Energy Commercialization Institute Awards $510K to Alternative Energy Companies & Research
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.
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.
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.
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About Energy Commercialization Institute (ECI)
Energy Commercialization Institute (ECI) is the region’s first partnership accelerating alternative energy and clean technology development and commercialization, through translational research and sponsored research funding. ECI is focusing on high-impact energy generation, transportation and conservation. ECI pools intellectual property from participating institutions, providing dedicated technology transfer services with expertise to promote energy commercialization. It offers corporations a single point of negotiation for IP licensing, independent of the number of institutions with ownership of that IP. The ECI is funded with a two-year, $1.2 million grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, managed by BFTP/SEP.
About Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania is the region’s catalyst for Stimulating Entrepreneurial Potential. For over 25 years, we have invested in innovative enterprises and created commercialization pathways and partnerships that generate wealth through science and technology.
Ben Franklin is part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Ben Franklin Technology Partnership. We provide entrepreneurs and established businesses with the Capital, Knowledge and Networks to compete in the global marketplace. We have provided more than $140 million to grow more than 1,700 regional enterprises across all areas of technology.
Our partnerships with universities and others strengthen the innovative fabric of our region. We are founding partners of The Nanotechnology Institute™ (NTI), Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Alliance (MANA®), Pennsylvania Green Growth Partnership (PAGGP), Pennsylvania Advanced Textiles Research and Innovation Center (PATRIC), Pennsylvania Environmental Technologies for the Pharmaceutical Industry (PETPI), and the PA Biotechnology Center of Bucks County. We are founding partners of the Energy Commercialization Institute (ECI) and other partnerships emerging through our Regional Energy Strategy, Funded through the Commonwealth’s Alternative Energy Development Program. Ben Franklin is also a founding partner of the Emerald Stage2 Venture Fund, the Minority Angel Investor Network, and is a partner of the Mid-Atlantic Angel Group (MAG) Fund I & II and DreamIt Ventures.
For additional information, please visit www.sep.benfranklin.org
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