GUEST POST from Tyler McNally, Ronald Jonash & Hitendra Patel

Real world stories about innovators and innovative companies are an important way to learn and we place high value on them at Innovation Excellence. We are very pleased to begin a series of case studies on companies who have been curated by Hult International Business School and Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership (IXL Center) in their book Greenovate!

The book Greenovate! documents 53 case studies that are defined by “sustainable, green innovations” (or “green ovations”). Each profile combines business innovation with a synthesized concept of sustainability, from startups to leading global organizations. The next case study in this special Greenovate! case study series is:

EMPOWER PLAYGROUNDS – Merry-Go-Round Powered Schools

Empower Playgrounds’ electricity-generating playgrounds and LED lanterns transform playtime into electric power for learning.

INNOVATION

Empower Playgrounds’ equipment uses kinetic energy generated by kids’ playtime activities to make power available at night to light classrooms in rural, off-the-grid villages in Africa.

SUSTAINABILITY

The playgrounds provide a reliable and renewable clean source of electricity and an alternative to the light of kerosene lamps for education and development in rural regions.

RESULTS

As of 2010, ten merry-go-rounds have been installed in Ghanaian schools, each supporting 18-30 lights, impacting the education of some 900 children and the number is growing.

DRIVERS

CUSTOMER PULL:

Founder Ben Markham needed to find a means to generate power and provide light for studying in African villages during his church mission in Ghana.

ENHANCE EDUCATION:

The founder also wanted to make learning more engaging and recreational for young students and to provide access to hands-on science labs.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT:

Markham aimed to provide manufacturing know-how and local job opportunities for the citizens of Ghana by basing the manufacturing and administration of the organization within the country.

BARRIERS

NEED FOR A TEAM:

Markham invented the idea of using kid energy to generate electricity, but he possessed neither the team nor the detailed knowledge to execute his vision.

MATERIAL SUPPLY:

To enable mass production, the playground equipment had to be built using parts that were affordable and readily available in Ghana.

UPFRONT COSTS:

At a cost over $3500 each, the merry-go-round is difficult to fund for most schools and communities in Africa.

ENABLERS

COMMITTED PARTNERS:

Ben Markham partnered with Brigham-Young University (his alma mater) to create student teams that would develop the equipment and the curriculum for science education of the villagers.

REUSE WHAT YOU CAN:

To overcome the lack of materials, engineers developed a design that repurposed used auto parts and steel from the markets of Ghana.

DONOR FUNDING:

Empower Playgrounds has been registered in the US as a public charity so it can accept donations from around to world to fund manufacturing.

IMPACT

EXTERNAL:

Empower Playgrounds made the first step to provide electricity for segments of the African population that would otherwise not have access to electric power.

SOCIAL ASPECTS:

In cooperation with BYU and Ghana’s ministry of education, the organization is developing a science curriculum to improve education delivery and to train Ghanaian students on how to problem-solve.

INTERNAL:

Designing and manufacturing the equipment provide hands-on engineering experience, attracting interns and Brigham Young University students to the organization.

WHAT’S NEXT

Empower Playgrounds is planning to install 25 more merry-go-round systems in 2010. In addition, a zip-line and a swing system that generate electricity are both under development to add more power-generating capabilities to playground equipment in schools.

ENERGY INNOVATIONS – Sunflowers for Solar Farms

A solar array that is easy to assemble and maintain, making solar farms more cost effective in most parts of the world.

INNOVATION

The Sunflower highly concentrated photovoltaic (HCPV) system is pre-assembled and requires minimal maintenance to lower costs and deliver better efficiency (using triple junction cells) than traditional CPV systems.

SUSTAINABILITY

Highly concentrated PV systems can already yield 1MW for every 5 acres of solar farm area, making solar farms an important component of a clean and sustainable energy source for the future.

RESULTS

The Sunflower system has an industry-leading 29% conversion efficiency by focusing the suns rays with a concentration ratio of 1200:1 compared to 500:1 by traditional CPVs; its triple junction cells are 2.4 times less costly.

DRIVERS

ELECTRIC UTILITIES:

Increasing demand for modular approaches to solar farms that are grid-tied and efficient over the long term.

INCENTIVES AND STANDARDS:

Government incentives and the rapid adoption of renewable energy standards make solar farms more viable.

IDEALAB AND FOUNDERS:

The founders of Idealab, begun in 2001, are mission-driven to deliver cost-effective, grid-competitive solar electric power

BARRIERS

TECHNOLOGY EFFICIENCY:

CPV and other systems efficiencies have hovered in the 15-20% range with associated high costs per watt delivered

UPFRONT COSTS:

Highly customized solutions bring high costs in the absence of buy backs and/or standardized modules.

UNPROVEN TECH AND SKEPTICISM:

There is skepticism about the economics of solar power absent financial incentives as well as concern about new replacement technologies.

ENABLERS

HCPV TECHNOLOGY:

Increasing the concentration of solar rays from 500 : 1 up to 1,200 : 1 provides a major cost reduction when combined with high efficiency triple junction cells (38% more efficient than silicon cells).

SYSTEMS INTEGRATION:

The Idealab approach to systems integration across a large range of disciplines includes advanced optics, cell thermal management, tracking systems design and robotic assembly.

MODULAR MANUFACTURING:

Low profile 10-module building blocks called “frame sets” are designed to minimize shipping and installation costs while maximizing flexibility for rooftop or graded land installations.

IMPACT

SOLAR FARM INDUSTRY:

Energy Innovations has been able to increase the concentration of its CPV system to 1,200:1, thereby requiring less than half the number of high cost cells used by competing systems.

ENERGY COST AND BALANCE:

The improvements in the cost of HCPV will significantly increase the ability of solar energy farms to become a major part of the overall energy equation in many parts of the world.

LOW COST + HIGH EFFICIENCY:

October 2009 announcement of world-leading 29% conversion efficiency is double the average of flat plate systems — combined with the focus on low costs, solar farms will become truly cost competitive.

WHAT’S NEXT

Continued improvements in triple junction cell efficiency combined with cost reduction programs in place are projected to continue to advantage this system relative to traditional thin film solar and crystalline silicon PV over the long term.

image credit: empowerplaygrounds.org

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GUEST POST from Tyler McNally, Ronald Jonash & Hitendra Patel

Real world stories about innovators and innovative companies are an important way to learn and we place high value on them at Innovation Excellence. We are very pleased to begin a series of case studies on companies who have been curated by Hult International Business School and Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership (IXL Center) in their book Greenovate!

The book Greenovate! documents 53 case studies that are defined by “sustainable, green innovations” (or “green ovations”). Each profile combines business innovation with a synthesized concept of sustainability, from startups to leading global organizations. The next case study in this special Greenovate! case study series is:

E-STREET PROJECT – Intelligent Street Lighting

A cross-border partnership, in the EU, to create a market for “intelligent street lighting” to dramatically reduce energy consumption

INNOVATION

Organizations able to design, develop, finance, install and maintain lighting systems partnered to disseminate an “intelligent street lighting solution” that can be rapidly scaled up across Europe

SUSTAINABILITY

The new system — with dimmable lights as well as advanced communication administration and lighting monitors — reduces the level of light when needs are low, saves energy and cuts pollution

RESULTS

Over 20,000 street lights were installed over a 30 month pilot period — the project has identified an annual saving potential of 38 terawatt hours by retrofit of old installations, which is 64% of the present annual European consumption for street lights

DRIVERS

GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES:

The Intelligent Energy — Europe (IEE) program was launched and financed by the European Union to save energy and to encourage the use of renewable energy sources

MARKET CREATION POTENTIAL:

The identified business opportunities led to incenting many parties across the value chain who have expertise in street lighting to create a larger, more attractive market for “intelligent street lighting”

TACKLE THE ELEPHANT:

The outdoor lighting systems for many European cities account for nearly 38 percent of their total energy use — rising energy prices created a need to develop more effective systems

BARRIERS

UNCERTAIN RISKS:

One of the main barriers for retrofitting old street lighting systems is the lack of financial resources — including a lack of financial models among stakeholders to understand the true costs and benefits

SYSTEM MANAGEMENT:

Introducing dynamic lighting also leads to more complex management system needs — especially for sophisticated, reliable, and well tested communication and data processing abilities

PUBLIC BUREAUCRACIES:

The initial investment costs of major retrofit projects are high because of technology requirements and are generally not funded because street lighting is seen mainly as a public safety issue

ENABLERS

“TURN-KEY SOLUTION”:

As part of the program two companies developed a “turn-key solution” for investors which calculates investment, cost savings and cash flows

PILOT PROJECT:

The first full-scale administrative tool piloted in Oslo provided a good template for E-Street because it leveraged existing infrastructure and deployed components widely to minimize risk

SCALE EFFECTS:

After the pilot, increasing the number of units installed can significantly lower per-unit cost and deliver the economies of scale needed to drive financial savings and make the project affordable

IMPACT

ENVIRONMENT:

The pilot in Oslo led to an annual reduction of 70% in energy consumption and 1,440 tons in CO₂ emissions compared to the burning of oil to provide electricity for 10,000 public street lights

CITIES AND REGIONS:

The E-street project has identified an annual savings potential of 38 TWh by introducing/retrofitting old installations with adaptive lighting, cutting present annual European energy use up to 64%

SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY:

The solution focuses on low energy consumption combined with a high functional standard — by reducing lamp downtime it has also significantly improved driver and pedestrian safety

WHAT’S NEXT

The pilot project in the City of Oslo has become the basis for the E-Street initiative to reduce energy usage in outdoor lighting systems in the European Union. E-Street will play a pivotal role in determining EU standards and legislation for intelligent outdoor lighting systems.

image credit: echelon.com

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GUEST POST from Tyler McNally, Ronald Jonash & Hitendra Patel

City of Curitiba, BrazilRapid Transit System

Real world stories about innovators and innovative companies are an important way to learn and we place high value on them at Innovation Excellence. We are very pleased to begin a series of case studies on companies who have been curated by Hult International Business School and Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership (IXL Center) in their book Greenovate!

The book Greenovate! documents 53 case studies that are defined by “sustainable, green innovations” (or “green ovations”). Each profile combines business innovation with a synthesized concept of sustainability, from startups to leading global organizations. The next case study in this special Greenovate! case study series is:

City of Curitiba, Brazil Rapid Transit System
An eco-friendly, reliable, efficiently constructed, cost effective bus transport system

INNOVATION

A flexible network of buses and stations, that meets the needs of a rapidly growing urban environment without busting city budgets for capital investments in rail, has the capacity to serve an unlimited range of locations throughout Curitiba, achieving the speed and efficiency of a subway system.

SUSTAINABILITY

A highly reliable mass transport system that dramatically reduces automobile usage, fuel consumption and emission levels in the city. A versatile, cost- and time-effective model that can be implemented by making improvements to existing transport infrastructure and vehicles.

RESULTS

A low cost transit system used by over 75% of travelers in Curitiba, a city of three million plus. Eliminates about 27 million automobile trips annually, saving 10 million gallons of fuel and lowering the city’s CO₂ emissions by 25%. A model for developing cities worldwide.

DRIVERS

POPULATION GROWTH:

Curitiba’s rapid population growth taxed the capacity of an antiquated electric trolley system, creating a dire need to improve the public transportation system

GOVERNMENT PUSH:

The government wanted to stimulate economic growth for the urban population and to facilitate greater mobility by improving the transportation infrastructure

SERVICE CAPACITY:

The outdated fare payment system and narrow bus doors created transportation bottlenecks, resulting in slow and inefficient service

BARRIERS

LEGACY CONSTRAINTS:

The legacy electric trolley service followed fixed routes — expansion of service capacity to new routes was constrained by the narrow city streets and a tight municipal budget

ECONOMIC SETBACKS:

Economic setbacks, including periods of hyperinflation, discouraged development of the roads necessary for an efficient bus transit system

TECHNOLOGY:

The municipality lacked the technology to develop a system that could reduce congestion at bus terminals

ENABLERS

ADMINISTRATION:

Mayor Moreira Garcez‘s commission for the streets permitted a local power company to explore the possibility of a bus network for the city

CUT MY COSTS:

The Institute for Research and Urban Planning in Curitiba (IPPUC) constructed roads for buses at 1/10th

the cost of laying a subway system, enabling systematic urban and economic development

DESIGN CHANGES:

Cylindrical tube-shaped station enables passengers to make fare pre-payment; bus design permits commuters to board and exit buses simultaneously

IMPACT

BUS-ENABLED COMMERCE:

The bus transport network better connects far-flung urban areas, increasing the trade and commerce within the city

BUILD ON SUCCESS:

Mayor Ivo Aruza Prereir commissioned the IPPUC to plan a integrated transport system that will support further urban development

SPEEDY SERVICE:

The city municipality reduced the passenger waiting time at the terminals to no more than 15 to 19 seconds per boarding—1/8th less than the original time

WHAT’S NEXT

The city municipality continues to improve the efficiency of the transport system through installation of sensors in its buses and along public transportation routes. Also, the city municipality plans to utilize 100% alternate energy sources to lower emission levels.

image credit: news.hult.edu; Brazil Rapid Transit

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GUEST POST from Tyler McNally, Ronald Jonash & Hitendra Patel

Real world stories about innovators and innovative companies are an important way to learn and we place high value on them at Innovation Excellence. We are very pleased to begin a series of case studies on companies who have been curated by Hult International Business School and Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership (IXL Center) in their book Greenovate!

The book Greenovate! documents 53 case studies that are defined by “sustainable, green innovations” (or “green ovations”). Each profile combines business innovation with a synthesized concept of sustainability, from startups to leading global organizations. The next case study in this special Greenovate! case study series is:

BP ENERGY INDIA – ‘Oorja’ Smokeless Biomass Stove

Target a unique emerging market need with an affordable, clean and safe cooking solution that reduces carbon emissions, with a proven sales model, in India

INNOVATION

BP Energy’s smokeless biomass stove for rural India uses a rechargeable mini-fan to increase efficiency vs. existing wood stoves. Direct sales model is similar to approaches used in other industries (e.g., microlending with Grameen Bank)

SUSTAINABILITY

By using biomass pellets, the stove’s emissions are greatly reduced, lowering global warming pressures and preserving human health. Provides a promising answer to the rising total emissions in India

RESULTS

Reduces carbon monoxide by 71% and lessens suspended particulate matter by 34% compared to traditional wood-burning stoves. Provides new streams of income for emerging women entrepreneurs in India.

DRIVERS

TACKLE THE ELEPHANT:

India is ranked fourth in the world in creating harmful emissions — traditional wood-burning stoves commonly used in rural areas are responsible for a significant portion of carbon emissions

HEALTH ISSUES:

Indoor air pollution related to wood- burning stoves kills nearly 400,000 people in India each year, according to the World Heath Organization

DEMAND PULL:

Using wood slows the cooking process because of additional tasks such as wood collecting. Existing alternatives like kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas are too expensive and very flammable

BARRIERS

CHANGE OF MINDSET:

The company needed to create a different business model and cater to different customer needs — the Indian market challenged the existing cost structures and price performance of the company

POVERTY:

Economies of scale due to large demand and mass production could lower the price of the stove, but people in rural India may still not be able to afford it because of extreme poverty

DISTRIBUTION:

Targeted customers, the rural poor, could not be reached by the traditional distribution channels

ENABLERS

COMMITTED PARTNERS:

BP Energy India, members of non-governmental organizations, scientists, local entrepreneurs, and end users worked together to design, manufacture, and market the stove

IMPROVING TECHNOLOGY:

Because of efficient material use, the stove costs only about $17; making it affordable for customers of emerging markets — also, a mini-fan blows air to increase combustion efficiency

DIRECT SALES:

Local women, who are trusted by their community, are recruited to sell the stoves — their feedback taught BP about the challenges of rural marketing in a extremely diverse nation

IMPACT

ENVIRONMENT:

The stove reduces carbon monoxide by 71% and lessens suspended particulate matter by 34% compared to traditional wood-burning stoves

CUSTOMERS:

Cooking takes less time because biomass pellets burn more efficiently than wood — annual biomass use would fall from 1.5 – 2 to 0.4 – 0.6 tons per family

SALES FORCE:

The sales of new stoves and the supply of the healthier smokeless fuel pellets provide a sustainable income source for rural women

INTERNAL:

There are hundreds of thousands of stoves in operation at the moment and BP believes it can sell 20 million by 2020

WHAT’S NEXT

Based on the positive experience in India, BP will also test the stove in Vietnam and China.

image credit: bp.com

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GUEST POST from Tyler McNally, Ronald Jonash & Hitendra Patel

Real world stories about innovators and innovative companies are an important way to learn and we place high value on them at Innovation Excellence. We are very pleased to begin a series of case studies on companies who have been curated by Hult International Business School and Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership (IXL Center) in their book Greenovate!

The book Greenovate! documents 53 case studies that are defined by “sustainable, green innovations” (or “green ovations”). Each profile combines business innovation with a synthesized concept of sustainability, from startups to leading global organizations. The next case study in this special Greenovate! case study series is:

BOMBARDIER – Quieter, More Fuel Efficient Jets

Establishing new benchmarks in aviation sustainability with the CSeries mid-sized aircraft

INNOVATION

A new series of airplanes leverages novel technologies from a supplier to reduce costs and push forward on new benchmarks in aviation sustainability. Higher costs were mitigated with a customer leasing option.

SUSTAINABILITY

Pratt and Whitney’s next-generation geared turbofan engine was instrumental in driving down fuel consumption by 20%. The advancement from this collaboration created over 3,000 new jobs in manufacturing plants.

RESULTS

20% reduction in fuel consumption, Reduced noise, 20% fewer carbon emissions, 50% fewer nitrous oxide emissions during flight.

DRIVERS

CUT MY COSTS:

Because of rising fuel costs and operating expenditures faced by airline companies, Bombardier sought new ways to drive down operational costs

REGULATORY PUSH:

With tightening airline regulations and a need for airlines to meet demands with less environmental impact, Bombardier saw an opportunity to design a new generation of green planes

UNMET NEED:

While most airlines flew planes with a capacity either below 100 seats or above 150 seats, there were few flights seating between 100-149 passengers — Bombardier saw this as a new opportunity to pursue

BARRIERS

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:

Investing in new technologies was not a focal point of the company — in poor economic times, the tendency had been to look at: short-term savings; cutting down on workforce; or, shutting down plants

CROSS BORDER CONCERNS:

Traditionally, the airline industry was known for its unbending engineering and technical standards, which made some of the new technology in the CSeries difficult to sell

LACK OF BUYERS:

Bombardier’s CSeries was seemingly high-priced for customers facing tight credit markets and tough economic times — there was a lack of potential buyers to secure firm orders

ENABLERS

HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION:

In an effort to design new efficient technologies at minimal costs, Bombardier looked to its suppliers to aid in the development — Pratt and Whitney’s next-generation “geared turbofan engine” showed promise

CORPORATE VISION:

Because of the growing emphasis of sustainability, Bombardier knew that airlines would have to become more creative to reduce emissions in order to avoid costly regulatory charges and re-tooling in the future

LEASE ME INSTEAD:

Bombardier introduced a new lease option for airlines unable to pay the full price of the CSeries planes — this gave airlines an opportunity to test the new airplane at a low investment cost

IMPACT

TECHNOLOGY:

Successful new technologies in design and aerodynamics helped to drive down fuel costs by 20% and to create over 3,000 new jobs at a time when competitors were scaling back their operations

SUSTAINABLE CUSTOMERS:

With a focus on building a fleet of sustainable jets, companies such as Lufthansa have affirmed their efforts in aviation sustainability by offering flights with reduced emissions, lower noise and less fuel burn

OFF THE SHELF:

Decreased price barriers kick-started production of the CSeries, which encouraged Lufthansa to buy 30 planes and to lease another 30 — letters of intent from other airlines soon followed suit

WHAT’S NEXT

Building on technologies capable of producing 20% less CO₂, 50% less NO_X , 20% less fuel burn and less noise, Bombardier will apply this blueprint of airline efficiency across all its other models in an effort to build a more sustainable aviation industry.

image credit: desertjet.com

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GUEST POST from Tyler McNally, Ronald Jonash & Hitendra Patel

Real world stories about innovators and innovative companies are an important way to learn and we place high value on them at Innovation Excellence. We are very pleased to begin a series of case studies on companies who have been curated by Hult International Business School and Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership (IXL Center) in their book Greenovate!

The book Greenovate! documents 53 case studies that are defined by “sustainable, green innovations” (or “green ovations”). Each profile combines business innovation with a synthesized concept of sustainability, from startups to leading global organizations. The next case study in this special Greenovate! case study series is:

BAOSTEEL – Steel Waste into Revenue Streams

A ten year project to design and implement an efficient recycling and reuse program for slag — the by-product of steel production.

INNOVATION

A process — BSSF — to quickly cool and recycle steel slag that minimizes waste that falls on the production floor and eliminates the need to bury the waste in the ground for up to one year for cooling

SUSTAINABILITY

BSSF eliminates the potential for buried slag to pollute soil and water. Higher recovery rates of iron ore from slag and removal of limestone from the process, which is traditionally used when slag is buried

RESULTS

In addition to reducing the potential environmental impact, the BSSF process saves 400,000 tons of iron ore and 533,000 tons of limestone per year for Baosteel

DRIVERS

TACKLE THE ELEPHANT:

Baosteel, the 3rd largest steel producer globally, buried over 1.6 m tons of slag per year as part of a one-year cooling process that risked ground contamination

BIG BOLD STATEMENT:

Recognizing the need to improve efficiency and reduce its overall environmental impact, the firm set a goal to become a “world-class clean steel enterprise”

COST DRIVEN:

Recycling one ton of slag is equal to saving 250kg iron ore and 330kg limestone; moreover, one ton of molten slag contains heat energy equivalent to 60kg coal

GOVERNMENT PUSH:

Baosteel signed contracts with state and regional governments that set ambitious energy-saving and total pollutant goals

BARRIERS

TECHNICAL BARRIERS:

The process known as ”BSSF” raised new technical barriers, including the need to reduce explosion risk caused by sudden expansion of water during the quick cooling of scorching slag.

COMPANY SILOS:

The slag problem touched multiple parts of the steel production process and the firm — coordinating frequent industrial trials and maintaining production schedules slowed the project.

REAL TESTING ENVIRONMENT:

The industrialization and optimization of BSSF technology requires experience from real world application, but Baosteel did not have enough projects to conduct meaningful tests

ENABLERS

LONG TERM R&D INVESTMENT:

Baosteel invested in the BSSF project for 13 years, developing new technologies and slag preprocessing techniques to overcome the explosion risk and other barriers encountered.

SENIOR SPONSOR:

A senior executive took control of the BSSF R&D project and secured direct responsibility for helping the project team coordinate efforts across the company.

PARTNERSHIP:

Baosteel established a technology trade platform to work with other steel companies to test the processes and share knowledge across companies.

IMPACT

ENVIRONMENT:

CO₂ and SO₂ emissions and dust caused by steel slag is totally eliminated, thus reducing the environmental impact of the steel plants.

COMPANY:

The BSSF process improves the metal recovery rate by 30% and the break even for the equipment investment is as short as half a year.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION:

In 2007 BSSF won the 2nd prize at the China National Invention Awards and the 1st prize at the International Innovation Expo held in Hamburg, Germany.

INDUSTRY:

BSSF is now widely used by other steel companies in China, such as Masteel and Nanchang Steel, and was exported to JSW Steel in India.

WHAT’S NEXT

Baosteel originally designed the BSSF slag process for the steel industry and is now exploring the potential application of the technology to other metallurgic industries.

image credits: baosteel.com; ixlcenter.com

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GUEST POST from Tyler McNally, Ronald Jonash & Hitendra Patel

CASE STUDY

Real world stories about innovators and innovative companies are an important way to learn and we place high value on them at Innovation Excellence. We are very pleased to begin a series of case studies on companies who have been curated by Hult International Business School and Center for Innovation, Excellence and Leadership (IXL Center) in their book Greenovate!

The book Greenovate! documents 53 case studies that are defined by “sustainable, green innovations” (or “green ovations”). Each profile combines business innovation with a synthesized concept of sustainability, from startups to leading global organizations. The first case study in this special series is:

ACAL ENERGY – Next Gen Fuel Cell Technology

INNOVATION

ACAL Energy developed a new method for generating current within a fuel cell by using a proprietary recirculating liquid cathode technology that performs better and at lower cost than existing fuel cell systems.

SUSTAINABILITY

As with other fuel cell systems, the only by-products of the fuel cells are water and heat
In addition, ACAL’s technology reduces the required amount of platinum, a rare and expensive mineral.

RESULTS

The new technology enables fuel cell systems to operate up to five times longer than is currently possible.

ACAL Energy cuts the amount of platinum used in fuel cells by 80% and reduces the price of fuel cells by 40%.

DRIVERS

TECHNOLOGY PUSH:
Fuel cells are unique in energy delivery, combining benefits such as: low or zero emissions, high efficiency and reliability, multi-fuel capability, no noise pollution.

FOUNDER’S EXPERTISE:
Dr Andrew Creeth, the founder of ACAL Energy Ltd with more than 15 years scientific experience, invented a new technology for ACAL.

DEMAND PULL:
According to Clean Edge, the fuel cell market is expected to grow steadily to $15.6 billion over the next decade — about 10x its 2008 size.

GOVERNMENT PUSH:
To cut carbon emissions, UK government sets up organization and business incubators to support start-ups and emerging technologies.

BARRIERS

PRECIOUS METAL:
Fuel cells require the use of precious metals (usually platinum) as catalysts — the scarcity and expense of these metals make the fuel cells unaffordable for mass use.

BUSINESS RESOURCES:
The company needed funds in order to take the technology forward from small-scale laboratory systems to manufacturable prototypes.

COMPLEX EQUIPMENT:
Sophisticated components and systems are required to ensure fuel cell reliability contributing to the high cost of current systems.

BUILDING TRUST:
FlowCathTM technology is new on the market and the lack of brand recognition is a challenge to attracting customers.

ENABLERS

CHEAP ALTERNATIVE:
Acal’s FlowCathTM technology removes the need for platinum, replacing it with a proprietary liquid that is continuously pumped through the cell.

CRITICAL INVESTORS:
The company is supported by UK VCs, Japanese and European corporations, and public investors — altogether, they provided £7 million in funding.

SIMPLIFICATION:
The use of liquid instead of platinum allows simplification of equipment, thus eliminating the need for a hydration system.

COMMITTED PARTNER:
Carbon Trust, a UK government organization, assesses and supports the development of FlowCathTM, increasing its credibility.

IMPACT

COST REDUCTION:
FlowCathTM allows an 80% reduction of platinum used in fuel cells and a 40% decrease in fuel cell price

INTERNAL:
ACAL Energy built a state-of-the-art lab and a 4,000 m2 plant, growing from 5 to 23 employees in 18 months.

PERFORMANCE:
The use of the liquid improves the fuel cell’s durability to more than 1,500 hours with no loss in performance.

AWARD WINNER:
ACAL Energy was a finalist in 2009 Carbon Trust Innovation Awards, which recognize innovative, low-carbon companies.

WHAT’S NEXT

The company’s near term strategy is to build partnerships with key supply chain companies and fuel cell OEMs. In the long term it plans to enter more markets: transportation as well as industrial and domestic distributed energy.

image credits:  acalenergy; ixlcenter

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