Clean Energy Prize competition heads to Round 2

Thursday, January 28, 2010 | Source: metromode
Round two of the second annual Clean Energy Prize is in the books and eight teams are ready to move on in the sustainability start-up competition.

Downtown Detroit-based DTE Energy and the University of Michigan started the competition last year with the idea of helping fund Michigan's emerging alternative energy start-ups. A total of 32 teams from six universities in Michigan made a go at it this year compared to 23 last year.

They are competing for a $100,000 prize pool of start-up capital. Last year's winner walked away with $65,000. That company, Algal Scientific, is developing technology that uses algae to simultaneously treat wastewater and produce the raw materials for biofuels.

"We hope the competition and the development of a business plan will help push these entrepreneurs toward starting operations," says John Austerberry, spokesman for DTE Energy.

Two of the eight remaining teams include Advanced Battery Control, which is developing a proprietary smart battery management system, which will radically enhance battery utilization in electric vehicles. Another is carbon perks, which is a service that motivates people to incorporate energy efficient practices into their lifestyles while helping utilities reduce the costs of providing peak power.

The teams had to come up with an invention that supports renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart grid technologies, environmental control technologies, plug-in electric vehicles, or energy storage. The semifinals will be held on Feb. 12.

Source: John Austerberry, spokesman for DTE Energy
Writer: Jon Zemke
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Energy, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship, Higher Education, Sustainability, The University Of Michigan, Wayne County, Wind Energy 

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