November 2011 Year 1 No 2

Helping Commercialize Australia’s Leading Environmental Ideas

Inside This Issue:

Equity Capital 2 Government Grants 7 Editorial 12 Government Policy 13 Opportunities 21 Milestones 24 Marketing 30 Events 34 Letters 35 Companies in this Edition 36

Next Page - Left Mouse Click Previous Page - Right Mouse Click Exit Full Screen Mode - Escape Equity Capital working capital. extended several times, and during the offer the com- The placement was managed by RBS Morgans Cor- pany's share price fell below the offer price. Listed Companies Raise porate and Ord Minnett and the share purchase plan by The money raised is funding working capital and RBS Morgans Corporate. exploration and development of the company's proj- Millions Energy efficiency company Energy Action listed ects, in particular its flagship Paralana Project in South By Victor Bivell through an oversubscribed IPO that raised $3.8 million. Australia. See separate story this issue for details. The placement was managed by Patersons Securi- West Australia based waste to energy developer An- ties. Month after month the ASX continues to show that aeCo placed $2.5 million worth of shares at 5 cents Sustainable timber flooring company Style under- it is the outstanding venture capital market in Australia. each, the first part of a planned $5 million capital rais- took a rights issue that was underwritten by Peregrine In the two months over September and October, 14 ing. The remaining $2.5 million will be raised through a Corporate Ltd for up to $2,087,000. young and emerging cleantech companies were able to shareholder share purchase plan with shareholders able The rights issue was priced at 0.3 cents per share, raise a total of $29.3 million. to purchase up to $15,000 worth of shares each. and closed on 12 October with the company receiving This was through a combination of placements, Funds from the capital raising will be used for work- acceptances for $544,652, equivalent to 181.5 million rights issues, share purchase plans and one initial public ing capital during the expansion of the company's Di- shares and 90.7 million free options. The underwriter offering. COM Project in Perth, as well as for industrialization of took up the shortfall of 514.3 million shares and 257.1 Considering the volatility of the stock market over the DiCOM technology, business development costs this period and the conservative approach of many in- and repayment of a short-term loan facility. vestors, the result is outstanding, and shows that at least Firm commitments for 50 million shares have been Eco Innovator one of Australia's three venture capital markets is work- received from sophisticated and professional investors. ing and working well. Published by: About $1.5 million of the capital subscribed came from RedFlow, which is commercializing batteries that Eco Investor Media parties related to directors. The capital raising is man- store solar energy, completed the second tranche of the PO Box 3102 aged by Bizzell Capital Partners. share placement announced on 17 August when it is- Wareemba NSW 2046 Australia AnaeCo chief executive, Patrick Kedemos, said sued 12 million shares at $1 each to sophisticated and Ph: 02 9713 7608, Fx: 02 9713 1004 given the difficult market conditions "We welcome the Em: [email protected] professional investors. support shown by investors in AnaeCo, and I re-affirm Web: www.ecoinvestor.com.au RedFlow raised $842,000 through its share pur- our commitment to deliver the focus on commercializa- chase plan and said it was supported by a large number Editor & Publisher: Victor Bivell tion." of shareholders. The issue price was $1, the same as for National Advertising Manager: Philip Thomson South Australian geothermal explorer Petratherm the August placement. raised $2.75 million. $2.29 million through a placement © Copyright The $12.8 million proceeds of the placement and in August and $458,500 through a share purchase plan share purchase plan will accelerate the introduction of at 12.5 cents per share through September and October. Front Cover. Barefoot Power’s Firefly 5 is an the large scale outsourced manufacture of the com- Chairman Derek Carter said the amount was very economical LED light to replace kerosene pany's core zinc-bromine battery modules (ZBM), sup- lighting in developing countries. See page encouraging considering the challenging market condi- port product roll-out in selected markets, and for 33. tions. The closing date for the share purchase plan was

Page 2 Eco Innovator November 2011 million free options amounting to $1,543,005. Three Style directors participated in the rights issue. Peter Torreele directly and indirectly acquired 13.1 million shares and 6.55 million options for $38,416; Charles Gullotta indirectly acquired 10.5 million shares and 5.25 million options for $31,550; and Andrew Nu- land picked up 6 million shares and 3 million options for $18,000. The options under the issue expire on 30 August 2014 and have an exercise price of 0.5 cents each. Peregrine was paid a fee of 5 per cent of the total sought to be raised under the issue, and received 50 mil- lion options with the same terms as the free-attaching options. The funds are mainly for working capital, marketing support for the launch of Style's patented strand woven eucalyptus flooring products and further investment in research and development to enable international li- cenced manufacturing. Tasmanian based geothermal explorer KUTh En- ergy raised $1.85 million through a rights issue to shareholders. It received acceptances for $579,142, and the shortfall of $1,296,273 was taken up by the under- now holds 8.5 per cent of Clean TeQ. Wasabi's subsidi- Ltd, was for maintenance of the company's geothermal writer, Veritas Securities Ltd. ary Aqua Guardian holds another 17.5 per cent. projects, the identification and review of potential re- The proceeds are for working capital. This includes Clean TeQ is commercializing air and water purifi- source opportunities, costs of the offer, and working minor exploration and regulatory works to facilitate the cation and metals recovery technologies. capital. next stage of development at the company's geothermal Geothermal energy explorer Torrens Energy raised Fellow geothermal hopeful Hot Rock raised projects in Tasmania, Queensland and Vanuatu. $955,000 at 4.5 cents per share. A 1 for 3 Entitlement $785,000 by placing 31.5 million shares at 2.5 cents Air and water engineering company Clean TeQ Issue raised $594,000 before costs. The take-up by each. The funding is for ongoing exploration and Holdings raised $1 million through a pro-rata entitle- shareholders was for 13 million shares or 62 per cent of evaluation of the company's geothermal projects. ment offer to shareholders that was underwritten by what was offered, which Torrens said was strong sup- Managing director Mark Elliott said the level of Wasabi Energy. The offer price was 3.7 cents per share. port. The shortfall of 8,019,424 shares was later placed, support received had been pleasing given the current Clean TeQ received acceptances for 67.1 per cent of raising another $361,000. challenging market environment. the shares on offer totaling $679,736. The shortfall of The raising, underwritten by Cygnet Capital Pty "The outlook for geothermal energy is strong and 32.9 per cent was taken up by Wasabi Energy, which

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 3 the funds raised will enable the company to continue to power stations that supply electricity to remote mine Energy management company Intermoco closed a progress its portfolio of projects towards development. sites. share purchase plan with acceptances for $191,000. All HRL is the largest holder of granted volcanic geother- Solar tower hopeful EnviroMission has raised five directors participated for a total of $55,000 shares. mal projects in Chile and Peru. All tenements are 100 $215,000 in two tranches of $165,00 in September and Intermoco installs energy management systems into per cent owned, providing the opportunity for favour- $50,00 in October. The raisings were at 3 cents per buildings. able farm-out terms to fund future exploration and de- share and for working capital. Environmental engineer Aeris Environmental velopment costs to fast track projects," he said. In mid September EcoQuest, which is commercial- raised $120,00 when a convertible noteholder elected $500,000 worth of shares will be placed and issued izing a biodegradable nappy, raised $100,000 through a to convert 600,000 convertible notes at 20 cents per without shareholder approval with the balance of placement of 3,333,333 shares at 3 cents each to sophis- share into 600,000 shares. The convertible notes were $30,000 worth subject to shareholder approval. ticated investors. The capital was for the production of part of a July 2009 private placement of 12.5 million $255,000 worth of shares will be offered to directors or stock and for working capital. convertible notes. entities related to directors of Hot Rock, subject to However, the company's share price has continued shareholder approval. to fall this year, and in mid October Eco Quest raised Energy Action IPO $250,000 of the capital raising was undertaken by another $100,902, but at the much reduced price of 0.67 Intersuisse Ltd and its associate company Phillip Capi- cents per share. Oversubscribed tal Pty Ltd. The board said it recognizes that the business opera- Energy efficiency company Energy Action listed on In September emerging green energy utility, Enerji, tions have not generated the sales which had been ex- the ASX on 13 October after its $3.8 million IPO was raised $409,000 through a placement to sophisticated pected, and it has decided to contract operations to oversubscribed. The $1 shares listed at a premium of and private investors. This comprised 20,950,000 reduce its cash burn. around $1.30 and are currently trading at around $1.22. shares at 2 cents each and 10,475,000 listed options Accordingly, Keith Herbert resigned as managing Martin Rushe, the managing director of Moss Capi- with an exercise price of 3 cents and expiring 30 June director and other roles are being eliminated or com- tal, which acted as corporate advisor to Energy Action, 2015. bined. The board has commissioned an independent re- said the fact that the IPO didn’t just get away but was Also in September Enerji raised another $80,000 view of the business, and is considering the acquisition oversubscribed in this market shows that investors see with the placements of shares and options. One $20,00 of a complementary business. energy prices are rising and that energy efficiency can tranche was to a private investor through the issue of 1 Mr Darren Onley-Faser has been appointed as act- deliver profits. million shares at 2 cents each and 0.5 million free listed ing managing director pending the outcome of the re- “The main reason for Energy Action’s listing is to options with an exercise price of 3 cents expiring 30 view. Over the next three months he and the board will fund future expansion plans. We see great opportunities June 2015. look at repositioning and recapitalizing the company . developing in this space,” he said. The capital is to help fund the installation of Austra- Mr Onley-Faser is a company director and former Energy Action’s managing director, Valerie Dun- lia's first Opcon Powerbox at Horizon Power's Carnar- corporate lawyer with mergers and acquisitions experi- can, said “We are very pleased with this result and ex- von Power Station in WA. ence. He is a director Australian Public Trustees, Mari- cited about the company’s future in an environment of The Opcon Powerbox is a waste heat recovery sys- ner Corporation Ltd and Stanfield Funds Management growing energy costs and future carbon pricing. Energy tem that can produce up to 20 per cent more power and Ltd. A fee of $75,000 will be paid to Mariner Corpora- Action is strategically positioned to help Australian lower CO2 emissions by 15 per cent without burning tion for his services over the three month period. The businesses get the best price for energy, minimize en- additional fuel. Enerji's main target market is off-grid fee will be paid by way of shares at 0.67 cents each. ergy expenditure and understand carbon pricing and its

Page 4 Eco Innovator November 2011 effects.” Australian Clean Energy VCs vestment. Then in Energy Action is an energy auction and energy man- 2006, surplus capital agement and efficiency business. It established the Recognized in US from other invest- Australian Energy Exchange, which it says is Austra- Two US based Australian venture capitalists have ment sectors, high lia’s only online reverse energy auction platform, and been named among the Top Five Clean Energy Venture gas prices, and “An holds online auctions where electricity retailers bid to Capitalists And Principals by AOL Energy. Inconvenient Truth” fulfil client requirements. The two are Paul Fox of the California Clean Energy brought a flood of Chairman, Ronald Watts, said the auctions are de- Fund (CalCEF) and Cathy Zoi of Silver Lake Kraft- cash. signed to get a business the best possible deal amongst werk. They join John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins, Alan “But there was all retail offers. “From the viewpoint of economic effi- Salzman of Vantage Point Capital, and Nat Goldhaber still a gap at the seed ciency, it’s pretty good, since it delivers a fairly fric- and Paul Straub of Claremont Creek in the top five. and early stage, tionless price for a uniform product. Another way of Founded in 2004, the US$30 million California which is why Cal- Australian venture capitalist in Silicon Valley, Paul Fox. expressing this is to say that the cost of sales is low. Clean Energy Fund is a non-profit evergreen fund of CEF created our An- Since all retailers are treated equally, it also delivers the funds, and was one of the clean energy industry’s first gel Fund in 2008. lowest price.” venture capital fund-of-funds. CalCEF’s role is still very much directed at closing the However, Energy Action makes around 60 per cent Dan Adler, who is CalCEF’s president and was most serious gaps at all stages of clean energy financ- of its revenue from energy management and efficiency named in the top five along with Mr Fox, says its mis- ing.” services. It does this through its Activ8 energy manage- sion to blaze a trail and create a culture of clean energy “Naturally I am sympathetic to Aussie companies,” ment and contracting service and through its Activ8+ investment in California has been successful. The AOL said Mr Fox. “At CalCEF Angel Fund we have looked energy efficiency and sustainability partnering service. Energy citation says “Although its fund is relatively at a dozen or more Australian clean energy companies Activ8 includes emissions as well as daily energy modest, CalCEF was influential in that it started invest- over the past couple of years. One of them made it all monitoring, efficiency reviews, alerts, detailed ing in clean tech when other VCs were yet to catch on.” the way to the investment committee, but we deferred monthly reporting, and industry benchmarking. CalCEF also established the CalCEF Clean Energy the investment decision. Activ8+ is a fee based advisory service covering Angel Fund, the US’s first seed stage investment vehi- “The challenge for Australian companies is that US metering intelligence, sub-metering of individual parts cle for clean energy. early stage investors like to invest close to home. Later of plant and equipment, carbon footprint measurement Mr Fox is an expatriate Australian now living in stage investors, i.e. post revenue stage, may be willing and advice, energy audits, feasibility studies for co-gen Silicon Valley. He joined CalCEF’s Angel Fund in to put cash on a foreign entity, but 99 per cent of early and tri-gen projects, and coordinating finance for large 2009 and is a general partner. AOL Energy described stage investors won’t. Most of the global clean energy energy and efficiency projects. him as an engineer and “Australian entrepreneur turned venture capital is in the US. We have to think about that Energy Action has been operating for 11 years. It investor”. when we develop a strategy for syndication and the has low debt and cash of $4.3 million. Revenue is grow- Mr Fox said CalCEF helped kickstart the clean en- risks for securing follow-on investments. ing at 30 per cent per annum. It has been profitable ergy investment trend in Silicon Valley. “There were “The implication is that the Australian company since 2005-06 and pays a fully franked dividend. The few VCs doing cleantech back in 2003 or even 2005. usually needs to set up an office in the US and hire a lo- company is looking to grow through acquisitions and CalCEF’s early investments in Element, Nth Power and cal team. We can help them, but establishing that moving into auctioning gas as well as organically. Vantage Point in 2005 were designed to catalyze in- beachhead takes cash and commitment on the part of

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 5 the company. Bridging the Pacific is the additional “fi- Dyesol Product in Market by it owns the materials technology IP, licenses it to manu- nancing gap” that Australian tech companies face on facturing partners, and leverages the partnerships to top of all the other hurdles they face,” said Mr Fox 2014-15 create massive demand for its materials, typically The Angel Fund’s portfolio comprises REEL Solar, Listed built-in photovoltaics developer Dyesol ex- through exclusive materials supply agreements. a developer of thin film solar technology; Alphabet En- pects to have a commercial glass product with built-in Its key strategic partnerships are with leading indus- ergy which is commercializing an inexpensive waste dye solar cell photovoltaics available in 2014-15, and a trial companies Tata Steel, the world’s number 10 steel heat recovery technology using thermoelectric materi- commercial roofing product with built-in photovoltaics manufacturer and Europe’s number 1 coated roofing als; Allopartis Biotechnologies which provides tech- ready by 2015-16. manufacturer; Pilkington, which is the world’s leading nologies for improving the efficiency and decreasing Founder and director Sylvia Tulloch and president glass/window manufacturer; and Merck, which is the the cost of converting sustainable biomass products Dyesol North America Marc Thomas also told a retail- world’s number 1 manufacturer of specialty chemicals. into clean fuels; and Lumetric, a provider of intelligent, investorconference that the markets for both products It is also looking at partnerships for the auto, indoor, controllable and efficient lighting for large areas. are huge. and electronics sectors and possibly the military. The flat glass market is 6 billion square metres per Cathy Zoi annum and growing at 5 per cent, and the building com- Solar Shop Troubles for Private AOL Energy said Silver Lake Kraftwerk “managed ponent of this is 4.2 billion square metres. The address- Equity Investor to secure $1 billion in funding from George Soros to able market for Dyesol’s product is 1.7 billion square provide growth capital to business innovators in the en- metres and worth around $25 billion per annum. The solar sector received a set back when receivers ergy and resource sectors. Silver Lake Kraftwerk The coated steel roofing market is over 1 billion were appointed to Solar Shop Australia Pty Ltd under (SLKW) is led by Adam Grosser from Foundation square metres per annum and growing at 7 to 8 per cent. the provisions of a debenture charge in favour of West- Capital, which has made substantial investments in the The potential for dye solar cell coated steel cladding is pac Banking Corporation. Smart Grid sector such as Silver Springs Network, En- 20 per cent, an addressable market of 200 million Solar Shop retails and installs photovoltaic solar erNOC, Sentient Energy and eMeter. square metres worth $30 billion. This would be equiva- panels and its commercial division focuses on large “But SLKW made a star signing with the appoint- lent to over 10 GW installed per annum. scale PV installations and sun farms. The business con- ment of Cathy Zoi, former assistant secretary for en- For technical reasons the glass product is likely to tinues to trade “business as usual” in the short term as ergy efficiency and renewable energy at the US have a higher efficiency than the roofing product. the receivers, Ferrier Hodgson, endeavour to find a pur- Department of Energy. Grosser made no secret of the Ms Tulloch said Dyesol has a burn rate of about $1 chaser of the business as a going concern. The company fact that Zoi will be a huge asset in interpreting the mar- million.per month. It has raised $70 million so far and is still taking orders with deposits kept in trust by the re- ket opportunities – and limitations – that arise from raised another $30-40 million before its Dyesol incar- ceivers. government policy,” said AOL Energy. nation. Debt is “not much” as it doesn’t believe in debt. In May 2009, Solar Shop Australia received private Originally from the US and now living there again, Dyesol is listed on the ASX and the Frankfurt Stock equity from the Harbert Australian Private Equity Fund Ms Zoi is also an Australian and lived here for about 12 Exchange. About 30 per cent of its shareholders are I (HAPE I). It was HAPE I’s first portfolio investment. years. While here she was executive director of the Sus- German retail investors and another 30 per cent Austra- Initially a minority stake, in 2010 its equity interest in- tainable Energy Development Authority for the NSW lian retail investors. About 15 per cent is held by institu- creased to 50.2 per cent via the acquisition of shares Government. Her husband still believed to still have a tions, and the balance by founders and staff. from a minority investor and HAPE I’s participation in recycling business in Australia. Dyesol has a “Capital-Light” business model where the re-capitalization of the company.

Page 6 Eco Innovator November 2011 Sydney Angels Looking for the visibility, environmental benefits and market ac- “Delafield is developing a ‘pulse detonation steam ceptance of biofuels, all of which are critical to the con- generation’ technology which is set to reduce fuel con- Deals tinuing growth of the wider biofuels sector,” said sumption and emissions by up to 20 per cent for many Sydney Angels is looking for investment opportuni- deputy premier and minister for Regional and Rural commercial and industrial steam processes. This new ties for its Deal Screening Meeting on 22 November. Development, Peter Ryan technology will set the benchmark for the world’s most The angel group has invited nominations of or by prom- The four-stage project includes sourcing locally efficient combustion technology for commercial steam ising entrepreneurs who might be interested in pitching. grown oilseed - either Indian mustard or canola; press- generators.” Ideal applicants would be based in the wider Syd- ing oilseed for oil to convert to biodiesel; pelletizing The technology works by burning the fuel in short ney area and typically seek to raise between $100,00 to press-cake or meal; and operating the biodiesel and pulses, thousands of times per second. Turbulence cre- $500,000 in return for 20 to 40 per cent of the equity in blending plant. ated by the resulting pressure waves transfers heat more their company. This would usually be the first round of The project involves local fuel supply and is ex- quickly to the surrounding steam tubes than in a con- formal external investment, but later follow-on rounds pected to increase price competition in the local fuel ventional boiler, where typically 20 per cent of the heat are also considered. market. energy is lost as wasted heat retained in the exhaust Sydney Angels recently invested in its 10th deal, The project is scheduled to be completed by the end gases. and the Sydney Angels Sidecar Fund has just made its of next year. Funding is from the Government’s $1 bil- Since 1999, the Queensland Sustainable Energy In- first investment. All together, Sydney Angels backed lion Regional Growth Fund (RGF). novation Fund has delivered over $9 million to deals have raised in excess of $5 million. A previous Queensland businesses to develop technology that re- cleantech investment was waste management and recy- Steaming Hot Idea Gets duces the use of fossil fuels or water, leads to more effi- cling company Hungry Giant. $200,000 cient energy use or enhances the use of renewable Applications can be made through the Sydney An- energy sources, said the minister. gels website. A Queensland company is to develop what it hopes will be the world’s most efficient commercial steam Funding for Algae Fuels Government Grants generator with the help of $200,000 in start-up funding Initiative from the Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund. Aurora Algae Pty Ltd, which produces biofuel from $500,000 Biofuels Boost Delafield aims to dramatically reduce the fuel con- algae in Karratha in Western Australia, is on track to sumption of industrial boilers by converting about 95 become the first recipient of the WA Government’s A new bio-fuels production facility near Echuca in per cent of fuel energy into useful steam. Low Emissions Energy Development (LEED) funding Victoria has received a grant of $500,000 from the Vic- “Large amounts of fuel are used to generate steam in to complete all its project milestones. torian Government. food processing factories, laundries and hospitals, Aurora Algae received more than $1.98 million in The $1.3 million Madowla Park Integrated Bio- which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and pol- 2010 for a project to source carbon dioxide from a ma- Energy project will produce 1.5 million litres of biodie- lution,” said Environment minister Vicky Darling. jor industrial plant and use it as feedstock for algal pro- sel and 4,000 litres of animal feed at Ecofuels’ new “Despite all the advances in recent years, even the duction and then for production of biodiesel and other bio-energy production facility at Madowla Park. most efficient boilers rely on the same basic technology algal products. “The biodiesel produced at this facility will promote used for the past 150 years. WA environment minister Bill Marmion said the

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 7 sign for a larger, grid-connected facility. The LEED fund has invested $22 million since 2009, and a fourth round will see a further $8 million in- vested this year. Funding is on a matching basis of $1 of Government funds for at least $3 from elsewhere.

Sustainable Markets Grants Program

A second call for grant applications may be held in February 2012 for the Sustainable Markets Grants Pro- gram, with first round submissions having closed on 30 September. Run by Zero Waste SA, the Sustainable Markets Grants program aims to reduce waste going to landfill by expanding local markets for recycled materials. It invests in activities that support the development of sustainable markets with recycled content, and is open to all organizations that produce, manufacture or sell Aurora Algae’s facility at Karratha. products with South Australian recycled materials. tures. Funding priorities for 2011-12 are: composts and It was recently chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the company has successfully completed eight of the 10 mulches; aggregates such as concrete, brick, soils, and GoingGreen Global 200 winners, which it says signi- milestones, with $1.83 million from the LEED fund glass; plastic/ rubber products, timber products, and fies game-changing approaches and technologies that paid to date. contaminated soils and other industrial by-products. are likely to disrupt existing markets and entrenched “One of Aurora’s major achievements is the suc- Funding will be directed to initiatives that: players. The criteria on which it was selected were in- cessful test driving of a vehicle running on biodiesel * Support market-focused product development that novation, market potential, commercialization, stake- produced from algae grown at the Karratha facility. taps into market demands and preferences. holder value and media buzz. Other milestones include the construction of ponds and * Support development of product specifications LEED funding is assisting the development of new, systems required for the culturing and harvesting of al- and quality assurance measures. low emission technologies such as solar, wave, tidal gae.” * Assemble market intelligence and improve market and geothermal energy. Other projects funded in the Aurora Algae Inc is headquartered in the US and its knowledge of market trends and changing demand for first three LEED rounds include an oil mallee harvester subsidiary, Aurora Algae Pty Ltd, has its office in Perth product. which has harvested over 200 tonnes of mallee, and and its production facility in Karratha. Aurora Algae * Foster buyer awareness and improve consumer/ Carnegie Wave Energy which has completed in-water Inc is US venture capital funded by Oak Investment user knowledge of the performance and benefits of testing off Garden Island and is now completing the de- Partners, Gabriel Venture Partners, and Noventi Ven- products and materials from recovered resources to

Page 8 Eco Innovator November 2011 boost demand e.g. through field trials, market exten- * Regional Implementation Program applicants. sion, promotional materials, fact sheets or other com- * Recycle Right at Work The CleverGreen Innovation Grants and Clever- munications methods. * School and Community Grants Green Commercialisation Grants are part of the Clean- * Support business management practices in recy- * Zero Waste SA School and Community Grants tech Partnering Program, a $2.15 million grant program cling companies that foster flexibility and their ability Showcase over three years from 2010-11. The program helps to rapidly respond to changing market demands. * Kerbside Performance Incentives (Regional). small and medium sized enterprises take new cleantech Zero Waste SA welcomes collaborative applica- products, processes and services from conception and tions with project partners including other industry or- CleverGreen Partnering early stage development through to market. ganizations, associations and representatives from Funding under Round 6 will see Expressions of In- targeted market segments. Program Grants Open terest close on 1 April 2012. Grants are from $10,000 to $50,000 per project. Eli- The South Australian Department of Trade and Eco- gible projects must be carried out in South Australia nomic Development’s has opened Round 5 of the Clev- ACT InnovationConnect Grants and contribute at least 50 per cent of funding excluding erGreen Partnering Grants Program, which is designed in kind contributions. to help small and medium enterprises take new clean- Applications under the current funding round for the Projects must also have a clear implementation tech products, processes and services from conception ACT Government’s InnovationConnect (ICon) grant timetable including approvals, commissioning, opera- and early stage development through to market. program close on 24 November. tion, monitoring and evaluation within two years of The program has two components - CleverGreen In- The ICon program assists Canberra-based early signing the funding agreement. novation Grants and CleverGreen Commercialisation stage companies taking an innovative product or serv- Applicants must demonstrate they have access to Grants. ice to investment readiness or commercialization. The any intellectual property needed for the project. It is ex- The CleverGreen Innovation Grants provide finan- objective is to accelerate the formation of investment pected that in most cases there would be dual owner- cial assistance for early proof-of-concept and commer- ready companies and entities. ship of any intellectual property resulting from the cial viability testing for applicants intending to The investment ready or commercialization path- project. commercialize cleantech products, processes and serv- way has three stages: Pre Start-Up, Start-Up, and Ineligible activities include advertising, projects fo- ices. The maximum grant is $50,000. Growth, and ICon has two main funding components: cusing on export markets, and infrastructure projects. The CleverGreen Commercialisation Grant is for up Proof of Technology for Pre-Start-Up Stage, and Ac- Assessment will include the extent to which the to $100,000 on a matched funding basis for commer- celerating Innovation for Start-Up and Growth stages. project is innovative in tackling waste streams, over- cialization activities. Proof of Technology Grants support the develop- coming existing barriers, and targeting new markets; Applicants are linked to one of the following pro- ment of prototypes that prove a concept; or a technol- and the demonstrated financial viability of the company gram partners - Adelaide Research & Innovation, ogy plan or business case study that demonstrates and project. Flinders Partners, ITEK, Cleantech Ventures, or Trans whether a concept is commercially viable. Grants range Other waste programs by Zero Waste SA are: Tasman Commercialisation Fund. from $5,000 to $50,000. * Kerbside Performance Plus (Food Waste Incen- Expressions of interest close on 1 January 2012. Ap- Accelerating Innovation Grants support start-up and tives) plicants commence by submitting an Expression of In- growth companies with a viable, proven concept or * Metropolitan Infrastructure terest to Innovate SA, which is providing mentoring, service. The funding is to enable: participation in com- * REAP (Resource Efficiency Assistance Program) business advisory and product development services to mercialization training; IP strategies and advice; estab-

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 9 lishment of advanced business processes; market we harvest off the top of the tanks, put through a clean- Colac Power Company previously received a testing; mentoring; and projects that link the technol- ing process then burn through a gas-fired engine that $50,000 grant from the EPA’s Hazwaste program to ogy and creative industry sectors. runs a generator, which generates electricity.” conduct a feasibility study for the project, which in- Accelerating Innovation Grants range from $5,000 Company director Nick Routson said the process volved extensive research into German biogas facili- to $10,000 and are granted on a dollar-for-dollar basis produced heat as a by-product, which could be har- ties. based on reimbursement. nessed to produce hot water or steam. He said other by- Cr Russell thanked the Victorian Government’s Re- Applicants must submit an Expression of Interest products include liquids and solids, both of which are gional Infrastructure Development Fund for providing and speak with a client manager about their proposal rich sources of phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and essential support to help the biogas project happen. before completing a formal application. other trace elements. The Camperdown Compost Company has been op- “Phosphorus and nitrogen are important and expen- erating in the region since 2004. It works with local in- Agricultural Waste to Energy sive fertilizers,” said Mr Routson. “These elements dustry to develop biological farming products to leave the farm in the form of animals or animal prod- increase efficiency of water usage and reduce reliance Colac in Victoria will host a new biogas plant that ucts, and what isn’t sold as meat or dairy can now be re- on fertilizer inputs. The company won the Powercor can convert organic waste from the dairy, meat and cycled, meaning we can help close the loop on these Regional Business of the Year Award in 2007 for dem- other agricultural industries to energy, thanks to a $1.5 limited resources.” onstrating ongoing focus on commercial solutions and million grant from the Victorian Government. Mr Routson said “Camperdown Compost Company innovation. The Colac Power Company Pty Ltd is a joint ven- and Diamond Energy have two very different skill sets, Diamond Energy is a private company that has been ture between Camperdown Compost Company and and our partnership will ensure we have the expertise in operating since 2004 and has two renewable energy Diamond Energy. The plant will employ up to six peo- both producing energy from organic waste, and taking plants in northern Victoria. The electricity is sold ple, and provide a sustainable waste disposal option for it to market.” through it’s retail brand, Commercial Green. It is devel- south-west Victoria’s agricultural industries. Mayor Lyn Russell said that government regula- oping a range of wind, solar, wave, bio-energy and Based on an input of 80 tonnes of liquefied waste tions for waste disposal are becoming more stringent natural gas generation plants across Australia. per day, Colac Power Company will be able to produce and the cost of disposing of all types of waste is dra- about one megawatt of electrical power, enough energy matically increasing. $30 Million for Illawarra to run 2,000 homes. The energy can be fed into the grid, “This project will provide security for our agricul- or could also be channeled to some of Colac’s dairy or tural industries facing waste management issues, re- Region meat processing plants. duce pressure on landfill and produce a range of useful Innovative cleantech companies may be able to Company director Tony Evans said the biogas plant products from a waste stream that previously wasn’t benefit from the Federal Government’s plan to assist could take all types of organic waste including grease able to be re-used,” she said. the Illawarra region in NSW by helping manufacturing trap waste, paunch material, dairy liquids and solids, Cr Russell said Colac Power Company owners, firms create new products, processes and jobs. and meat scraps –“basically anything organic”. which comprise Mr Evans and Mr Routson, as well as The $30 million Illawarra Region Innovation and “The ideal is for liquid waste with about 10 per cent Melbourne-based power company Diamond Energy, Investment Fund is in response to large job losses at solids, which is fed into big digester tanks where it is chose Colac because of its strong agricultural industries BlueScope Steel. broken down over 30 days anaerobically,” he said. and central location proximate to Warrnambool, Bal- “Through the Fund we will partner with local firms “The by-product of this process is methane, which larat, Geelong and Melbourne. to create and secure new jobs and new technologies to

Page 10 Eco Innovator November 2011 Partech ensure the Illawarra economy can prosper through this Systems is The Tasmanian Innovation and difficult time,” said Innovation minister Senator Kim developing Investment Fund (TIIF) Carr. a solar “We know Illawarra firms are innovative and we en- powered A new $8 million Tasmanian Innovation and Invest- courage businesses investing in new clean technology railway level ment Fund (TIIF) from the Federal Government is ex- to apply to the Fund, said the Member for Throsby, Ste- crossing pected to promote regional economic diversification controller. phen Jones. and deliver long-term sustainable employment oppor- The Fund targets firms providing engineering, con- tunities in Tasmania. struction and support services to heavy process manu- for the Illawarra region. The RRSB project, with the The TIIF will work with companies to provide sup- facturing and the mining industry; manufacturing for Centre as its main research facility, will create over 100 port for new investments across a wide range of indus- the power, mining and transport sectors; engineered research jobs and open up to 100 undergraduate and tries, including clean tech and clean energy. equipment for oil, gas and downstream industries; and 200 post-graduate positions, which will train students The TIIF is part of the Tasmanian Forests Intergov- firms involved in creative multimedia and software de- in sustainable construction technologies and practices,” ernmental Agreement from the restructuring of the for- velopment. said Ms Bird. estry sector. The Fund will support innovative projects The Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird exam- The $30 million fund is jointly funded by the Aus- that strengthen Tasmania’s economic and employment pled local company Partech Systems. “Firms like Par- tralian Government ($20 million), the NSW Govern- base. tech Systems Pty Ltd, a local firm working in ment ($5 million) and BlueScope Steel ($5 million) The TIIF will provide minimum grants of $50,000 partnership with a researcher from the University of over three years to 30 June 2014. The fund will also be on a competitive and merit-basis to ensure projects are Wollongong, are developing and marketing a lowcost matched by at least $30 million in private sector invest- commercially robust. Successful applicants must fund solar-powered rail level crossing control system. The ment. at least 50 per cent of their project’s costs. Government is currently backing Partech with a The minimum grant under the Fund is $50,000, The TIIF will be delivered by AusIndustry. Recom- $50,000 Enterprise Connect Researchers in Business matched dollar-for-dollar by the applicant. There is no mendations for funding will be made by an Assessment grant,” she said. maximum funding limit. Funds will be available Panel with representatives from the Australian Govern- Before speaking at the Illawarra Manufacturing through up to three rounds. The first round opened on ment, the Tasmanian Government and an independent Expo, Senator Carr and Ms Bird turned the first sod at 18 October and closes on 16 December 2011. member of the business community. the site of the University of Wollongong’s new Sustain- The process has worked in other regions around the The program will end in 2013-14. able Buildings Research Centre. country. More than 2,500 jobs have been created “Located on the Innovation Campus, the Centre is through Innovation Funds in Adelaide and Geelong Market Validation Program part of the Retrofitting for Resilient and Sustainable where major plants have closed. Buildings (RRSB) project. This project will help trans- In a related initiative, 50 local businesses in the Illa- Grants form our construction industry by discovering sustain- warra region will receive one-on-one coaching to help Three environmental companies have received able building practices and products and find ways to them identify opportunities for growth and the creation grants for feasibility studies under the Victorian Gov- improve the energy efficiency of new and existing of new jobs through a $98,000 Enterprise Connect ernment’s Smart SMEs Market Validation Program. buildings,” said Senator Carr. grant to Regional Development Australia (RDA) Illa- “The Smart SMEs Market Validation Program is a “The Centre and the RRSB project are great news warra.

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 11 $28 million competitive grants program that assists Editorial neurs, innovators and everyone else involved in clean small and medium businesses develop innovative prod- energy, it added that where possible it would reverse ucts, processes and services that meet the future tech- Get in Quick and Big for Clean any funding commitments made by the CEFC. nology needs of Victorian Government agencies, and Boy! They want to take away the lot, the whole $10 which have potential to find wider markets for partici- Energy Funding billion or as much of it as possible. That's a big stick. pating businesses,” said minister for Innovation, Serv- The passage through the lower house of the Federal And they said it without offering a single carrot in re- ices and Small Business, Louise Asher. Government's Clean Energy legislation and price on turn. Nothing to make up for the loss or to help emerg- In this round, 12 projects each received $100,000 to carbon emissions, and the legislation's expected ing clean energy products into the market. develop innovative solutions to identified problems. passage this month through the Senate, is the best news It is the same ruthless threat made to the carbon Technology company Enviro Stream Solutions re- clean energy entrepreneurs have received for some credits market when the Clean Energy legislation ceived funding to investigate a stormwater treatment time. passed the lower house. Mr Abbott said emitters should device for Yarra Valley Water. The project aims to re- It comes with progress on the establishment of the not buy future carbon credits as a Coalition government move toxins from stormwater to an acceptable level for $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), would reverse the legislation and where possible do so non-drinking household purposes such as garden use, with the Government appointing an expert panel to ad- without compensation. toilet flushing and laundry. vise on the design of the Corporation, and the introduc- These threats are intended to scare good people into The passive stormwater treatment project involves tion of legislation to create the $3.2 billion Australian doing nothing so that the price on carbon and the fund- stormwater harvesting, nanoparticles, photocatalysts, Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). ing by the CEFC do not happen or get off to a slow start and pathogen removal. CEFC and ARENA will provide massive stimulus and so are easier to unwind. Earth Systems received a grant for the beneficial to clean energy innovation and commercialization on a For normal people it is hard to fathom such ruthless- re-use of biosolids. It will work with Melbourne Water scale not seen before in Australia. In Australia's desert ness, such rabid support for fossil fuel polluters, such to investigate sustainable and beneficial uses of bio- of commercialization funding, a few oases will sud- brusque lack of support for clean energy producers and solids including recovery of valuable products, reduced denly appear. If done well and all goes well, clean en- clean energy innovators. volumes of waste, reduced operational costs through ergy innovators will see their chances of securing What should innovators do? Should they give in to on-site energy generation and reduced greenhouse gas funding increase dramatically. They may also get to op- the threats, reject them outright and defiantly, or some- emissions. The project involves resource recovery, bio- erate within policy settings that are conducive to com- thing in between? gas, syngas, bio-synthetic natural gas, and renewable mercialization. The bottom line is that capital hungry entrepreneurs electricity. But the key phrase here is "if all goes well". Unfor- either find capital or die an entrepreneurial death. With Algae Enterprises received a grant for an algae bio- tunately the Federal Opposition under Tony Abbott $10 billion, the CEFC is for unlisted companies the mass to biogas project. Algae Enterprises will work continues its ferocious opposition to the Government's only big oasis in the desert. So the choice is clear. It is with Melbourne Water to investigate the production of temporary "carbon tax" with an overly dramatic pledge better for Tony Abbott to die a political death than for biogas from algae biomass grown in wastewater for re- "in blood" that it will repeal it at the first opportunity. innovators to die an entrepreneurial death. newable energy generation. The project involves en- If that wasn't enough to spoil the party, the Coalition Rather than give in to the Coalition's threats, the best ergy conversion, microalgae, renewable electricity, and also said it would abolish the Clean Energy Finance response for innovators is to get in early and apply for resource recovery. Corporation. And just to grind its heel into entrepre- and get as much support from the Clean Energy Fi- nance Corporation as they need or can.

Page 12 Eco Innovator November 2011 Hopefully Mr Abbott will not get a chance to close not a transformation to be feared. It is a future that must cheapest ways of cutting pollution. It will drive a re- the well. But even if he does, getting in early will make be embraced for environmental and economic rea- structuring of our economy, stimulating a move away it that much harder for him to do it. sons.” from highly-polluting technologies and products, to- And hopefully, in the meantime, innovators and On climate science, he quoted the American Asso- ward cleaner technologies and products. And it will do entrepreneurs will have had enough of a drink to get ciation for the Advancement of Science, which repre- this at the lowest cost,” he said. them to the next water hole. For unlisted companies sents 18 national scientific and mathematical This will create opportunities for innovators and en- especially, such is the desert of commercialization in associations in climate science disciplines. “Observa- trepreneurs. “In the low carbon world of the future, modern Australia. tions throughout the world make it clear that climate businesses, investors, researchers and innovators who change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research find cleaner and more sustainable ways of doing busi- demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by hu- ness will secure a competitive advantage.” Government Policy man activities are the primary driver,” it said. “Under the Government’s reforms around $100 bil- Mr Combet said this is the critical decade to act. lion is expected to be invested in clean energy through Clean Energy Future Will Drive “Decisions we make from now to 2020 will determine to 2050.” Innovation the severity of climate change which our children and Treasury modeling shows that as a result of the plan, grandchildren will experience.” electricity generation will move away from coal to- “The 19 Bills comprising the Clean Energy legisla- The Government’s Clean Energy Future Plan re- wards cleaner technologies, and by 2050, the renewable tion and the Steel Transformation Plan Bill represent sponds to the science by cutting emissions in the cheap- energy sector excluding hydro will be 18 times larger one of the most important environmental and economic est and most effective way. It will provide a foundation than it is today. reforms in this nation’s history,” said the minister for for investment in clean energy, he said. The carbon price, together with the Renewable En- Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet. The Clean Energy Future plan introduces a carbon ergy Target will drive around $20 billion in renewable Mr Combet said passage of the legislation will pro- price, promotes innovation and investment in renew- energy investment by 2020. vide certainty to business and encourage further invest- able energy, encourages energy efficiency in homes, The minister exampled Carnegie Wave Energy, ment in clean energy and low emissions technologies. offices and factories, and creates opportunities on the “which is developing and commercializing wave en- “The Government’s Clean Energy legislation addresses land to cut pollution and improve productivity. ergy technology to convert the ocean’s swell to zero- the science. It will reduce carbon pollution, it will drive “This is an approach that will provide certainty for emission power. Carnegie’s technology is different investment in clean energy and it will ensure that Aus- investors,” he said. from other wave technologies – its fully submerged tralia plays its part internationally,” he said. The minister also referred to the Productivity Com- units use the power of the ocean’s waves to pump water In giving the John Button Memorial Lecture re- mission’s report, Carbon Emission Policies in Key to onshore turbines. cently, Mr Combet said “A central challenge is to trans- Economies, which says that emissions trading in Ger- “There are many other companies like this in Aus- form our economy from one that depends on the highest many had reduced emissions in the electricity sector at tralia that are looking for innovative ways to harness per capita level of greenhouse gas emissions amongst a cost of only $20 per tonne where other German po- the earth’s renewable resources for economic gain.” developed economies, to one that can generate energy, lices had cost over $140 for each tonne of pollution re- In 1953 Australia invented the first solar water develop products and export goods while reducing car- duced. heater, and likewise “Our transition to a clean energy bon pollution. “The carbon price creates powerful incentives, from future will be a story of innovation,” said Mr Combet. ‘Reducing the emissions intensity of our economy is producers to end-users, to search out and adopt the

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 13 Clean Energy Finance Greg Combet. It will target market failures that prevent energy technologies. The CEFC will also invest in the financing of projects, including risk aversion from a firms that use these technologies and in manufacturers Corporation Appointments lack of information and information asymmetries, and that produce parts for these technologies. The $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation the high costs of transactions which reduce total invest- It will not invest in carbon capture and storage tech- will make commercial investments in clean technolo- ment. nologies. gies through loans, loan guarantees and equity invest- Last month the Government appointed Reserve Funding will be in two equal streams: a renewable ments. Investments will focus on renewable energy, Bank board member Jillian Broadbent AO to chair an energy and enabling technology stream, and an energy energy efficiency, low emissions technologies, and in expert review to advise on the design of the Corpora- efficiency and low emissions technologies stream that helping refocus manufacturers to supply inputs for tion. It also appointed two members to the review panel will be able to fund renewable energy projects in addi- these sectors. - fund manager in smaller companies David Paradice, tion to the dedicated stream. The Corporation will also remove barriers to the fi- and banker and risk manager Ian Moore. A report on the CEFC by the Australian Conserva- nancing of large-scale clean energy projects, said the The expert review panel will report to the Govern- tion Foundation (ACF) says it will fill “a significant minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, ment by mid-March next year with recommendations gap in funding for demonstration and deployment on the Corporation including its stages of renewable projects at large scale. This is the establishment, investment man- ‘valley of death’, where great technologies go to die. date, risk management approach, Alternatively, they travel to China, the US, and Europe and governance. to gain the financing support they require to reach full The recommendations will in- commerciality and compete with existing technologies. form the drafting of legislation to This gap in funding has been the reason most great Aus- be introduced into Parliament tralian innovations have left our shores.” next year so the Corporation can ACF says government funding to support renewable commence operations on 1 July energy has to date been primarily delivered through 2013. grants. “These programs have typically been insuffi- The CEFC will not directly ciently funded and often poorly delivered, ultimately compete with private sector fi- failing to develop a strong domestic renewable energy nancing, but act as a catalyst to industry where Australian R&D can reach commer- private investment that is cur- cialization,” it said. rently not available. Its role is to “A new approach to financing carbon pollution encourage private investment and abatement and renewable energy is required in Austra- help overcome capital market lia, and the CEFC offers this new approach.” barriers to commercializing clean The CEFC will retain capital returned from invest- ments for reinvestment, giving it a revolving funding The Clean Energy Finance model. The board will determine any dividends it pays Corporation in the funding to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. cycle.

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Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 15 ARENA Opens For Innovators efficiency and clean technologies. Help for Water and Cleantech The legislation will enable establishment of the The Federal Government has introduced legislation board and the positions of chief executive officer and Industries to create the $3.2 billion Australian Renewable Energy chief financial officer, and its governance and financial Australian water and clean technology firms will Agency (ARENA), a new source of funding for clean arrangements. soon have an experienced Supplier Advocate to help energy innovators. them identify new customers and business opportuni- ARENA will be established on 1 July 2012 and Support for Clean Energy ties. oversee around $3.2 billion in funding for the develop- Manufacturers Industry Capability Teams now being formed will ment of renewable energies such as small and large bring together small and medium enterprises that have scale solar, biomass, biofuels, ocean and geothermal. Manufacturers who want to be part of the Federal complementary skills to increase their competitiveness $1.5 billion of the funding is already committed to ex- Government’s clean energy future will be supported here and overseas. By joining a Capability Team, water isting projects, and $1.7 billion is uncommitted. through the $1.2 billion Clean Technology Program. and cleantech firms can benefit from joint marketing, Together with the expanded Renewable Energy Tar- This will provide grants to manufacturers to support collaborative bidding for larger projects, and increased get and a price on carbon, ARENA will help drive down investments in energy-efficient capital equipment and exposure to domestic and international customers the costs of renewable energy and encourage its deploy- low-pollution technologies. It will also support re- through the assistance of a Supplier Advocate. ment, said the Government. search and development in renewable energy, low pol- Water Supplier Advocate Bob Herbert, who is is ARENA will provide financial assistance for the re- lution technology and energy efficiency. working to establish the teams, said “The Capability search, development, demonstration, deployment and Now is the time for government, industry and acade- Teams will lead to greater opportunities among local commercialization of renewable energy and related mia to build stronger partnerships to foster a culture of suppliers for new and larger projects. The aim is for technologies; develop skills in the renewable energy in- innovation, said the minister for Climate Change and team members to increase sales and better promote dustry; share non-confidential knowledge and informa- Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet. Australian products, technologies and services, ulti- tion from the projects it funds; and promote Helping turn new ideas into reality will be impor- mately making our water and clean technology indus- collaboration on renewable energy technology innova- tant. “An example of this collaboration will be Carlton tries more competitive.” tion with state and international governments and insti- Connect at the University of Melbourne. This is a The Capability Teams are part of the Australian tutions. large-scale innovation hub that aims to bring together Government’s Clean Technology Focus for Supply ARENA is an independent statutory authority that the University, government and the private sector to un- Chains program and a $50 million support package for will consolidate the work and oversee projects and dertake cross-disciplinary research and develop solu- SMEs. They will be developed in partnership with in- funding undertaken so far by the Department of Re- tions, in particular in energy and climate change. dustry bodies waterAUSTRALIA and Australian sources, Energy and Tourism (DRET), the Australian “It will target innovation in low emissions technolo- CleanTech. Solar Institute (ASI) and the Australian Centre for Re- gies as well as geo-engineering and will be focused on “The Capability Teams will be driven by industry - newable Energy (ACRE). Staff from the ASI will trans- basic through to pre-commercialization research, pursuing goals that business puts on the agenda,” said fer to DRET and provide support to ARENA. It will where there is currently a real gap,” he said.. Innovation minister Kim Carr. “This is a key initiative complement the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Cor- “By concentrating public and private resources, it of the Government’s Supplier Advocate Program, help- poration, which will also invest in the commercializa- addresses the fragmentation of the research effort that ing firms work together to access opportunities.” tion and deployment of renewable energy, energy has characterized Australian efforts in recent years.” National workshops now underway seek participa-

Page 16 Eco Innovator November 2011 tion and input into priorities for the Capability Teams. Innovation minister Senator Kim Carr said “The help Australian water firms improve their performance Companies can register their interest at www.wateraus- Australian water industry has a well-deserved interna- and competitiveness.” tralia.org for the water capability teams and www.aus- tional reputation for infrastructure delivery, innovative However, the news is not all good for small and in- cleantech.com.au for the clean technologies teams. technologies and access to clean, high quality water – novative firms, especially in regard to perceptions More information on Supplier Advocates is at www.in- even in extreme drought and flood.” about barriers to sales growth here and overseas. novation.gov.au/supplieradvocates. Its approach to water policy, management, distribu- “There is also a perception that urban utilities favour tion and efficiency has been seized on globally. This re- larger companies with proven technologies, which is Barriers to Water Growth port shows us where the strengths of the sector are and logical given the utilities’ concern for public safety and will help industry increase access to domestic supply financial governance. It does mean that SMEs with new Australian water firms are helping to develop a high chains and develop innovative capabilities, he said. technologies, as exciting as many may be, struggle to performing sector while operating in one of the world’s The report is based on a survey of 430 water firms, make it to market. Many also expressed concerns about driest and most challenging climates, says a Water In- including manufacturers, technical support service pro- onerous tender conditions, such as uncapped liquidated dustry Capability Report by ACA Research and viders, consultants, irrigators and infrastructure opera- damages provisions in contracts.” waterAUSTRALIA. tors. It shows water industry businesses turn over $4.2 Lack of funding was seen as the third biggest im- billion annually pediment to growth. Barriers to Growth in the Water Industry and employ over 25,000 people Productivity Commission on “It highlights the diversity of the Water sector and the Commercializing innovations in the water sector is breadth of capa- not easy, despite a Productivity Commission report bilities we can tap saying the government should encourage innovation in into across the in- water supply sourcing, treatment, storage and dis- dustry. It identifies charge. areas where we One of the options the report considers is contest- have a significant ability in bulk water supply and wastewater treatment competitive ad- in urban areas. This option would extend competition to vantage, as well as wastewater treatment and discharge, and provide shedding light on strong incentives for innovation by wastewater treat- barriers to growth ment service providers, including the production of re- that firms face. cycled wastewater products. This information It also says that disaggregation of a single retail–dis- will be invaluable tribution utility into smaller but still efficient scale geo- in developing fu- graphic utilities would support competition between ture initiatives to utilities, and further strengthen innovation, competition

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 17 and contestability between bulk water and wastewater Victorian Wind Policy To Send treatment service providers. It would also facilitate a market for managerial expertise. However, a downside Investment Interstate is that system coordination and transaction costs would Multi-billion dollar investment in regional Victoria start to increase. and hundreds of new regional jobs will be the casualties Another issue is that government agencies that de- of the Victorian Government’s 2 kilometre wind set- liver water services have weaker incentives to mini- back policy and the prohibition of wind energy invest- mize costs and seek out new and better ways of doing ment in large areas of the state such as the Macedon and things compared to private sector counterparts. Yarra Ranges, says the Clean Energy Council. Private businesses that do not minimize costs may Chief executive Matthew Warren said approxi- be driven out of business by more efficient rivals or dis- mately $3 billion in investment would be lost to Victo- ciplined by the capital market, while government agen- ria as a result of its new planning policy. cies including the corporatized do not face market tests “Carving out large areas of the state as ‘no-go for survival. zones’ sends a clear message that Victoria is closed for A second reason is that the profit motive drives effi- business when it comes to future wind energy,” he said. ciency and innovation in private businesses, but does “More than half of future wind farms proposed in Vic- not operate in the same way for government agencies. toria will not be built as a direct result of this policy. Where a government agency is also a monopoly, these Hepburn Wind says Australia’s first community “The Victorian Government is sending jobs and in- wind farm, in country Victoria, would not have problems can be compounded by inefficiencies, it says. vestment interstate and will effectively drive up elec- been possible under the Victorian Government’s Regulation is also an issue. “Regulation of distrib- tricity prices in Victoria. Individual landholders can new rules. uted water systems, such as greywater systems, that are effectively hold developers to ransom under this policy inconsistent, impose unnecessarily high compliance by refusing to sign up to an agreement.” generating large amounts of clean, locally generated costs and stifle innovation,” it says. The policy could also affect small innovative busi- energy, launched the first round of our community “The Commission sees the primary policy challenge nesses. Hepburn Wind, which recently completed Aus- fund, and hired our fourth local staff member,” said is to ensure ongoing innovation in the sector, and ensur- tralia’s first community owned wind farm, two turbines Hepburn Wind. ing that distributed systems developments are not ob- at Daylesford in Victoria, said that under the new regu- Mr Warren said wind turbines are quiet, safe and structed by the attitudes or business processes of lations its wind farm would not have been built. clean, yet the Victorian Government is imposing man- incumbent utilities. As such, there is a role for State and “All five community wind proposals that we are datory setbacks on technology without consultation. Territory Governments to consider legislating aware of fall within these new zones,” it said. The setback policy is not based on science and is “com- jurisdiction-based third party access regimes in the “It is hard to reconcile these changes with the fact pletely arbitrary”. manner that New South Wales has done.” that just three months ago we won the coveted Pre- “The government has effectively introduced major The report, Australia’s Urban Water Sector, exam- mier’s Award for Sustainability in recognition of our changes to the planning system overnight with no in- ines the case for microeconomic reform in the sector. hard work to share the benefits of wind energy with the dustry consultation and many areas of great uncertainty community.” still exist in relation to the implementation of this pol- “Since we received the Premier’s award, we began icy,” he said.

Page 18 Eco Innovator November 2011 From Mining Boom to Booming Energy minister Stephen Robertson said the Renew- ergy resources including solar, wind, biomass, hydro able Energy Industry Development Plan (REIDP) “out- and geothermal. Minds lines 23 initiatives the Bligh Government will “We already have some exciting projects underway The Queensland Government would like to use its undertake over two years to facilitate economic devel- in Queensland like CS Energy’s $104.7 million 44 mining boom to grow its capability in areas of high opment of Queensland’s renewable energy industry, megawatt Solar Thermal Boost project at the Kogan skilled global demand like engineering and clean en- generate green jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions Creek power station,” said Mr Robertson. ergy. and accelerate deployment of renewable energy proj- “The 250 megawatt Solar Dawn thermal gas hybrid “We can become an Asia Pacific hub for energy, ects.” power plant proposed for Chinchilla is under develop- gas, biofuels and renewable sources,” said premier The REIDP defines five key priorities to address ment with Commonwealth and Bligh Government fi- Anna Bligh. “We can develop intellectual property in market impediments and drive industry growth: nancial support. these industries that the world will need just as much as * Innovation - facilitating development of renew- “A number of wind farm projects are also seeking our physical resources. We can become an engineering able energy and enabling technologies; development approval in Queensland and we are deliv- centre and international hub of excellence and * Renewable Energy Zones – Mount Isa, Surat Ba- ering solar farms for the Hervey Bay and Cloncurry Queenslanders can be known worldwide as builders, sin, Central and the Far North Coast have been identi- communities.” scientists and innovators.” fied as regions with the best renewable energy “Queensland is already well positioned to attract up The premier put forward three guiding principles for resources, local demand and access to transmission and to $3.5 billion in investment for our renewable energy handling of the coming resources boom: make sure it distribution networks. industry by 2020 and create 3,500 new jobs for works for all Queenslanders, not just a privileged few; * Jobs – prioritize opportunities for renewable en- Queenslanders,” said the minister. transfer wealth from mines to minds - build the best ergy skills development and job creation; educated, highly skilled workforce in the world; and * Regulatory reform - streamlining regulation im- Instant Write Off of Assets for grow a critical mass of capability in areas like engineer- pacting on the renewable energy industry; and Small Business ing and clean energy. * Incentives - renewable energy incentives to bring “Being ahead of this giant wave of opportunity, be- forward investment in renewable energy generation. Innovative companies will be among 2.7 million ing ready for it, knowing how to catch it and surf it - Mr Robertson said renewable energy proponents small businesses expected to benefit from tax changes that’s the single biggest challenge for Queensland in the will be assisted at the state and regional level to identify that simplify depreciation rules and will improve cash decade before us,” she said. potential renewable energy development opportunities flow and reduce compliance costs. and where possible to access state and federal support Changes include immediate write-off for assets Qld to Accelerate Renewable programs. valued at under $6,500, up from $1,000 presently, and “Importantly, it will also help facilitate the supply of write-off of other assets in a single depreciation pool at Energy Industry clean energy for our communities and businesses and a rate of 30 per cent, after 15 per cent in the first year. generate green jobs for Queenslanders.” The Queensland Government has unveiled a plan to The increase to the instant asset write-off threshold The plan follows the completion of the Queensland help attract investment and accelerate development of will allow small businesses to claim an immediate Solar Atlas to pinpoint the best areas for potential fu- the renewable energy industry and projects in deduction for assets, such as most office equipment, ture solar power generation projects. Queensland also Queensland. that cost less than $6,500, where they previously had to has a wind atlas. Queensland is rich in renewable en- depreciate them over time.

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 19 Consistent with recommendation 6 of the Austra- ministering the new R&D Tax Incentive. education and the generation of growth enterprises.” lia’s Future Tax System Review, the package also in- Mr Willox is director (International and Govern- However, “in Australia it is difficult to get a clear cludes legislation to abolish the entrepreneurs’ tax ment Relations) of the Australian Industry Group, with picture of the extent and nature of entrepreneurship offset “to deliver more effective assistance to Austra- responsibility for government relations, trade and de- education. However, Swinburne University of Tech- lian small businesses”. fence policy. He is a member of the Defence Industry nology, Queensland University of Technology, Univer- Innovation Board and the Defence Industry Skilling sity of New South Wales, University of Adelaide, New Innovation Board Taskforce. He was previously consul-general of Aus- University of South Australia, and University of Tas- tralia in Los Angeles. mania have reputations for their work in this area and Members the Australian Technology Network of Universities Innovation Australia, the independent body that ad- The Missing Links in jointly offers ‘career-enhancing skills and knowledge’ vices the Government with its innovation programs, Entrepreneurship through the e-GradSchool (Australia).” has appointed three new board members - Dr Nicholas The report says that in contrast to the US, Australia Gruen, Richard Shaddick and Innes Willox. There is no question that Australia is faced with has a reputation as a risk-averse culture. “One of the Innovation minister Senator Kim Carr said the new many challenges in better connecting its innovation most notable examples of this is the failure to support appointees will help to increase innovation activity in policy to the realities of its service economy and lever- Zhengron Shi’s solar energy research, which was sub- industry and improve its commercial success. aging the entrepreneurial capacity in its immigrant sequently taken to China where he was provided with Dr Gruen, is an economist, entrepreneur and com- population, education and research system, and general start-up funding and government support. Suntech mentator and is involved in public policy issues in in- community, says the report Entrepreneurship in Aus- Power, which Dr Shi founded, is the now world’s larg- dustry and innovation. He has established several tralia: the Missing Links, by Fiona Wood. est producer of solar panels. businesses and has experience with start-ups. Dr Gruen The report says countries around the world are look- “Similarly, part of high profile expat materials engi- is chief executive of Lateral Economics, a public policy ing to innovations from advances in science and engi- neer Saul Griffith’s work is on ‘how to develop low- consultancy, and chairman of the Australian Centre for neering not only for wealth and job creation but also to cost ways to adjust solar cells during daylight so that Social Innovation. solve the global challenges in energy, water supplies, they always point directly at the sun to absorb more en- In April this year he authored The BERD in the climate change, and environmental sustainability, ergy’. He says that he would be unlikely ever ‘to move Hand: Supporting Business Development in Research among other social issues. home to Australia to work because of the lack of re- and Development. He was also on the expert panel be- The OECD has argued that “Governments must sources and an aversion to risk in the technology sector hind the 2008 report - Venturous Australia, Building look to the green economy to find new sources of here’. Strength in Innovation - commissioned by the Review growth and jobs. They should put in place policies that “I’ve built entire companies that have fallen over of the National Innovation System. tap into the innovation, investment and entrepreneur- with millions of dollars of funding. That type of failure Mr Shaddick is a chartered accountant and has spe- ship driving the shift towards a greener economy”. wouldn’t have been tolerated in Australia. It’s almost cialised in international taxation, dealing with out- The report says this can be achieved through entre- celebrated as a success in the US, like: ‘Oh, you lost 5 bound and inbound investment. He will chair the R&D preneurship, and quotes the World Economic Forum million on that? Well, that was a good warm-up, let’s Incentives Committee which has been renamed from (WEF) that entrepreneurship can be taught, that “there go bigger next time’” the Tax Concession Committee to reflect its role in ad- is a positive relationship between entrepreneurship

Page 20 Eco Innovator November 2011 Opportunities as a chemical feedstock. The petroleum industry, for Low-cost On Site Hydrogen example, depends on hydrogen to refine crude oil. “The more oil Production consumed, the more hydrogen needed,” says Mr Gilbey. “Crude A prospective spinout company at the University of oil has very high sulphur content, Wollongong has developed a technology that can use which must be removed to meet water to produce hydrogen onsite, and in a hugely cost strict standards that apply to sul- effective and emissions effective way. phur levels in petrol – that re- AquaHydrex believes the device has the potential to quires hydrogen. We have looked transform the energy sector. very closely at markets and their “The AquaHydrex value proposition is on-site hy- dependencies. The petroleum re- drogen manufacturing with a low-carbon footprint,” fining business is one of the big- said Chris Gilbey, director of Strategic Development gest consumers of hydrogen.” for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials The technology was inspired Science (ACES) and the Intelligent Polymer Research by the desire to copy how nature Institute (IPRI) at the University. separates hydrogen from water in plant photosynthesis. longong. “At a cost 50-90 per cent less than the current com- Professor Gerry Swiegers, who is the chief technology Mr Gilbey said the technology is probably 12-24 petition it offers both low fixed and variable costs for officer with AquaHydrex, began researching the idea months from a field trial unit and 36 months from a re- the customer,” he said. about 12 years ago, and in 2008 he published a book on leasable product. Mr Gilbey believes that making ‘water-splitting’ the idea called Mechanical Catalysis. The goal is to develop a product that is modular and commercially viable will mean a more sustainable fu- Other scientists from Monash University involved thus highly flexible in terms of production. “The key ture for industries worldwide, especially in a world in various parts of the intellectual property initiated production target is to deliver a 100 kilogram per day where hydrogen is worth an estimated $50 billion a complementary research round the same time as profes- output. From the customer research that we have under- year. sor Swiegers. The research team has included Doug taken to date, an output of this level would deliver a so- The current Methane Steam Reforming (MSR) tech- MacFarlane, Bjorn Winther-Jensen and Leone Spiccia lution at the lower end of a typical captive consumption nology generates over 12 tonnes of CO2 for every one from Monash University and Gerry Swiegers, Gordon production plant. That would enable us to sell into big tonne of hydrogen, he says. AquaHydrex can reduce Wallace, and David Officer from Wollongong Univer- chemical companies as an add on to their Methane that to well under half and possibly more depending on sity. Steam Reforming plants that are already producing.” the user’s mode of operation. This would significantly Their years of research led to the development of a The business model is to utilize the technology’s reduce the CO2 footprint of any additional capacity the low-cost technology that uses synthetic catalysts to low capital expenditure (CAPEX) by not selling units user may add to their plant through AquaHydrex. split the water into hydrogen and oxygen. but instead leasing and installing these and billing the The device is targeted at industries such as food, en- The project has moved from the lab to a basic proof client based on the kilograms of hydrogen delivered. ergy, chemicals and steel that depend on hydrogen gas of concept prototype running at the University of Wol- The charge would be at a discount to their current cost.

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 21 The payback on a unit would be 12-18 months if the nes and is growing at 14 per cent. This growth has been accelerate the development of our DHA/ EPA omega-3 operator is running optimally. This would benefit the assisted with products incorporating omega-3 emerg- oil products.” operator by removing a significant CAPEX figure and ing as strong players in the functional foods sector. Associate professor Peer Schenk from UQ’s School reducing their operating expenditure (OPEX) too. But more than 95 per cent of this market consists of of Agriculture and Food Science says the joint research AquaHydrex anticipates needing to raise initial fish oil. will help provide a product with major health benefits. capital of $1.5 to $2 million, and a Series A round of a “There is rapidly increasing demand globally for “Consumer demand is increasing for omega-3 oils further $4 million a year or so later. DHA/ EPA omega-3 oils. Deep-sea fish are presently rich in DHA and EPA as a nutritional supplement to The AquaHydrex innovation was one of five the most common source but their numbers are in prevent various neurological, cardiovascular and de- finalists in the University of Queensland Business global decline, and most vegetarians around the world generative diseases,” he said. School's 10th annual Enterprize Awards, which put it in do not consume fish or fish oil. These factors signaled a “My team is working with Qponics to develop a re- the running to win $100,000. In October the finalists major market opportunity for omega-3 oils produced newable source of organic omega-3 fatty acids, particu- met with venture capitalists and angel investors to from algae,” says Qponics’ chief executive, Dr Graeme larly for vegetarians, infants and pregnant women, as an decide the winner. Barnett. alternative to traditional plant and fishbased sources, AquaHydrex was also shortlisted for The Australian “Because we will continuously farm the oil- like flaxseed and Atlantic salmon. Clean Technologies Ideas Competition, with the producing algae, which are single-celled photosyn- “Our research involves collecting Australian algae winner announced last month. thetic plants, there are no issues about sustainability strains from various freshwater environments and ex- and our omega-3 oil will be vegetarian-friendly.” amining conditions for growth optimization with a se- Algae Can Help Declining Fish “Our aim is to sell ethically produced DHA/ EPA lection of potentially high quality oils. omega-3 oils to a wider segment of the global market, “It’s an excellent opportunity for the University to Stocks which will present a more viable option both to compa- work with emerging industries on developing a quality Along with its potential for clean energy, algae can nies that use omega-3 in their products and to end- product that aims to make a positive difference to the also help solve the problem of overfishing and declin- consumers of products who are looking for quality, health of consumers.” ing ocean fish stocks. healthy alternatives to fish-based products.” Qponics was founded as a private company in 2009 Brisbane company Qponics Ltd plans to grow algae While DHA and EPA Omega-3 oils are essential in and operates from the Start Innovation Centre at the to sell into the high-growth, billion-dollar, global healthy brain development, the company cites studies Brisbane Technology Park. In January 2011 it became a omega-3 oils market. The company is developing what in Western countries that indicate most adults and over public unlisted company, and it recently gained admis- it says is a unique production system for quality DHA 70 per cent of children may be deficient in these oils. sion to the Australian Small Scale Offerings Board (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Qponics recently formed a three year research part- (ASSOB), from where it aims to raise capital to fulfil its acid) omega-3 oils. nership with UniQuest, the research commercialization business plan. The company plans to build its first operational arm of The University of Queensland. Dr Barnett said Qponics anticipates its facility will have capacity to plant in the Camden area 60 kilometres south west of the research contract will help select the best strains of produce up to 200 metric tonnes of algal oil per year. Sydney. This will integrate the cultivation of algae into algae and provide a significant boost to the company’s The current average global wholesale price of algae a sustainable aquaculture-horticulture process. market entry. omega-3 oil ranges between US$80-US$170 per kg. Qponics says the global DHA/ EPA omega-3 oil “Utilizing the excellent resources available at the On these figures gross revenue could be up to between market is presently $2.5 billion. It exceeds 85,000 ton- University has been a strategic decision by Qponics to $16-37 million.

Page 22 Eco Innovator November 2011 The company hopes to commence oil production in could save lives. The E-Nose can also detect graffiti 2013-14. It is raising $5 million for project costs includ- paint being used at a distance of 45 metres, allowing ing a strategic partnership agreement with Urban Eco- railways for example to deter vandalism. logical Systems Australia, the trial and purchase of In medical diagnostics E-noses can be used for ani- algae photo-bioreactors, extending its intellectual prop- mal and human health research. They can detect disease erty and obtaining organic certification, sales and mar- in sheep and cattle and monitor their health, assisting keting, and working capital. with flock management and saving costs in treating The offer is for sophisticated investors. Dr Barnett specific animals rather than whole flocks. said capital raising begun slowly. But it has now sold Non-invasive diagnosis of the breath can detect parcels for around $100,000 and has other investors in some human diseases, and studies with The University the pipeline and it recently extended its closing date. of New South Wales are aimed at specifying an e-nose Qponics says its philosophy is centred on the con- for early identification of lung cancer. cept of ethical, organic and sustainable production from Mr Bell, who is also managing director of E-Nose algae of high quality omega-3 oils in urban and semi- An E-Nose for detecting airborne chemicals. Pty Ltd, said commercialization of the E-Nose is going rural settings to ensure proximity to markets and distri- forward steadily with the company building towards bution channels. ics and software that can detect chemicals in the air. It large orders from the transport sector with its anti- Its aims to operate algal photo-bioreactors inte- creates an “odour image” in real time and can send this graffiti device. grated into an ecologically balanced aquaculture- to a computer to identify and quantify the odours and “Our air pollution monitors continue to provide horticulture system to ensure that operations eliminate set off an alarm if they are abnormal or dangerous. steady growth across the world and we are building dis- environmental pollution and minimize carbon emis- The E-Nose is used by environmental managers tributors in Australasia and in a number of countries,” sions and water consumption. who need to control industrial smells and airborne he said. “So far we have distributors in South Africa, At a future time it intends to apply for certification chemicals both indoors and outdoors. It means re- Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Shanghai, plus WA to use the term “organic” for its algae oil products. sponses can be timely and complaints eliminated, and SA. Qponics is one of three companies that will be pitch- equipment can be run cost effectively, and savings “We have obtained Euro compliances and have ing at an ASSOB Pitch Breakfast in Sydney on 10 No- made in abatement costs. strong interest from the UK and Europe. We are cer- vember. The company is being assisted in its capital Typical environmental applications are abattoirs, tainly planning for growth.” raising by BlueMount Capital. animal yards, rendering plants, solid and liquid waste, Mr Bell said the platform technology has many sewage processing, petrochemical sites, vapours from other potential applications in the environment, secu- E-Nose Is On The Job spray-paints and solvents and emission of chemicals. rity and health sectors that can be addressed as growth The E-Nose also has uses in security and medical di- proceeds. The electronic ear is a great success, they are work- agnostics. “We offer an opportunity for an investor to join us at ing on an electronic eye, so having an electronic nose Airborne chemicals can signal something that needs this good time: all the early risk has been dispensed makes sense. And Australia has one. urgent attention, such as in planes, trains, buses, pro- with, the device concepts are proven and clear pros- Inventor Graham Bell is commercializing the E- duction lines and pipelines where, for example, timely pects in two global markets beckon,” said Mr Bell. Nose, a box of chemical sensors and patented electron- detection of oil fumes, overheating wiring or leaks

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 23 Milestones the winning boat angled its solar-panel to the sun in one-plane but had to pull the panel down when the wind Building Unmanned Solar rose to keep the vessel seaworthy. Robert, who was marine-obsessed since boyhood, Powered Ships realized that sun and wind power together would be Solar Sailor and Australian ship builder Forgacs En- much more efficient. His readings on the evolution of gineering Pty Ltd are to build the world’s first wind and insects confirmed this. Early insects grew buds to catch solar powered unmanned ocean vessels. the sun’s energy that grew into wings to catch the The companies will utilize Solar Sailor’s patented wind’s energy. Unmanned Ocean Vessel (UOV) technology and For- In 1997, Dr Dane’s boat, powered by solar and gacs’ commercial ship building capability that includes wind, won the race by five laps over the next solar ves- major Navy work. sel and started his career joining two renewable forces together for maritime use. The vessels will require no fossil fuels and give off Solar Sailor aims to build the world’s first wind and zero-emissions. Photovoltaic solar cells will cover the solar powered Unmanned Ocean Vessels. Since 2000 Solar Sailor has been a public unlisted stowable aerofoil type wingsail and much of the deck. company. It has 170 shareholders, and is chaired by The propeller will be driven by an electric motor (with- “Abundant reserve electrical power is stored in Lith- former prime minister, Bob Hawke. out engine noise) and used in low-wind-conditions for ium Ion battery packs low down in the hull, which also Forgacs is a privately-owned shipbuilder and Navy manoeuvring, collision avoidance, and stealth mis- act as ballast to balance the vessel. This opens a new defence contractor with 1,000 employees, and operates sions. suite of capabilities and markets in highly-sensitive se- on seven marine and engineering sites in NSW and Qld. The vessel is a “game-changer” for the $2 billion curity or weather-risk areas, in military operations and Forgacs was the Hunter Region Manufacturer of the worldwide UOV market, says the chief executive of coastal border protection with unauthorized maritime Year in 2010 and has a major contract to supply mod- Solar Sailor and the technology’s inventor, Robert arrivals, oceanography and meteorology, and marine ules for the Australian Navy’s Air Warfare Destroyers - Dane. safety at sea,” said Dr Dane. the largest ever Defence project in Australia. “Other types of UOVs currently in use deploy at sea Tony Lobb, director of Forgacs, said with vessel- for hours or days only, and use strictly finite amounts of monitoring from on-shore, Navies and coastguards will Quiet Launch for Eco Whisper on-board stored fossil-fuel or solar generated electric be able to enjoy limitless at-sea operation, large pay- The Eco Whisper wind turbine that is said to elimi- power for propulsion,” he said. load capacities, low capital cost, no risk to crew safety, nate the noise and vibration of traditional three bladed “The Solar Sailor UOV offers unlimited time-at-sea and low running costs with no on-board crew or fossil wind turbines and is virtualy silent has been launched in with the primary propulsion being wind (with the Solar- fuels. Geelong. Sail) for the vessel’s movement, and renewable- “This proven Solar Sailor technology is already The developer, Queensland based Renewable En- electricity generated at sea from propeller regeneration. powering six vessels in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Aus- ergy Solutions Australia (RESA), says the 20 kW Eco Photovoltaic cells on the SolarSail power all electronics tralia,” he said. Whisper Turbine also delivers high performance in all such as steering, lighting, movement sensors and satel- The initial idea for Solar Sailor began in 1996 when wind conditions and more energy from more common lite communications.” Dr Dane, a medical practitioner, watched a solar- powered boat race on Lake Burley Griffin. He noticed wind speeds than three bladed units. It has no ‘turn

Page 24 Eco Innovator November 2011 energy requirements. Suitable commercial, manufac- turing and industrial sites are airports, ports, mines and factories. Urban sites include shopping centres, indus- trial parks, schools, and universities. The radically designed turbine was unveiled at the engineering plant of Austeng, which will manufacture the turbines for RESA. The turbine was a finalist in the recent Australian Clean Technologies Ideas Competition.

Machine Simplifies Tyre Recycling VR TEK”s tyre recycling process produces The development of a device that can segment used metal-free devulcanized and activated rubber tyres into sections of specific material could provide a powders. means to dramatically reduce the number of used tyres sent to land fill or illegally dumped. have overcome this problem with their device that seg- The tyre recycling technology was developed by the ments tyres into sections of specific material. Advanced Manufacturing Cooperative Research Cen- The research project was funded by a Federal Gov- tre (CRC) with Melbourne-based company VR TEK, in ernment grant of $516,000 through the Advanced partnership with Deakin University and the CSIRO, Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre. VR TEK’s tyre recycling process uses mechanical Federal Innovation minister Senator Kim Carr said segmenting and is energy efficient. It is the first part of the technology is an example of how innovation is help- The Eco Whisper wind turbine. a patented process that turns used tyres into high quality ing to build a sustainable future for Australian compa- rubber powders that are free of metal contamination. nies and workers. away losses’, collects wind more efficiently, the gen- The powders are ready for redevelopment as new prod- Victorian Manufacturing, Exports and Trade minis- erator and inverter deliver more energy, and it has a ucts based on rubber and elasto-polymers. The rubber ter Richard Dalla-Riva said the initiative is a great ex- lower start up speed. crumb is also cheaper than virgin rubber. ample of a local company collaborating with local At 21 metres the unit is about half the height and Over 20 million used tyres are disposed of in Aus- learning, research and development institutions to pro- blade diameter of three bladed turbines. It has 30 blades tralia each year. Less than a quarter are recovered and duce a commercial application and global solution. that extend outwards and the blade diameter is 6.5 me- recycled; the remainder are dumped as waste where “This research partnership shows how innovation tres. they pose environmental and health problems. and collaboration can boost commercial competitive- The turbine suits remote communities looking to re- Due to their metal content, shredded tyres are diffi- ness and productivity, while also delivering broader place diesel generation and organizations that want to cult to recycle in an economically viable and environ- benefits such as reduced waste and energy consump- meet renewable energy targets or meet medium to large mentally sustainable manner. VR TEK and CSIRO tion,” said Mr Dalla-Riva.

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 25 New World Energy in WA and geothermal electricity production. The most advanced project is the Mabini geothermal Philippine Geothermal Projects project in southern Luzon, where the company is target- Perth based unlisted geothermal energy developer ing a 20 MW development. Geoenergy is planning to New World Energy Limited has entered new projects in drill the first test well in 12 to 18 months. WA and the Philippines. Geoenergy has the right to acquire up to a 70 per In WA, New World Energy and listed fellow WA cent interest in the Mabini Geothermal Service Con- geothermal explorer Green Rock Energy are to merge tract in consideration for funding the completion of one their geothermal exploration permits in the Mid West exploration well. New World Energy will earn a 68 per region of the state, with each company acquiring 50 per cent economic interest in Mabini under agreement with cent interest in the other company's permits and con- Geoenergy and its partners. tributing equally to project funding. At 190°C Mabini is a moderate temperature geo- Green Rock will operate the joint venture, which thermal system with an Inferred Geothermal Resource will seek to establish a grid-connected geothermal dem- of 27 MW and a 25 year life. onstration project. The other four projects are also in the southern Lu- "This mutually beneficial joint venture will create a zon region and have strong indications of geothermal single entity with access to the best geothermal areas in systems being present. Geoenergy said it will aggres- WA that are adjacent to transmission infrastructure and sively explore these projects once they are granted by major baseload energy markets," said John Libby, man- the Philippines Department of Energy. aging director of New World Energy. It will also allow "The Philippines is the world's second largest pro- both companies to pool their technical and financial re- ducer of geothermal energy and has considerable re- sources and be more cost effective. maining potential," said Mr Libby. "We will utilize the Green Rock's managing director Richard Beresford country's skilled geothermal workforce and operate said "Green Rock considers the Mid West Geothermal within its proactive Renewable Energy Act, which pro- Power Project a strong contender for State and Com- vides generous incentives to encourage investment in New World Energy’s (in blue) and Green Rock monwealth funding towards drilling the first two wells. renewable energy projects." Energy’s (in red) exploration tenements in the Mid Working jointly with New World Energy further Geoenergy is a partnership between New World En- West of WA are contiguous. strengthens our prospects and we look forward to fur- ergy, Filippino geothermal drilling and development since the Fukushima nuclear incident, said Mr Libby. ther progress on funding over the next few months." experts Filtech Energy Drilling Corporation (FEDCO New World Energy is a geothermal energy explora- In the Philippines, Geoenergy Inc, a 40 per cent sub- with 30 per cent, and local renewable energy company tion and development company focused on Australia sidiary of New World Energy, is to acquire five high- PhilCarbon Inc with 30 per cent. and Asia-Pacific. It is the largest geothermal energy potential geothermal projects. New World Energy said "Having now established ourselves in the Philip- landholder in WA with permits covering prospective this will underpin its strategy of building a portfolio of pines, New World Energy will use the country as a areas in the Pilbara and Mid West regions. high-quality, Asian geothermal projects in the "ring of launching pad into the rest of the Asia region which is fire" region, which has over 30 per cent of the world's undergoing a clean energy revolution, particularly

Page 26 Eco Innovator November 2011 Lockheed Martin Supports years and will also leverage this experience for the next feed-in tariff of 320 per megawatt hour, which is generation of the PowerBuoy, our 500 kW device that around five times what we can fetch here in Australia. Ocean Power Technologies is currently under development. Hence the attraction of developing such projects in Ocean Power Technologies will collaborate with “With the Department of Energy’s continued sup- Europe.” Lockheed Martin on its proposed commercial-scale port and Lockheed Martin’s expertise, the commer- Meanwhile, AquaGen has taken out the Award for wave power generation project at Reedsport, Oregon. cialization of our technologies to harness wave power Most Outstanding Small-Scale Clean Energy Project at Lockheed Martin will provide design, manufactur- continues to make steady progress,” said Mr Dunleavy. the EcoGen Conference Gala Dinner and Awards Night ing, system integration and supply chain management In another development, Ocean Power Technolo- in Brisbane. expertise to enhance OPT’s PowerBuoy technology. gies is working with a consortium of European compa- Mr Boyd said the award recognizes the potential of OPT said this builds on previous work conducted by nies and institutions on a technology initiative to the technology to make an impact on climate change Lockheed Martin and OPT. enhance the efficiency of its patented PowerBuoy wave and springboard the company into a thriving business in The collaboration follows a US$2.4 million contract energy systems. a boom sector. awarded by the US Department of Energy to OPT as Under its “WavePort” project, the new wave predic- AquaGen was also a finalist in the recent Australian part of initiatives announced in September 2010 to pro- tion model will assess the characteristics of each in- Clean Technologies Ideas Competition. mote the development of renewable marine energy. coming wave before it reaches the PowerBuoy wave Construction of the Oregon PB150 PowerBuoy’s power station, providing more time for the electronic GE Joins Aviation biofuel steel structure has been completed, and testing of the tuning capability to react. It is expected this will signifi- Consortium advanced power take-off and control system is in pro- cantly boost the power output of the PowerBuoy and re- cess at OPT’s production facility in a test environment duce cost per megawatt hour of energy produced, said GE has joined an Australian based consortium that simulating the varying wave conditions off the Oregon the company. includes Renewable Oil Corporation Pty Ltd and is de- coast. Ocean Power Technologies has a 2.2 million grant veloping a commercial biofuel for the aviation indus- Assembly, systems integration, and land testing of under the WavePort project from the European Union’s try. The consortium is focusing on pyrolytic conversion the PowerBuoy is planned to occur over the next sev- Seventh Framework Program for research and innova- of biomass from mallee eucalypt trees and intends to eral months. It is intended to be the first of a proposed tion. have a pilot biofuel production unit operating in Austra- 10-buoy wave power station with a peak generating ca- lia by 2012. pacity of 1.5 MW, equivalent to the power needs of European Wave Farm for As part of its ecomagination initiative, GE is in- about 1,500 homes. AquaGen volved in developing fuel efficient jet engines in its sus- “OPT’s engineering and innovation efforts for the tainable transport portfolio and the development of utility market are focused on improving power conver- AquaGen Technologies has signed an agreement for biofuels is a natural extension of this, it said. As well as sion efficiency, reliability, manufacturability and low- the development of a 70 MW wave farm in southern the development of the fuels, GE will assist with the ering the costs of marine operations and maintenance,” Europe. The move sets the company up for develop- certification process. Before being approved for com- said Charles F. Dunleavy, chief executive officer of ment in the region where there are significant wave en- mercial use, new fuels undergo rigorous tests in labora- OPT. ergy gross feed-in tariffs. tories, on engine test rigs and in carefully monitored “We will be rolling out the PB150 PowerBuoy prod- Chief executive, Nick Boyd said “The region where non-commercial flights. uct, our latest utility market offering, over the next few we are looking to develop this wave farm attracts a As well as Renewable Oil Corporation, the consor-

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 27 tium includes the Future Farm Industries CRC, Cana- GenomX’s first Indian projects are with its Gen 3.0 While greater yields from larger fruit in larger clus- dian biofuels company Dynamotive Energy Systems polygenomic Heritage Jatropha. ters can be expected 30 per cent earlier than from the Corporation, and Virgin Australia. The jatropha tree’s seeds yield high quantities of oil best diploid stock, the cost increase for this yield can be A recent CSIRO report estimated that the aviation suitable for generating renewable biodiesel. Jatropha is as little as 50 cents per plant, it said. industry could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17 per emerging as an ideal crop and a solution to some of In- The company has also just released a video on its cent, generate more than 12,000 jobs and reduce Aus- dia’s economic and social problems. A number of cor- biotechnology. tralia’s reliance on aviation fuel imports by $2 billion porations are establishing jatropha plantations for PolyGenomX is raising capital on the ASSOB pri- per annum over the next 20 years through the adoption biodiesel and in the process creating employment and mary board and Round 1 is almost full at over of biofuels. income for rural communities, said the company. $270,000. Renewable Oil Corporation was established to de- “The first generation Polygenomic Jatropha, de- velop pyrolysis projects. It has an exclusive technology rived from superior diploid stock, offers even higher Mallee Harvester Stays in licensing agreement with Dynamotive and works yields – with the bonus of faster growth rates, earlier closely with Dynamotive and its partners. fruiting and broader climate tolerance coupled with its Eastern States Renewable Oil Corporation is funded by Australian, potential for rapid selective breeding to optimize ideal Myrtle rust in the eastern states has delayed indefi- Canadian and European investors. Its board includes oil characteristics,” said PolyGenomX. nitely the return of the Mallee Harvester to Western award-winning Australian engineers and the chief ex- Australia, and final trials of the ecutive of Dynamotive. harvester will now be done Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation has a car- there rather than in WA. bon/ greenhouse gas neutral fast pyrolysis technology Research on the harvester that uses medium temperatures and oxygen-less condi- is continuing and Biosystems tions to turn dry, waste cellulosic biomass into bio oil. Engineering, the machine’s The bio oil can be used for power and heat, and con- developer, is on track to prove verted into vehicle fuels and chemicals. its effectiveness and reliabil- Renewable Oil Corporation wants to utilize wood ity. residues and green waste to produce renewable liquid “The original plan was to fuels, charcoal and chemicals. The pyrolysis plants will run the final trials of the har- be built close to the sources of biomass. vester in WA, said Peter Zur- zolo, deputy chief executive of PolyGenomX Adds Jatropha Future Farm Industries CRC, which helped develop the har- Rapid plant propagation company PolyGenomX has vester. formed a joined venture company, PolyGenomX India However, the Mallee Har- Pvt Ltd, with Indian businessman Raj Bharara of New Delhi. The joint venture will centre around the compa- The Mallee Harvester. ny’s fast growing plant technologies for jatropha. Poly-

Page 28 Eco Innovator November 2011 vester had been used in trials on the eastern seaboard Marketing convince potential clients that they need their product near areas affected by myrtle rust. “Based on expert ad- but that they want their product. Among others he ex- vice we could not guarantee that the harvester is not Australian Cleantech Ideas ampled the toy solar powered cockroach that no one ac- contaminated with myrtle rust spores,” he said. tually needs but sells very well. Myrtle rust is a fungal pathogen that affects plants in Winner The other finalists were: the Myrtaceae family, including eucalypts, myrtles and An air-conditioning system that can reduce energy * AquaGen Technologies, developer of the Surge- bottlebrushes. The rust is native to South America and consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in com- Drive wave energy system that has its energy conver- is also found in parts of the US and Central America. In mercial and industrial buildings by up to 85 per cent sion system above water to reduced costs and improve Australia, it was first detected in April 2011 on the cen- won the Australian Clean Technologies Ideas Competi- efficiency. tral coast of NSW and has spread to numerous near- tion. * AquaHydrex - an inexpensive, integrated solar- coastal areas of NSW and Qld. SMAC Technologies of South Australia won from powered water-splitting technology that enables onsite “There is no evidence that myrtle rust is in WA and 11 highly creative and wide ranging cleantech innova- manufacturing of hydrogen for industrial users. bringing myrtaceous plants into WA from other states tions. * BeechesIT - the Calcination Energy Storage sys- has been prohibited. If it gets in here, it could be devas- Innovation minister Senator Kim Carr said “This air tem is a molten salt technology for storing energy from tating. This pathogen affects and may kill some Austra- conditioning technology ticks all the boxes in helping solar thermal power stations. lian plants, including eucalypts. It has the potential to tackle climate change and cutting our carbon footprint. * Clean Oil Services - the LubeMaster is a centri- affect the natural environment and some industries,” The SMAC technology has already been used in proj- fuge technology for cleaning oil in a more efficient way said Mr Zurzolo. ects supported by the Gillard Government’s Green than standard pore membrane filters. Clean Oil Serv- Meanwhile, WA mallee growers are said to be keen Building Fund, helping reduce the carbon footprint of ices came third in the competition. to see the new prototype harvester in action. The device our buildings.” * Cogen Microsystems - a cost-effective hybrid so- is aimed at giving the mallee industry and the biofuel In announcing the winner, Doron Ben-Meir, the lar energy system using a heat engine and low cost solar industry an efficient and economic harvester to secure chief executive of Commercialisation Australia, said thermal collectors to generate electricity and hot water. their supply chain. the air conditioning system cut cost as well as energy * Ducane Australia - the DrainWave system for The harvester can cut and chip woody biomass in usage. The technology is patented, proven, can reduce pulsing water through existing low flow plumbing sys- one continuous operation. It is also known as the Bionic AC energy consumption by 30 to 85 pr cent, and can be tems. Beaver, and Biosystems Engineering say it a world- retrofitted as well as installed in new buildings. * Renewable Energy Solutions Australia - the Eco first in engineering and innovation. SMAC Technologies will represent Australia at the Whisper Turbine is an efficient and virtually silent 20 The main funds for the project, $1.5 million, came international Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competi- kW wind turbine with a unique blade design. from the WA Government’s Low Emissions Energy tion in the United States. The company will compete * SolMax - a combination of existing roofing and Development (LEED) program. against entrants from 90 countries for over $100,000 in solar products to produce a cheap, efficient solar con- Based in Qld, Biosystems Engineering creates tech- services to help launch their idea. They will also have a centrator. SolMax came second in the competition. nology to solve problems in agriculture, food, forestry, week of mentoring, meetings with investors, business * Sundermann Water Power - a bi-directional low- natural resources and the environment. services and entrepreneurs at the International Awards head water turbine to maximize efficiency in slow wa- Gala this month. ter flows. Mr Ben-Meir said the task for entrepreneurs is not to * YellowDot Energy - a solar-powered high-flow

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 29 estimated at about $100 million per year. by Professor Gutowski can be used with polymers, Applying solvent-based spray paint to vehicles is composites, ceramics and organic materials such as the second-biggest environmental hazard of cars after wood and natural fibres. exhaust fumes. Only about 35 per cent of wet spray The $10,000 Rio Tinto Eureka Prize for Commer- paint sticks to the surface. A quarter of the paint solids cialisation of Innovation is awarded to an individual, end up in landfill, while the solvents are released into group or organisation for the commercialization of an the atmosphere as volatile organic compounds. innovation within the past 10 years that has created sig- Dr Gutowski developed an eco-technology that nificant value in Australia during that time. eliminates the need to use harmful and costly wet paint, and improves the ‘stickability’ of electrostatic powder Australian Green Building coating. The technology uses solvent-free resin that al- lows powder coatings, paints and inks to better adhere Industry Showcase to plastics. The result is 100 per cent or waste free trans- 42 innovative companies in the building sector are fer efficiency of a coating with no solvent and thus with featured in Australian Green Building Industry Show- no harm to health or the environment. case, including a number of early stage companies such “Professor Gutowski has developed the first true as BuldingIQ, ecospecifier Pty Ltd, and Star Water So- The Lubemaster Portable Oil Cleaning Centrifuge. zero-waste coating technologies that completely elimi- lutions. nate solid and liquid waste, volatile organic chemicals “This Australian Green Building Industry Show- groundwater extraction system using control algorithm and the use of water in a range of industries that need to case is a joint publication developed by the Green to optimize water flow. powder-coat products,” said Frank Howarth, director of Building Council of Australia and Austrade, which The competition was supported by Enterprise Con- the Australian Museum. “This goes well beyond car aims to showcase a selection of innovative Australian nect, Commercialisation Australia, the CSIRO and production and has the potential to transform manufac- companies who are active in international markets and Austrade. For more information and to view videos of turing industries that make painted plastic components represent Australia’s world-class capability.” said Peter the finalists, go to: www.cleantechopen.com.au for cars, aircraft, furniture and buildings.” Grey, chief executive officer, Australian Trade Com- The technology is already in use in the automotive mission. Waste-Free Paint For Cars industry in Australia and overseas where it can be ap- plied for coating both exterior and interior components Present to US VCs at G’Day USA A scientist who developed a way to spray paint cars of a vehicle. It is also used by major international com- that totally eliminates waste and volatile organic com- panies such as General Motors, Ford and Boeing. NSW Trade & Investment is inviting innovative pounds won the 2011 Eureka Prize for Commercialisa- The technology is based on engineering an interface NSW green building companies to participate in a trade tion of Innovation. on the surface of non-conductive material to dramati- mission to the US West Coast from 11-20 January Dr Wojciech Gutowski, chief research scientist at cally increase its surface conductivity and enhance 2012. The trade mission will coincide with green build- the CSIRO, won the award for his research in the field coating adhesion. This gives plastics the same transfer ing conferences and pitching events in San Francisco, of sealants, adhesives and coatings. The estimated sav- efficiencies as metal when using electrostatic powder- Los Angeles and New York as part of the G’Day USA ings of his technology to the Australian car industry is coating. Surface modification technologies developed 2012 program.

Page 30 Eco Innovator November 2011 The US green building sector is expanding rapidly tion will be based on the ability of companies to shown the resources industry’s commitment to protect- due to growing public awareness of green practices, in- demonstrate eligibility against these criteria. Financial ing the environment. creased government intervention, regulations and sub- assistance of up to $3,000 will be provided to selected “Western Australia’s resources industry continues sidies and recognition of cost, energy and health companies to subsidize their participation. to be the envy of our competitors. To ensure the State benefits. These factors make the US green buildings Further information from Davor Jozic at 02 9338 continues to be an attractive destination for resources sector opportune for green buildings companies to ex- 6671 or [email protected]. investment, Government and industry must work to- pand their business, says NSW Trade & Investment. gether towards responsible resources development. The G’Day USA promotes Australia to the US market to World-first in Sedimentation Golden Gecko’s is an outstanding opportunity to recog- strengthen bilateral collaboration and realize business nize those leading the industry in innovative environ- opportunities. The three week program from 11 to 29 Technology mental practices,” he said. January takes new business, education, entertainment, The development of world-first technology in sedi- innovation and tourism events to eight cities - Palm mentation scanning led WorleyParsons and the Port ecospecifier a Finalist in Springs, San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Di- Hedland Port Authority to win the 2011 Golden Gecko International Green Awards ego, New York, Houston and Chicago. Award for Environmental Excellence. The Cappello Investor Conference in Los Angeles Western Australian Mines and Petroleum minister ecospecifier global has been shortlisted for the 2011 will feature presentations from Australian companies to Norman Moore said the innovative technology allowed International Green Awards in the Best Green Service an audience of 150 institutional investors such as ven- real time environmental monitoring of dredging im- Innovation category. The winners will be announced in ture capital firm, hedge funds, mutual funds, and pri- pacts. “The results of this new technology have deliv- London on 24 November. vate equity firms. Companies wanting to take part in the ered previously unknown facts about the process of The International Green Awards were set up in 2006 Investor Conference will have to register with a fee of sedimentation,” Mr Moore said. $2,000. Two Certificates of Merit were awarded, to ATCO The program also features an Energy Efficiency Fo- Gas Australia, formerly WA Gas Networks, supported rum in San Francisco, Green Buildings Forums in Los by KD1, and also Compass Groups (Australia). Angeles and New York, and an Energy Conference. ATCO Gas Australia and KD1 completed a new gas The NSW Government has participated in the an- pipeline with a high level of environmental conserva- nual G’Day USA promotion since its inception in 2004. tion and management. The approach resulted in 40 per The event suits businesses with an internationally com- cent less clearing and no loss of Black Cockatoo habitat petitive technology or product, an interest in the US trees. market, are seeking capital to accelerate and fund Compass Groups (Australia) was recognized for its growth, want to identify potential business partners, approach to remote site catering by using central pro- and are capable of presenting to substantial US audi- duction facilities, minimising waste through creation of ences. compost, livestock feed production and bulk food Participating companies must be export ready with a preparation that reduced energy needs and greenhouse turnover in the past financial year of $1 million for met- emissions. ropolitan or $500,000 for regional companies. Selec- Mr Moore said all of this year’s 11 submissions had

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 31 to recognize strategies that use creativity engagingly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy, for- Daintree Networks a and effectively and lead to a more sustainable outcome. estry, agriculture and waste management sectors in ecospecifier began in 2003 and aims to bring trans- Australia and emerging markets. GoingGreen Global 200 Winner parency to the green product sector with its ecospecifi- The GreenCollar Group includes GreenCollar Con- Daintree Networks, Inc, a provider of wireless light- er’s GreenTag program. sulting Solutions, an environmental markets advisory ing control solutions for intelligent buildings, has been ecospecifier Australasia has a knowledge base of and project services consultancy, and GreenCollar Tal- chosen by US based AlwaysOn as one of the Going- over 6000 eco-products, eco-materials, technologies ent, an environmental and renewable energy recruit- Green Global 200 winners. and resources and says it is the leading global source of ment provider. AlwaysOn said inclusion in the GoingGreen Global sustainable development and life-cycle assessed green The Group also supports the GreenCollar Think 200 signifies leadership and game-changing ap- product information. Tank - a not-for-profit entity that works to advance dis- proaches and technologies that are likely to disrupt ex- A search interface allows users to research materials cussion, research and action to help build solutions to isting markets and entrenched players. and products, and helps reduce the time and cost of im- environmental challenges. Daintree Networks was selected on five criteria: in- plementing best practice in green buildings. novation, market potential, commercialization, stake- Innovation Hero Awards 2012 holder value, and media buzz. “With the industry’s first Recognition for GreenCollar standards-based, wireless platform for lighting, Dain- The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering at the Group tree makes saving energy in commercial buildings sim- University of Sydney is calling for nominations for its pler, lower-cost and more intelligent,” said AlwaysOn. GreenCollar Group has been presented with a 2011 2012 Innovation Heroes Award. The Award recognizes “The company’s innovative solution, ControlScope, City of Sydney Business Award for its work as an envi- Australia’s greatest innovators - “people who have cre- uses powerful software and wireless networking to ronmental services firm. ated successful products or services from brilliant engi- automatically control lighting and other energy loads, GreenCollar Group chief executive James Schultz neering ideas or inventions”. saving up to 70 per cent of an enterprise’s lighting en- said the recognition was for the company’s work across “The Innovation Heroes Award recognizes innova- ergy costs while providing facilities with comprehen- the energy, forestry, agriculture and green jobs sector. tions that were conceived and developed in Australia by sive energy management and smart grid tools.” The Group recently announced the approval under Australian individuals and companies, and that have Daintree Networks is funded by Australian venture the Verified Carbon Standard of the world’s first forest been profitably commercialized or otherwise delivered capitalists Lend Lease Ventures and Jolimont Capital. carbon methodology to generate carbon credits by con- real value. It is open to individuals and teams, in small Tony Perkins, founder and editor of AlwaysOn, said verting commercially logged forests into conservation and large companies,” says the Warren Centre. “Picking this year’s GoingGreen Global 200 was a very areas. This Improved Forest Management (IFM) car- The annual awards are made to someone who has competitive process, as literally dozens of great green- bon accounting tool will help reduce forest degradation taken a new technology, developed it, turned it into a tech companies are emerging out of the pack, raising in developing countries, particularly where commercial product or service, raised capital and commenced sales. big money, and gaining significant market traction.” logging is a key driver of deforestation. The products must originate from activities in Austra- “This year’s winners clearly represent some of the GreenCollar Group describes itself as an environ- lia. The commercialization should be profitable, and highest-growth opportunities we’ve seen in the private mental markets services firm that integrates the envi- significant financial benefits should flow to Australia. company marketplace and underscore that many of the ronment onto the balance sheet. It assists firms and The products or processes should also feature high greentech sectors VCs have been betting on are boom- institutions to appraise and commercialize projects that achievements in engineering technology. ing.”

Page 32 Eco Innovator November 2011 The GoingGreen Global 200 winners were selected suitable regions and conduct detailed site assessments. The Bio Ultra biodiesel unit uses low energy pro- from among thousands of domestic and international Windlab is backed by Australian venture capital duction systems and minimal chemicals to produce green technology companies nominated by investors, firms Lend Lease Ventures, Innovation Capital and high quality biodiesel that can be a 100 per cent re- bankers, journalists, and greentech industry insiders. Blue Cove Ventures. placement for mineral diesel without harmful side ef- fects on the vehicle. Two Aussie Companies in Innovation Showcase, Brisbane The Bio-Ultra unit takes seed oil, mixes it with methanol and a catalyst, and can produce between 200 Global Cleantech 100 An Innovation Showcase will be held on 7 Decem- and 600 litres of diesel per hour. The unit allows Two Australian companies, Barefoot Power and ber in Brisbane that will coincide with the announce- farmers to turn waste product into usable fuel, saving Windlab Systems, are among the Global Cleantech 100 ment of award winners from The Australian Innovation time and money. It is compact and portable, and can fit annual list of the top 100 private companies in clean Challenge. into a trailer. technology. The companies are presented as the most The Innovation Showcase is hosted by the Depart- Chief executive Morgan Hunter is reported to be innovative and promising ideas in cleantech and best ment of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. looking to launch the diesel-making machine onto the positioned to solve tomorrow’s clean technology chal- The theme is ‘diversity in innovation’ and the showcase national market. The plan is to lease the machines to lenges. will demonstrate the programs and support available to groups of farmers around Australia. Both companies are also in the subset of Asia Pa- customers along the Innovation spectrum. It will high- “We started it as a hobby to produce cheap fuels for cific Top 10 companies. light the stages of support and assistance delivered to ourselves, but it has grown to the stage where it can The list is collated by US based Cleantech Group customers and stakeholders from the Innovation Port- hopefully become a good viable business,” he said. from its own research data, over 6,000 nominations, folio. Morgan and his partner Paul Fields are building a and input from an expert panel. The showcase will include exhibitor booths, panel factory to produce their unit. The Global Cleantech 100 report says Barefoot sessions, customer testimonials and demonstrations. Innovate SA has assisted the company with access Power is a developer of solar powered lighting products Finalists from the Innovation Challenge will also be on to targeted training and mentoring and a place on the In- for developing countries. display. vestment Attraction Course. Last year Barefoot Power won a grant of up to Euro 1 million from the European Investment Bank for its South Australian Biofuels Looks Innovator of the Year Finalists role in fighting poverty and climate change in develop- To Go National ing countries. It does this by distributing household Two cleantech companies are among the Top 8 fi- solar light equipment and off-grid power solutions to South Australian Biofuels is building a factory and nalists in the WA Innovator of the Year Awards. Ma- poor populations that use kerosene and other looking to launch its portable and onsite biofuel for gellan Powertronics and Marine Easy Clean are two of environmentally harmful energy sources. Among farmers unit onto the national market. four finalists in the Growth Category for companies others, the company's Firefly 5 product is an The company recently won publicity in The Adver- with revenue. economical LED light that can help replace kerosene tiser newspaper and elsewhere for its machine that can Magellan Powertronics has a Grid Power Sup- for families with limited financial resources. convert seeds such as mustard seed, canola and saf- port System (GPSS) intended to regulate and improve Windlab Systems is a developer of wind farms using flower to biofuel. It can also use recycled vegetable oil power quality for homes and businesses in rural and re- proprietary atmospheric modeling software to identify from fish and chip shops. mote areas currently serviced by the Single Wire Earth

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 33 Return (SWER) network. The equipment will give en- 2, or 3 degrees out from the company, says ASSOB tal. ergy suppliers a cost-effective alternative to upgrading chief executive, Paul Niederer. Mr Niederer is presenting a seminar on crowdfund- the SWER network, and is intended to increase overall These contacts can be a lot of people. While the ini- ing in Brisbane on 8 November, Sydney 10 November, power capacity by making use of renewable energy. tial crowdfunding investors may be friends, family and Adelaide 16 November, Melbourne 17 November, and Marine Easy Clean’s The Water Cleanser is a followers, if you are on Linkedin then 3 degrees repre- Perth 24 November. The event is for companies that chemical free water treatment for ponds, aquariums and sents millions of people, he says. need to raise under $100,000. pools. It operates as a catalyst in the anaerobic break- However, unlike donating and lending, crowdfund- Among other topics it will cover harnessing internet down of organic waste. It is a block containing hydro- ing is "investing" and heavily regulated as it falls under technology to approach customers and extending per- carbons to feed the Oil Eating Microbes but does not securities regulations. sonal or social media networks for financing. actually release the hydrocarbons into the water. This "The amount people invest in a crowdfunding cam- A complementary seminar held on the same day in keeps the microbes healthy enough to eat organic paign seems to average around $50 to $100. This means each city is on "How to Raise the Capital You Need to waste. that if you want to raise between $100,000 to say $2 Grow Your Business". This is for companies that need The Water Cleanser was invented in 2000 by Robert million you have to gather a lot of followers at these in- to raise over $300,000. Morgan at a pearl farm at Monkey Mia in WA. vestment levels ($100,000 equals maybe 1500 inves- ASSOB is a successful capital raising platform with Science and Innovation minister John Day said tors and $2 million equals maybe 30,000 investors.)," access to private, high net worth and sophisticated “With a prize pool of $200,000 including professional he said. investors. About 60 individual investors invest in new services and mentoring, these awards provide a finan- The smaller amount means you have to put a lot of ASSOB companies each month, several of which are cial boost for creative thinkers to turn their ideas into time into publicity and promotion, which may not be cleantech companies. commercial reality whilst benefiting the economy and worth it. That is also a lot of people to issue and read a the community of WA. capital raising document, and a lot of shareholders to Cleantech and Renewable “Innovation and its transition to a commercial out- register and keep informed. come is critical to creating competitive businesses and a Other issues are whether the entrepreneur has the Energy Showcase 2011 thriving and prosperous society.” skills to communicate to prospective investors, widen- Investor platform Wholesale Investor in conjunc- ing the crowd to match the capital raising and funding tion PricewaterhouseCoopers is launching the Clean- Events expectations, clearly communicating the risks, and pos- tech and Renewable Energy Showcase 2011 in sibly giving away too much information and not pro- Melbourne on 28 November. tecting the company's IP. Crowdfunding for Capital The Showcase will feature presentations by the "So while you may envy the successes people are chief executives of 12 high growth and innovative pri- Raising having on Kickstarter, Pozible, Crowdcube.com, Indie- vate, pre-IPO and small cap ASX listed companies in GoGo, ProFounder.com and rockethub.com, you need the cleantech and renewable energy sector. The Australian Small Scale Offering Board to consider the points above to see if it is for you," he The showcase is for high net worth investors, bro- (ASSOB) is holding a seminar series on says. kers, fund managers, and industry participants. ‘crowdfunding' as a way to raise capital. ASSOB is a CrowdFund Investor platform that has The cleantech and renewable energy sector has been ‘Crowdfund investing' (CFI) is raising capital, espe- raised $130 million for unlisted companies and has highlighted as the strength of Australian innovation, cially early stage capital, through investors who are 1, around 60 companies in various stages of raising capi- with multi-nationals and international venture capital-

Page 34 Eco Innovator November 2011 ists heading to our shores seeking opportunities, say the Bioenergy Australia will be held from 23 to 25 No- organizers. vember at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Queensland. Angel Investor Conference Innovation & Entrepreneur The Fifth Annual Australian Angel Investor Confer- ence is themed “Angel Capital - Ensuring a Sustainable Training Project Future”. TAFE NSW Hunter Institute’s Innovation & Entre- It will be held from 29 February to 2 March, 2012 at preneur Training Project is organizing Create & Inno- the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. vate Workshop Expos - one day workshop expos for The Conference is an opportunity to hear and meet those who are time poor. national and international angel investors, and learn They cover launching a new idea or developing a about their experiences, deals, and industry trends. new product, encouraging creativity and individual re- The event is for angel investors, entrepreneurs, and sponsibility, impacting the market, managing opportu- service firms. It is organized by the Australian Associa- nities and challenges, implement change strategies, and tion of Angel Investors (AAAI). integrating social responsibility. The organizers say the Expos facilitate the processes Towards 2020 in Bioenergy that lead to solutions. The innovation conversation is designed to produce a training needs analysis, and or- The Bioenergy Australia 2011 Conference will look ganizers can then custom design their suite of programs at the development of sustainable energy and products to suit the organization. from biomass. Programs are available as one hour expo sessions, The program will have over 100 presentations on half day workshops or full day intensive programs. policies and programs, bioenergy projects, case studies, biomass feedstocks, biomass heat and power, pyroly- sis, gasification, liquid biofuels, algae for biofuels, car- Letters bon sequestration via biochar, anaerobic digestion and livestock wastes, and energy from waste. It includes a technical tour to biomass and bioenergy Original Innovation facilities including a fluidized bed combustor providing Reading Eco Innovator all the way through, I must process bioheat at a coffee factory, an Organic Rankine say I am awed by just how original and significant Aus- Cycle energy system at a timber mill, a bioelectricity tralian innovation is! plant based on waste macadamia nut shells, energy Frank cropping and a Pongamia plantation developing an al- (Full name and address supplied) ternative feedstock for biofuels’ production.

Eco Innovator November 2011 Page 35 Companies and Programs in this Issue Page Ducane Australia 29 Ocean Power Technologies 27 Dyesol 6 Ord Minnett 2 Adelaide Research & Innovation 9 E-Nose 23 Partech Systems 11 Aeris Environmental 4 Earth Systems 12 Patersons Securities 2 Algae Enterprises 12 EcoQuest 4 Peregrine Corporate 2 AnaeCo 2 ecospecifier 30, 31 Phillip Capital 4 Aqua Guardian 3 Energy Action 2, 4 PolyGenomX 28 AquaGen Technologies 27, 29 Enerji 4 Qponics 22 AquaHydrex 21, 29 Enterprise Connect 11, 30 Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund 7 ASSOB 22, 28, 34 Enviro Stream Solutions 12 RBS Morgans Corporate 2 Aurora Algae 7 EnviroMission 4 RedFlow 2 Australian Renewable Energy Agency 12, 14, 16 Eureka Prize for Commercialisation of Innovation 30 Regional Growth Fund 7 Australian Association of Angel Investors 35 Flinders Partners 9 Regional Infrastructure Development Fund 10 Australian Clean Technologies Ideas Competition 29 Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence 31 Renewable Oil Corporation 27 Barefoot Power 33 Green Rock Energy 26 Renewable Energy Solutions Australia 24, 29 BeechesIT 29 GreenCollar Group 32 Researchers in Business Grants 11 Biosystems Engineering 29 Hazwaste Program 10 Silver Lake Kraftwerk 5 Bizzell Capital Partners 2 Hepburn Wind 18 SMAC Technologies 29 Blue Cove Ventures 33 Hot Rock 3 Smart SMEs Market Validation Program 11 BlueMount Capital 23 Hungry Giant 7 Solar Shop Australia 6 BuldingIQ 30 Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund 10 Solar Sailor 24 CalCEF Clean Energy Angel Fund 5 Innovate SA 33 SolMax 29 California Clean Energy Fund 5 Innovation Capital 33 South Australian Biofuels 33 Camperdown Compost Company 10 Innovation Australia 20 Star Water Solutions 30 Carlton Connect 16 InnovationConnect (ICon) Grant Program 9 Style 2 Carnegie Wave Energy 8, 13 Intermoco 4 Sundermann Water Power 29 Clean Technology Program 16 International Green Awards 31 Supplier Advocate Program 16 Clean Oil Services 29 Intersuisse 4 Sustainable Markets Grants Program 8 Clean Energy Finance Corporation 12, 14 ITEK 9 Sydney Angels 7 Clean TeQ Holdings 3 Jolimont Capital 32 Tasmanian Innovation and Investment Fund 11 Clean Technology Focus for Supply Chains Program 16 KUTh Energy 3 Torrens Energy 3 Cleantech Ventures 9 Lend Lease Ventures 32, 33 Trans Tasman Commercialisation Fund 9 CleverGreen Partnering Grants Program 9 Low Emissions Energy Development Program 7, 29 VR TEK 25 Cogen Microsystems 29 Madowla Park Integrated Bio-Energy Project 7 WA Innovator of the Year Awards 33 Colac Power Company 10 Magellan Powertronics 33 Wasabi Energy 3 Commercialisation Australia 29 Mallee Harvester 8, 28 Wholesale Investor 34 Cygnet Capital 3 Marine Easy Clean 33 Windlab Systems 33 Daintree Networks 32 Moss Capital 4 YellowDot Energy 29 Diamond Energy 10 New World Energy 26 Zero Waste SA 8

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