Finalists Announced for GreenBeat 2010 Innovation Competition

VentureBeat just announced the finalists for their GreenBeat 2010 Innovation Competition, its second annual event showcasing the freshest ideas and most promising business models involving smart grid technologies.

The finalists will be presenting at the GreenBeat 2010 Conference, to be held at Stanford University on November 3rd & 4th [Ed note: 3p readers get 30% off, see our events list] and the opportunity to launch at DEMO in 2011. Finalists were selected based on their ability to address the following goals:

■Decarbonize the grid
■Transmit data alongside power
■Drive increased efficiency and conservation of power

And the finalists are:

Capire Micropower develops microturbine powerchips fueled by ethanol or biodiesel to power next-generation portable devices. It enable a new breed of applications in robotics, ad hoc power supplies and range extenders for vehicles such as e-scooter, and reduces the number of devices reliant on the grid.

Ecofactor delivers a personalized and automated HVAC demand-response system that allows homeowners to maintain the level of comfort and convenience they’re accustomed to, without changing behavior or sacrificing control. EcoFactor makes DR programs attractive to the consumer, and more effective for utilities, all the while propelling the growth of the smart grid in the residential sector.

Gridbot creates networked hardware which intelligently manages one of the largest emerging loads on the grid, electric vehicles.

OpenADR provides a simple interface that facilitates real-time monitoring and control over the HVAC system and other large building loads. Its platform specifically targets peak reduction by helping the end-user implement a custom load-reduction plan that includes reducing lighting, HVAC and plug loads when a demand-response signal is sent from the utility.

Optimized Energy Networks is a development company specializing in the creation of microgrid projects in a new application of the project finance model.

PowerMap makes the MyPowerMap meter, which plugs into any outlet in the home and provides consumers with real-time energy consumption information for their home appliances and other electonics.

Redwood Systems is pioneering a new, unified power and control architecture, purpose-built for the properties of LEDs, to dramatically improve energy efficient lighting. Leveraging technology from networking, Redwood’s solution facilitates unprecedented energy savings and greatly improves overall building performance.

SmartGridView creates tools which help thinkers make sense of vast amounts of smart-grid information.

World Infrastructure Technologies creates smart-grid infrastructure visualization software which displays susceptibility and reliability issues in the form of heatmaps and geo-referenced visualizations of equipment.

Enbala Power Networks allows large energy users like municipal water plants to participate in an electricity management program enables them to provide services to the ISOs and RTOs — the entities responsible for operating electricity systems and markets in deregulated regions, such as Ontario, New York, New England, California, and so on. The goal is to provide better quality and reliability of electricity delivered across the grid.