Upcoming
Events & Opportunities |
DECEMBER 2
(Call for Proposals Deadline)
Living Futures Institute
The International Living Future Institute is now accepting proposals for education sessions and presenters / moderators / facilitators for its 2012 program May 2-4 in Portland, OR.
DECEMBER 12
Oregon Leadership Summit
This event is where Oregon's business, elected, and community leaders work together on ideas, policies, and concrete actions to strengthen Oregon's economy. Cleantech Cluster breakout session organized in part by Oregon BEST. Portland, OR DECEMBER 15 (Call for Proposals Deadline) World Renewable Energy Forum Be a Presenter at the 2012 World Renewable Energy Forum in Denver on May 13-17 when, for the first time, the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Conference combines with the bi-annual World Renewable Energy Congress. The combined event, the World Renewable Energy Forum 2012, will be the premier international renewable energy conference of the year. Submit an abstract or forum proposal by December 15, 2011. Suggested topics The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting nominations for the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Nominations are due to the agency by December 31, 2011.
January 13, 2012 (Call for Proposals Deadline)
The U.S. Green Building Council is accepting proposals for presenters and topics for Greenbuild 2012, the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Event is November 13-16 in San Francisco, CA. |
CONTACT US
Oregon BEST
P.O. Box 212
Portland, OR 97207
Tel. 503-725-9849
|
|
Executive Director's Report
Why I'm Optimistic
Greetings!
 Having just attended Cleantech Open's Global Forum in San Jose, I'm inspired! The event is the national championships of the Cleantech Open's business competition. Finalists from five U.S. regions pitch to panels of judges who are experts in cleantech finance, energy technology, and corporate sustainability.
Seeing the 21 finalist companies present (and talking with many of them one-on-one) instilled a feeling that we have many great minds tackling the problems of climate change, dependence on fossil fuels, environmental degradation, and inefficient waste streams. Each company is developing or delivering technologies, products, or services that can scale and make an impact on national and global challenges.
I was even more heartened by how well our three NW Region companies did at the national level. All delivered clear, compelling pitches and made great connections that will help their businesses succeed.
- Indow Windows, a Portland startup with a close relationship to Oregon BEST via our Commercialization Grant Program, was the Regional Winner, the National Category Award Winner for Energy Efficiency, a runner-up for the National Grand Prize, and the National Sustainability Winner. Sam Pardue is the founder & CEO. (See story, below.)
- HM3Energy was the other National Finalist from Oregon. Founder & CEO Hiroshi Morihara's pitch was very well received by the judges, and the company that beat HM3 Energy for the National Category Award for Renewable Energy was named the National Grand Prize Winner - not bad!
- Also, a nod to GridMobility, the third National Finalist from the NW Region. The Washington company was the National Category Winner for Smart Power. So two of the five category winners were from the NW Region!
There is a lot to be proud of and good reason to be optimistic about our region's role in developing our economy and addressing some of our planet's biggest challenges.
Thank you for your ongoing support,
David Kenney,
President & Executive Director
|
Commercialization Program Grows
$1M in New Grant Funds Announced; New Program Manager Hired
 In addition to hiring a veteran of new product development and early-stage company financing to lead and expand the Oregon BEST Commercialization Program, we have also just announced availability of $1 million in new Oregon BEST Commercialization Grant funding to be distributed over the next 12-18 months.
Ken Vaughn brings 25 years of experience in entrepreneurial management, engineering, product development, and marketing to Oregon BEST. Most recently, he served as VP of marketing and product management for Jadoo Power, a manufacturer of solar and fuel cell products. Read more about Ken's experience and plans.
Ken joined the Oregon BEST team just in time to help develop and announce $1 million in new Commercialization Grant funding, which will be awarded to university-industry teams in the coming months. Learn more about the program or apply for a Commercialization Grant.
|
An Oregon BEST Success Story
Oregon BEST lab helps Oregon company succeed, and vice versa
 Install it, and they will come.
Solar energy companies are flocking to an Oregon BEST signature research facility to take advantage of a unique tool developed by an Oregon company that cuts the test time for solar cells from five minutes to a single second. A grant from Oregon BEST enabled Oregon State University to be the first customer for the FlashQE and install it in the Oregon Process Innovation Center for Sustainable Solar Cell Manufacturing (OPIC). The tool was developed by Tau Science, and the company credits the OSU/Oregon BEST collaboration with helping them secure outside funding. The investment is attracting companies like Sol Array, Voxtel, Sharp Labs, Inspired Light, CSD Nano, and a national lab: PNNL. Read the full success story.
|
SPOTLIGHT on Oregon BEST Research
The Global Magic of PSU's SWEETLab
Bringing clean water and cleaner energy to developing nations
 A matching grant from Oregon BEST is helping Evan Thomas, a professor of mechanical and materials engineering at PSU, remotely monitor the use and efficacy of water purification systems and biomass-burning cook stoves distributed in developing nations by international aid agencies like Mercy Corps. The $6,000 grant from Oregon BEST helped Evans' team secure a $70,000 grant from Mercy Corps to develop the continuous, point-of-use monitoring program in the PSU lab Thomas directs, the Sustainable Water, Energy, & Environmental Lab (SWEETLab). The low-energy, low-cost monitors measure not only viability of the systems but also reveal patterns of use tied to user behaviors. This data helps agencies quickly locate malfunctioning systems and provides manufacturers with feedback to improve products. Thomas' team is collaborating with Stevens Water Monitoring Systems, Inc., a Portland company. Thomas' research into water usage practices is further funded through the Oregon BEST Sustainable Built Environment Research Consortium to inform technology selection for the Oregon Sustainability Center. View the Green Science Oregon video about the SWEETLab. |
Indow Windows' Keeps Winning Commercialization Grant Recipient Wins CTO Awards  Portland startup that received an Oregon BEST Commercialization Grant just a year ago was one of only two runners-up for the $250,000 grand prize awarded at the Cleantech Open venture capital competition, also known as the Academy Awards for cleantech innovation.
Although Indow Windows didn't win the grand prize, it walked away with an armload of awards at the San Jose, CA event: National Category Award Winner for Energy Efficiency, CTO winner of the Pacific Northwest region, and winner of the National Sustainability Award given by the CTO judges.
Oregon BEST congratulates Sam Pardue and his team at Indow Windows for demonstrating how cleantech innovation in Oregon can compete nationally. We're pleased our Commercialization Grant has played a role in the company's success. Full story.
|
A Greener Portable Classroom
Oregon BEST Faculty Develop Better, Longer-Lasting Classroom  We've all seen them squatting near public schools: modular, often musty, classrooms put up as a temporary way to accommodate growing enrollment. The problem is, these "temporary" structures often remain in place for decades, costing school districts more than planned and exposing occupants to noisy, less-than-healthy learning environment.
Now, Oregon BEST researcher Sergio Palleroni is working with colleagues and students at Portland State University to develop a green portable classroom that is made of sustainable materials, more conducive to learning, and less expensive over the long run. The state of Oregon is supporting the work, and Oregon BEST's David Kenney and Johanna Brickman, as well as Oregon BEST board member Dennis Wilde, are participating in this Oregon Solutions project designed by Gov. Kitzhaber. Full story. (Image Credit: Sherry Shao, graduate of PSU's Dept. of Architecture) |
|
From wave energy jobs to safer hydrogen storage ...
Oregon BEST Researchers IN THE NEWS...
··· Oregon BEST researcher BELINDA BATTEN, Director of the NW National Marine Renewable Energy Center at Oregon State University, talks about the potential for wave energy development to create thousands of jobs along the Oregon coast. The center is developing two wave energy research projects off the coast. Full story...
 ··· Portland Monthly recently named Oregon BEST researcher ANNETTE VON JOUANNE one of the magazine's "12 Oregonians changing our world" for her work developing wave energy technologies at OSU, where she directs the Wallace Energy Systems & Renewables Facility. Full story...
 ··· Oregon BEST researcher SHIH-YUAN LIU has developed a liquid-phase storage material for hydrogen that works safely at room temperature and is both air- and moisture-stable -- an accomplishment that offers a possible route through current hydrogen storage and transportation obstacles. Full story... |
|
|
|
The Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center (Oregon BEST) connects businesses with our growing shared-user network of university research facilities to transform renewable energy and sustainable built environment research into on-the-ground products, services, and jobs that power Oregon's green economy. Oregon BEST's founding partner universities include Oregon State University, the Oregon Institute of Technology, Portland State University, and the University of Oregon.
Oregon BEST · PO Box 212 · Portland, OR 97207-0212Tel. 503-725-9849 · On the web: oregonbest.org |
|
|
