The Clean Tech Open Announces its 2009 California Semifinalists!

June 24th, 2009

The 2009 California Competition is pleased to announce the 2009 Semifinalists. The teams will receive expert mentoring, one-on-one consulting, an intensive educational weekend at the Clean Tech Accelerator, plus more supporting events, training and materials. They will be invited to write a business plan and give a pitch to professional investors and experts.
Congratulations to these teams:

Air, Water & Waste Category
Driptech
GoGoVerde
Highlands Soil & Water
InnoSepra
Micromidas
NanoBrane
OndaVia
Solar Alchemy, Inc.
Solum, inc

Energy Efficiency Category, Sponsored by Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison
Alphabet Energy, Inc.
Core4 Systems
HydroCoal Technologies, LLC
Lightwave
Lunescent
Powerzoa
SunCool
Synergy Conscious

Green Building Category Sponsored by Cleantech Circle and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
ALL SOLAR
ARCTRIO
Ecolithic Homes
GreenPyro
HOMErgent
New Avenue
Parco Homes
RoofRay
tru2lif

Renewables Category Sponsored by Autodesk and Google
Armageddon Energy
PlasmaSi
Renewable Fuel Technologies LLC
SilFlex
Siverde
SolarNexus, Inc.
soltac
SunPods
ZERE

Smart Power Category
dot UI
EcoFactor
EnerVault
Fenix
Lenopsys
LimeAmps
Velkess

Transportation Category
Evans Engines
EVIN
FuelSaver
GigEVolt Technologies, Inc.
itMoves
OpticLanes
PowerSTAR

The next steps for these great startups is the Summer Program:
• Policy Briefings – workshops covering specific topics of manufacturing, industry policy, sustainability, and more
• Clean Tech Accelerator – an intensive training session where the teams learn everything there is to know about writing a business plan and making a pitch
• Business Clinics – one-on-one consulting sessions with highly experienced professionals in the areas of legal, finance, investing, PR, marketing, sustainability and more
• Mock Judging – practice judging sessions with live feedback
• Final Judging – teams give a presentation to real judges and investors, competing to determine the California Finalist teams!

For more information, to sponsor or to get involved go to: www.CleanTechOpen.com

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Junk the Junk Mail Additional Resource – Weekly Bulletin Entry

April 1st, 2009

Every Friday, our school send updates home with all the kids. To reinforce the activities in our Cool the Earth program, we’re creating a paragraph to be inserted in each one. Here is the one that went out the week after the Junk the Junk Mail info went out in the weekly bulletin.

An Easy Way to Junk the Junk Mail!
We found another great resource to really help you eliminate the junk mail in one easy step. For $17.95 per year, you can have ProQuo get you off all the lists with just a push of one button. Our family did it over a year ago and the results have been amazing..we still aren’t receiving junk mail! Go to www.ProQuo.com

Additional nominal fee or free (but more time intensive) resources include:
1. Go to www.dmaConsumers.org and get removed for $1
2. Go to www.catalogchoice.org
3. Call ValPak coupons at 800-237-6266
4. Go to www.optoutprescreen.com or call 888-567-8688 to remove your name from credit card offers.

Ahh…less paper to recycle and sort through every week too!

And remember, bring in your “Reduce Junk Mail” coupon and put it in the Cool the Earth box! Every effort helps!

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Counting Carbon Elegantly – Climate Earth

March 23rd, 2009

pop-up_climateearth1The Challenge
Developing a website that takes a fresh approach to a complicated subject – while increasing customer engagement and leads.

What We Did
We steered away from the typical data –heavy, technical presentation to an elegant and engaging website that emphasized the compelling story and benefits of Climate Earth’s carbon accounting. We identified activities, offers, and calls to action that would engage and move people through the sales cycle. Then we built a simple, elegant and engaging site for their launch, along with a recyclable roll-up trade show banner and matching bookmark. Now they had the tools to really make an impact in the marketplace!

The Impact
We made it easier for Climate Earth’s team to engage customers.

The Happy Client
Climate Earth

The Experience
We are getting terrific feedback on the web site. It is professional, powerful and beautiful all at once. Most important to me, the messaging is very clean and so well aligned with the visual images.
Chris Erickson
President & CEO

You rocked – just in case no one has let you know yet.
Carter Brooks
Vice President, Client Services

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Helped launch a company by developing a brand that has character, can be trusted, and brings in new clients.

March 22nd, 2009

HomeZ Banner

The Challenge

Create what’s needed to help them launch, that will result in a quick path to revenue.

What We Did
We assessed what was working in the green living and home improvement marketplace and created a strategy that would speak to new audiences in a compelling way. Then we developed a new brand identity that offered Ask Kateplenty of room for future growth: a new name that could tell many stories about the services they offered; a strong, new color palette to convey confidence and trust; a new logo – and a personable and engaging character that resonated with the target audience and could act as spokesperson. Then we created a website, trade show signage, postcards, promotion ideas and marketing ideas to help them launch and grow.

The Impact
Customers “got” their message right away. Media requests went through the roof and HomeZ currently has a wait list to receive their services!

The Happy Client
HomeZ

The Experience
“THIS IS AWESOME!!!! I am simply breathing with joy!”
“We had 5 media requests today!”
“Just wanted to tell you that I have received about 12 e-mails from people saying how much they love the new website.”

Martha Amram Ph.D
CEO and Co-Founder

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Going national and creating a trusted brand for Green Key Real Estate

March 21st, 2009

The Challenge
Launch Green Key Real Estate as a national brand by reinvigorating an existing, local brand with a fresh new look, tag line, website and signage that instills trust and a green message.

What We Did
We set out to create a design for Green Key Real Estate that could to convey strength and trust. Their customers needed to see that their investment was safe, their decisions were smart, and the company aligned with their goals of a healthy, forward thinking, clean, lifestyle. After developing and testing several new concepts and key messages, we decided on a new identity system that was smart, strong and bold. Elements included messaging, logo, tagline, signage, take-one flyer templates, and website build around the new brand.

The Impact
This work received accolades across the industry and provided Green Key Real Estate with the tools to sell franchises nationally.

The Happy Client
Green Key Real Estate

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Developing the Cooler Brand

March 20th, 2009

clip_image002The Challenge
Develop an identity and website that communicates the value proposition that people can offset their environmental impact as consumers.

What We Did
We did research on consumer purchasing behavior across the United States, using both “green minded” and “not green minded” audiences. We used the results to carefully craft a clear, primary benefit and proof points that were then used as the inspiration for the identity system and front end of their consumer facing website.

The Impact
The Cooler site was designed to educate about the impact of the things people buy, while also encouraging them to shop online through the site. Their purchases were then made carbon neutral using the highest quality offsets, advised by NRDC, Environmental Defense, National Wildlife Federation and the Gold Standard.

The Happy Client
Cooler, Inc.

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Good Moves: Amazon Announces Frustration-Free Recycable Packaging

November 11th, 2008

I love it when I see good news! And look at the two prong marketing benefit too….

1. Frustration-Free Packaging

2. Recyclable Packaging

As we’ve found in our research too, convenience often trumpts the eco-message, but they tie together nicely.

I also appreciate the sense of humor they’ve used in using “Frustration-Free.”

Here’s the full article:

Source: Amazon.com
Published: Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Amazon.com has launched “Frustration-Free Packaging,” a new initiative designed to make it easier for customers to liberate products from their packages. Amazon is focusing first on two kinds of items: those enclosed in hard plastic cases known as “clamshells” and those secured with plastic-coated wire ties, commonly used in toy packaging.
Frustration-Free Packaging is being launched in the U.S. with 19 bestselling products from leading manufacturers including Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and electronics manufacturer Transcend. The product is exactly the same – Amazon has just streamlined the packaging. The project will expand across Amazon’s international sites beginning in 2009.

“I think we’ve all experienced the frustration that sometimes occurs when you try to get a new toy or electronics product out of its package,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. “It will take many years, but our vision is to offer our entire catalog of products in Frustration-Free Packaging. We’d like to thank Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and Transcend for working with us in this effort – we truly appreciate it.”

In addition to making packages easier to open, a major goal of the Frustration-Free Packaging initiative is to be more environmentally friendly by using less packaging material.

One of the first products to launch with Frustration-Free Packaging is the Fisher-Price Imaginext Adventures Pirate Ship, which is now delivered in an easy-to-open, recyclable cardboard box. The new packaging eliminates 36 inches of plastic-coated wire ties, 1,576.5 square inches of printed corrugated package inserts and 36.1 square inches of printed folding carton materials. Also eliminated are 175.25 square inches of PVC blisters, 3.5 square inches of ABS molded styrene and two molded plastic fasteners.

Small items, such as memory cards, are also good candidates for Frustration-Free Packaging. Typically encased in oversized plastic clamshells to deter shoplifting, memory cards are then placed inside larger cardboard boxes for shipment to customers. Working with Transcend, Amazon has eliminated the hard-to-open clamshell and the need for an additional box. Instead, the cards will now ship inside recyclable cardboard envelopes which use less material. Amazon is working to shrink the envelope size even further.

Customers can order select items from Fisher-Price, Mattel, Microsoft and Transcend in the new Frustration-Free Packaging for immediate delivery. The current collection of Frustration-Free products can be seen by going to www.amazon.com/packaging.

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Clean Tech Open 2008 Winners!

November 10th, 2008

Air, Water & Waste Finalists
Over the Moon Diapers – 2008 Winner
Porifera – 2008 Runner up
Clean Water, Inc.
PURE-T
SequesCO
Waste Water Works (WWW)

Energy Efficiency Finalists
Viridis Earth – 2008 Winner
NexChem – 2008 Runner up
Atomic Precision Systems Inc.
Enovative Group
Transoptic
WicKool, dba Cooling Corp

Green Building Finalists
BottleStone – 2008 Winner
GroundSource Geo – 2008 Runner up
Solar Red – 2008 Runner up
Green Design Systems
GreenHomeAnswers.com
Inflatable WORLD
ISTN
Parco Homes
S3

Renewables Finalists
Focal Point Energy – 2008 Winner
Renewable Fuel Technologies – 2008 Runner up
Covalent Solar
IEM Applications
Solar Ice
Solindis

Smart Power Finalists
Power Assure – 2008 Winner
Energy Empowered – 2008 Runner up
1ARC Energy
Chemergy
Cooler
Enverity Corporation
Tangerine Network Devices

Transportation Finalists
ElectraDrive – 2008 Winner
Goose Networks – 2008 Runner up
AAA Fleets aka AAraya
E-Chargers
Electric Vehicle Research Company
ElectronVault, Inc.
Enhanced Vehicle Acoustics
Fuel Motion, Inc.
Philo Fuel

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Great Business Ideas! Clean Tech Open Announces Finalists for Next Phase

July 22nd, 2008

Last night, the Clean Tech Open (CTO) announced that its judges have selected 44 finalists in the 2008 California competition, from among more than 100 contestants. The Clean Tech Open is America’s richest clean tech business plan contest, having awarded over $1.2 million in prizes in just two years.

Finalists compete in one of six categories, vying for the winning prize of “$100,000 Start-Up in a Box” prize package that includes all of the business essentials necessary to help take clean technology ideas from a concept to a successful business.

Finalist profiles are available at www.CleanTechOpen.com. The finalists are:

Air, Water & Waste category – Prize Co-Sponsor Grundfos:
• Clean Coal Inc.: Removes contaminants from coal
• Over the Moon Diapers: High performance reusable diapers and service network
• Porifera: Carbon nanotube membrane for reverse osmosis desalination
• PURE-T: Salt free water softener using nanobeads
• Purite: Zero-energy chemical-free whole house water filtration
• SequesCO: Microbial CO2 capture and conversion to biofuel
• Waste Water Works (WWW): Microbial wastewater treatment also generates electricity

Energy Efficiency category – Prize Sponsors PG&E, SCE and SDG&E:
• Atomic Precision Systems Inc.: New semiconductor process for ultra-cheap LED lighting
• Enovative Group: Smart pump for hot water circulation
• NexChem: Energy-saving process improvement for zinc galvanizing
• Transoptic: Solar energy assistance for conventional water heaters
• Viridis Earth: Domestic HVAC retrofit to improve efficiency
• WicKool: Energy efficient water recovery for existing rooftop air conditioning

Green Building category:
• BottleStone: Ceramic stone countertops include 80% recycled glass
• en-vis-age: Green, modular and customizable buildings
• Green Design Systems: Straw wall building panels
• GreenHomeAnswers.com: Home improvement website for green products and services
• GroundSource: Residential geothermal system with installation services
• ISTN: Eco-friendly building insulation
• Parco Homes: Manufactured green (zero net energy) home kits
• Solar Red: Low cost rooftop PV installation system and components
• Team Wawa: Water-conserving shower system

Renewables category – Prize Sponsors Google, PG&E, and SCE:
• Covalent Solar: Organic thin film solar concentrators
• Focal Point Energy: Solar thermal water heater for industrial processes
• IEM Applications: Landfill methane accelerated recovery
• Renewable Fuel Technologies: Agricultural waste biomass converted to Green Coal
• Solar Ice: Solar powered ice maker
• Solindis: Optical solar concentrator for thin film PV

Smart Power category – Prize Sponsors AMD and Siemens TTB:
• 1ARC Energy: Higher capacity lithium-ion batteries
• Cooler: Carbon calculator to allow B2B targeted advertising in LOHAS
• Energy Empowered: Home display and control to reduce standby power usage
• Enverity Corporation: Greenhouse gas tracking and compliance
• Power Assure: Data center energy management software service
• Renewable Voltage: Treats organic waste to provide hydrogen and energy storage
• Tangerine Network Devices: Home energy display and control

Transportation category – Prize Sponsor Lexus:
• AAA Fleets: Turnkey electric vehicles and solar charging systems for fleets
• E-Chargers: Plug-in hybrid charging station
• ElectraDrive: Gas to electric drivetrain auto conversion
• Electric Drive Research: Plug-in/gas hybrid 2 person, 3 wheel sports car
• ElectronVault, Inc.: More efficient traction battery for hybrids
• Enhanced Vehicle Acoustics: Flexible engine sound generator for quiet cars
• FuelMotion: Series hybrid conversions for the developing world
• Goose Networks: Hosted dynamic scheduler for carpools/vanpools
• Philo Fuel: GPS-based audiovisual cues to help drivers optimize fuel efficiency

All 44 finalists may take part in a series of comprehensive entrepreneur summer workshops sponsored by the Cleantech Circle and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and additionally receive mentoring services from a group of volunteers including successful technology entrepreneurs and other business experts.

Following formal pitches by the finalists to the judging panels, CTO will select six winners and present them with their prizes at the grand final event on November 6, 2008.
Past CTO finalists have gone on to raise more than $70 million of VC funding in two years, not including the revenue gained from substantial customer contracts. Plus, of the 95 alumni companies, more than 84 percent are still viable businesses. For more information on the current finalists and alumni companies, visit www.CleanTechOpen.com

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Marketing Tip: Use Vegetable Inks

May 26th, 2008

We don’t need harsh chemicals to create beautiful and effective marketing pieces.  Ask your printer about soy and vegetable based inks.  They’re beautiful and competitively priced.

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