compared to the wired systems currently available, with no need for intrusive cabling and plugs. Furthermore, with these advances in the wireless electric vehicle market, technology could go into roadways to top up cars on the go rather than having to stop to charge up.

One particular advantage of wireless charging is that drivers don’t need to leave their cars to charge up. Addressing this advantage and the current coronavirus, McCool stated: “right now, who the heck wants to touch anything?” again demonstrating the clear advantages of this new, hands-free technology.

Andrew Johnston, a market advocate on consulting firm Guidehouse’s mobility solutions team, stated: “This may sound silly, but you’d be surprised at how many people in public [crash] into chargers. When it’s a pad, you can drive over it a million times — it’s designed to be driven on”. So not only does the charging pad have hands-free convenience, but its durability sets itself apart from its wired counterpart.

“Persistence and resilience” is the way to success
Companies in the electric vehicle and charging market are all looking at the prospects of developing wireless charging or upgrading the wireless systems they have in place. HEVO in comparison to a lot of their competitors are a lot smaller but are determined to be part of the transport evolution.

McCool has stated about the HEVO’s drive for success: “it’s really about persistence and resilience. We’re going to continue to pursue our mission and our vision, even with the fact that there are other companies that have more money than us.”

Despite the fact they are a smaller company, HEVO have been identified as a key player in a Wireless EV charging market analysis. It is clear that this smaller company are keeping up with larger companies in their mission to “lead the transport revolution”.

Water Treatment Technology is Putting Carbon to Use

In an interview with CleanTech News, Andre Stolz, the co-founder of EcoWorth Tech, discusses his pursuit of a bigger impact on society through water treatment technologies.
Andre Stolz left his corporate career of 17 years at Proctor and Gamble with the motivation to do something that will make an impact on society. He met his co-founder Dr Bert Grobben in Singapore while they still working their corporate jobs before they set their sights on revolutionising water treatment.

“We wanted to create a bigger social and environmental impact, so we started looking at preventative healthcare and science-based technologies that could help the cause,” said Mr Stolz.

Eventually, the duo set their sights on a proprietary carbon fibre aerogel (CFA) that helps treat highly contaminated water. They applied for an IP-license, incorporated the company, and founded EcoWorth Tech.

What is CFA and what does it do?
The material was invented by Dr. Zhang Hua from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Materials Science and Engineering.

EcoWorth Tech has since demonstrated CFA’s ability to efficiently absorb organic contaminants from wastewater with major oil & gas, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and chemical companies. Organic waste includes industrial oils, food oils and solvents amongst others.

The technology is eco-friendly and is manufactured from cellulose-based waste material like cotton wool or waste paper through a proprietary “controlled burning” process. The resulting carbon fibre aerogel can absorb up to 190 times its own weight in organic waste.

This CFA-based treatment process is up to twenty times cheaper than current commercial alternatives. It selectively absorbs organic waste and does not absorb water. The absorbed organic waste can then be recovered for recycling, creating additional commercial value for corporations looking to adopt the technology.

EcoWorth Tech Team. Water treatment – CleanTechNews
EcoWorth Tech Team, Mr. Stolz on the far right
How EcoWorth Tech uses CFTA
Andre told CleanTech News that “This material can help manage oil spills and is superior to activated carbon which is commonly used. The contact time is shorter, the process is five times faster and can be built on smaller spaces if there are space constraints.”

EcoWorth Tech provides modular equipment to corporations where wastewater treatment is needed. Mr. Stolz told CleanTech News that the system “is easily scalable to suit the needs of the client where adjustments can be made to cater to different water contaminations type and level.”

The CFA solution can be directly installed onsite, negating the need to send wastewater to third party waste management systems. Thanks to the Singapore-based invention, the recycling of wastewater may soon become cheaper, more efficient, and sustainable.

If left untreated, wastewater will deplete oxygen levels in water bodies and kill aquatic life
Effluent is difficult to process because it is often the result of challenging industrial processes that create complex wastewater streams. They contain high levels of organic matter like oil and grease that require specialist treatment.

Toxic organic matter can kill aquatic life, contaminate food chains and promote algae blooms. Algae blooms compete with aquatic life for oxygen and lead to fish die-out.

A depletion of oxygen kills aquatic organisms which will then be broken down by decomposers like bacteria again, depleting more oxygen and the vicious cycle continues.

Present wastewater treatment systems are a custom solution because of its complexity, and costs add up quickly. But with CFA, because of its broad application, it can absorb most organic waste and can help corporations to cut significant costs.

Water treatment – CleanTech News
NRDC
By putting a commercial value on waste, EcoWorth Tech incentivises its customers
Through mechanical squeezing, EcoWorth Tech can recover valuable waste material in the process. Mr. Stolz shared with CleanTech News that “For chemical companies, we enable them to recuperate chemicals like hexane and octane for reuse in their production and conserve up to $600K SGD a year. We also help them comply with wastewater limits.”

“We are also exploring applications of CFA in cosmetic products, for more efficient removal of excess skin oil and as a nutrient carrier. The technology could also be used in the palm oil industry to help increase its palm oil yield by extracting it from palm oil-water.”

“Additionally, waste cotton from the textile industry could be used to produce CFA since it is a cellulosic material.”

“The technology can help users save up to 50% on the cost compared to conventional solutions and processes water to be clean enough to be discharged into the environment. With increased water reuse and environmentally friendly CFA, it can also help businesses achieve their corporate social responsibility goals.”

“The technology as of now can treat 3000-6000 litres a day, and we are looking to scale that to a few thousand litres per hour. The recovered food waste oil can also be incorporated into biofuels and fertiliser.”

Moving forward
EcoWorth Tech has won several awards including the L’Oreal Innovation Runway 2019 and was named the Sector Winner for Sustainability at Slingshot 2019. It is also currently on a three-month program with Shell, looking to deploy a solution.

EcoWorth Tech is currently raising $500K SGD before it launches to its commercial stage.

For more information on clean water technologies, please see here.

Top 5 Start-Ups For Circular Consumerism

The circular economy concept is gaining popularity for good reason as both consumers and businesses are starting to recognise the need to slow their consumption rates.
Here are five start-ups that have integrated the concept:

1. ReBlend: Circular Textiles
   ReBlend is a social enterprise based in the Netherlands on a mission to raise awareness about the ecological impact of the textile industry and to inspire the use of looped and renewable raw materials.

Most clothes today are made of composite material and are not pure. This makes recycling difficult and expensive. ReBlend has found an economic opportunity with this and spins new yarn out of composite clothes to develop textiles.

2. Desso
   Desso is a company based in Netherlands that produce, sells and services recyclable carpet tiles for commercial market. Staying true to Cradle-to-Cradle principles, Desso has redesigned the bitumen-based tiles into fully recyclable tiles with a polyolefin-backing. Through its take-back program, the company recycles all of its components to be made into new tiles.

It also offers its products as a service, where they lease tiles to customers for a certain duration. The cost of maintenance is also included and at the end of the contract, Desso recovers the tiles and feeds it back into its product loop.

3. FlagBag
   FlagBag is a non-profit company based in Belgium that upcycles used flags to create bags and purses. The products are not mass-produced and are hand-crafted to the direction of each individual creator.

The company runs on a social employment scheme where they rope in people who struggle finding employment in the conventional job market.

4. Festicup
   Festicup is a start-up based in Belgium that produces cutlery out of synthetic glass, they are indistinguishable from regular glass and have been tested to offer the same benefits. The product significantly reduces wastes at events by offering a reusable alternative, lengthening the product lifespan.

Given that the Festicup is made of 100% virgin material, it is also recyclable.

5. iFixit
   iFixit is a company based in California that aims to reduce electronic waste by teaching people how to repair their gear, and offers tools, parts, and a forum to discuss repairs.

In response to the pandemic, it has also worked with hospitals and medical research facilities to gather the largest known database of medical equipment manuals and repair guides to support the health industry.

How qlair’s Air Monitoring Can Slow Disease Spread

In an interview with qlair, Head of Marketing Harry Watson discusses the relevance of AI-driven clean air monitoring in healthcare facilities in view of COVID-19 to reduce disease spread.
What is qlair?
As countries ease into normalcy and reopen offices, indoor air quality becomes more crucial than ever to discourage disease spread. qlair is a leading platform based in North Carolina that uses Artificial Intelligence for clean air management.

Mr Watson told CleanTech News that “We monitor different pollutants and its concentrations in the air and gather the data before drawing a diagnostic report.”

qlair is known for providing end-to-end solutions beyond diagnostic reports. Mr Watson said that “We will also conduct investigations to identify the root cause before connecting them with relevant partners to address the problem.”

Indoor ventilation systems are universal
The ventilation systems in buildings are often universal, meaning that if indoor air were to be contaminated, the entire building would be too.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within buildings and structures. Indoor pollution sources release gases or particles into the air, causing lower IAQ levels. Some sources include tobacco products, excess moisture and outdoor pollution.

Inadequate ventilation can also increase indoor pollutant levels, while high temperature and humidity levels can increase concentrations of some pollutants

Mr Watson said that “The World Health Organisation (WHO) has deemed that 90% of the world’s population breathes unsafe air. Air pollution is considered to be one of the top 5 environmental danger by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

“Pollutants like fine dust, particulate matter or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from tobacco all pose danger to human health.”

Indoor air quality becomes more crucial as it plays a role in disease spread
When asked about the importance of indoor air quality, Mr Watson said that “For example if a chemical leak goes undetected, it will go into the ambient air, enter the ventilation systems and disperse throughout the building.”

“With the COVID-19 situation, many healthcare facilities are looking to create negative pressure rooms to isolate air. It is a technique where you ensure no contaminants are transferring between rooms. qlair can detect that through our systems and alert when necessary.”

Relative humidity levels also play a role in disease spread. Mr Watson said that “COVID-19 is a lipid-enveloped virus, and these virus types inherently survive better at lower indoor humidity levels below 30%. We recommend that the levels are kept between 45-60%.”

“HEPA filtration, air ionisation and surface cleaning can also help reduce indoor air pollution.”

qlair’s promising technology could be the answer to safe air-travel as indoor air quality is kept safe in aircraft and airport facilities. In offices where people spend most of their day, it is also crucial that commercial buildings maintain clean indoor air for public health.

To learn more about how the spread of airborne infectious disease can be reduced, click here.

CleanTech Open, What is it and How Can You Get Involved?

Due to the Coronavirus, many sporting events have been forced to cancel, but while the French Open has been postponed, CleanTech Open is still on.
The CleanTech Open funds startups which promote clean technology, with the aim of forging a sustainable future.

Since it began in 2005, CleanTech Open has trained 1,600+ clean technology startup entrepreneurs and created over 3,000 clean economy jobs.

There are a variety of challenges and competitions which startups can take part in to receive funding.

The organisation is the biggest accelerator programme for the industry in the world and operates on the principle of the three f’s: find, fund and foster.

Here are some clean technology examples from previous years, which CleanTech Open has been able to support:

Jordan Energy Alternative (JEA)
Jason Jordan was enraged when he and his fellow Ohian residents were charged an extra fee, subsidising two nuclear power plants when many were struggling to meet the bill beforehand.

Furthermore, Ohio burns coal for 59% of its electricity, a finite source which will one day run out.

Jason decided that something must be done, so he founded the Jordan Energy Alternative, which provides affordable renewable energy products – such as solar panels – for homes and small businesses.

SINN Power
The startup won $10,000USD for the Global Ideas Award 2019, for a design which looks like a Robovac crossed with a barnacle.

SINN Power uses wave energy technology to supply clean energy from the largest renewable source on planet earth: the sea. The invention is placed on the coast, receiving wave upon wave which is turned into energy. “We see a future where the power of nature and technology become one,” claims the startup.

Oasense
Although showers save far more water than baths, unused water continues to be wasted down the drain, literally.

With bushfires increasing in intensity across the planet as greenhouse gasses make the world hotter, this precious water is needed to protect people and the planet from destruction.

The Oasense (pronounced: oh-eh-sense) shower head can sense when the bather is standing under the shower head and turns the water flow off when they move away to apply shampoo – saving water.

Do you want to get involved with CleanTech Open?
If you’d like to become a part of the CleanTech Open programme, there are many ways to do so:

Mentor (do you think you could mentor a startup through its infancy?)
Volunteer (build your network and expand your skill set)
or donate (which is tax-deductible).
Click here to find out how to apply for any of these positions.

However, if you would much prefer to seek investment for your startup, click here.

Our world is changing. The Coronavirus pandemic has shown the leaders of the globe how simultaneously vulnerable and resistant the current status quo is.

Many are hoping to make use of this moment – in preparing our world against climate change.

If you have a promising idea, there are investors waiting to hear from you. Get involved with CleanTech Open and get your idea off the ground.