PROJECT AWARD TO ENER-G-ROTORS, INC.

Funding to support demonstration of company’s GEN4 unit at West Point

Dec. 2011 – The Department of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) has announced a $746,000 grant to Ener-G-Rotors, Inc., a renewable energy company in Rotterdam, NY. The funds will support a project to demonstrate the waste heat to electricity conversion potential of the company’s GEN4 unit.

The GEN4, which has the capacity to generate 40 to 60 kilowatts, converts waste heat (150F-350F) from industrial processes to electricity. Following assembly at the company’s facility in Rotterdam, the device will be installed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; deployment is expected to take place late next year.

The Ener-G-Rotors proposal was one of only 27 selected by the ESTCP from a national pool of 575 entries submitted by private firms, universities and federal organizations. According to the Department of Defense, the ESTCP initiative is designed to support new projects to demonstrate emerging energy technologies on military installations through its Installation Energy Test Bed initiative. The initiative plays a key role in testing, evaluating, and scaling up innovative new energy technologies to improve the department’s energy security and reduce its facility energy costs.

“We’re extremely pleased to receive the ESTCP grant, and we’re looking forward to demonstrating how the GEN4 can support the Department of Defenses’ efforts to reduce energy costs,” Michael Newell, CEO, Ener-G-Rotors said. “The installation at West Point is another important milestone as we move to full commercialization.”

The ESTCP funding follows awards totaling nearly $2.4 million by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) over the past five years. The NYSERDA awards are supporting Ener-G-Rotors’ on-going research and development efforts as well as demonstration projects to deploy individual GEN4 units at three to-be-identified industrial sites in New York State. Additionally, in October, the Eastern New York Angels, LLC, which provides seed funding and mentorship to early stage companies, announced an investment of $150,000 in Ener-G-Rotors; this marked the group’s first investment since its founding earlier this year.

“NYSERDA congratulates Ener-G-Rotors on receiving the Department of Defense grant,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “With Ener-G-Rotors being awarded this nationally-competitive grant, it highlights how New York State’s commitment to innovation in the cleantech industry is getting results and continues to be a leader in this industry.”

The public and private funding, according to Newell, will help enable Ener-G-Rotors to meet or exceed its job creation benchmarks and commercialization timeline. “These investments and demonstration projects are vital as we seek to grow from our base of six employees to 12 by the end of next year. Based on our projections, we have the potential to create 120 jobs by the end of 2015,” Newell said.

“I want to congratulate Ener-G-Rotors for being chosen to participate in the Department of Defense’s Energy Technology Demonstration program,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “The fact that Ener-G-Rotors was chosen for this very competitive program is further proof that its innovative clean energy technology holds great promise, and brings it a step closer to the commercial market.”

The company’s flagship product, the GEN4, can be used in industrial processes, commercial buildings, solar thermal collectors, geothermal sources, biomass boilers and combustion engines. A modular system, the GEN4 is installed close to the heat source and generates power based on a breakthrough heat engine technology.  The device creates no waste and uses heat waste that otherwise would be exhausted into the atmosphere. The equipment pays for itself in as little as two years by generating carbon-free electricity, thus reducing the amount of power drawn from the electric grid. 

According to department officials, the Department of Defense has 300,000 buildings on its installations and spends nearly $4 billion a year on the energy needed to operate them. Demonstrations generate the cost and performance data needed to validate promising technologies, allowing them to be fielded and commercialized more rapidly.  These technologies will enable DoD’s installations to operate using less energy, and they will improve energy security by allowing installations to maintain critical activities even if the commercial electric grid is disrupted. The West Point Military Academy has been designated by the Army as “Net Zero Installation “by 2020. Net Zero is a major sustainability program at the US Army, in which a Net Zero installation effectively produces as much energy as it consumes over the course of a year.

For more information on the ESTCP Installation Energy Test Bed Initiative and its associated technology demonstration projects, visit http://www.serdp-estcp.org/Featured-Initiatives/Installation-Energy. 

About Ener-G-Rotors:

Based in Rotterdam, NY, Ener-G-Rotors is commercializing devices based on a near frictionless expander that turns low- temperature heat into electricity, opening up new markets in industrial waste heat and changing the technology landscape for solar thermal and geothermal installations. The company is widely recognized as a pioneer in the conversion of low-temperature waste heat into electricity, and it has received awards at six clean-energy forums around the country in the last two years. The firm was recently named a “Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solutions” company, chosen from a field of 220 applicants, by the U.S. Military, which describes itself as the nation’s largest consumer of fossil fuels. The Ener-G-Rotors team showcased its product to Department of Defense representatives and others at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit in September in Hawaii. See www.ener-g-rotors.com

CEO & Founder Mike Newell invited by Congressman Tonko

Nov. 2011 – Schenectady County-based Ener-G-Rotors CEO Michael Newell participated this morning in a special program at the White House in Washington with other business leaders from throughout the country designed to highlight job creation success stories and connect them with resources and expertise that can help them create more jobs. Newell was invited by Congressman Paul Tonko to take part in the Make it in America Champions of Change Roundtable because of his success in building an innovative, clean energy-focused business that it is on the cusp of bringing its products to market and growing new jobs.

 “Michael Newell brings an entrepreneurial and technology-driven clean energy background that provides an invaluable piece to the discussion about how we can grow manufacturing and create jobs,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “His leadership at Ener-G-Rotors is a prime example of how clean energy opportunities are the driving force behind the Capital Region’s economy.”

 Ener-G-Rotors, located in Rotterdam, is considered an innovator of technology that uses low-temperature waste heat from industrial facilities and converts it to electricity. There are nearly 4,000 potential sites across New York State that could make use of this technology, which would help reduce usage of fossil fuels and save money.

 Brookings recently named the Capital Region as first in the country when it comes to the concentration of clean energy jobs.

 Champions of Change is a weekly program started by President Obama to spotlight what ordinary Americans are doing to out-innovate, our-educate, and out build the rest of the world. Today’s event was focused on House Democrat’s Make it in America agenda to grow manufacturing jobs throughout the nation. Over the past year, Congressman Tonko has toured nearly a dozen local companies to highlight the Make it in America effort and illustrate how innovation and investment are growing manufacturing jobs in the 21^st Congressional District.

 The program included a moderated discussion with senior administration officials and closing remarks from U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer.

NYSERDA Awards $725,000 to Ener-G-Rotors to Demonstrate

Technology that Creates Power from Industrial Waste Heat

Device Could Save Money, Reduce Fossil Fuel Use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Sept. 2011 – The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has awarded $725,000 to Ener-G-Rotors of Rotterdam. Ener-G-Rotors will use the funding to field-test equipment that generates electricity from low-temperature waste heat emitted during manufacturing at two factories in New York State. The equipment has the potential to lower industrial operating costs while reducing the power demand in New York State. 

 In addition to NYSERDA’s $725,000 funding, Ener-G-Rotors will invest $789,000 in the project. The company expects to grow from five to 12 jobs by the end of next year, with the potential of 120 jobs by the end of 2015.  

 “Turning waste heat into electricity not only generates carbon-free electricity, it also lowers a company’s energy costs,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “This is a win-win for New York State as Ener-G-Rotors has the potential for growing jobs while reducing the use of fossil fuels and the emissions of greenhouse gases.”

 The company’s product, known as the GEN 4, could be used for industrial processes, commercial buildings, solar thermal collectors, geothermal sources, biomass boilers and combustion engines. The equipment sells for $90,000 and pays for itself in as little as two years by generating electricity, thus reducing the amount of power drawn from the electric grid, according to Ener-G-Rotors.

 Ener-G-Rotors’ modular system, which is installed close to the heat source, generates power based on the expansion and contraction of fluid inside a sealed compression system.  Its fourth-generation product can generate 40 to 60 kilowatts. It creates no waste and uses heat waste from 150 to 350 F that otherwise would be exhausted into the atmosphere.

 ”NYSERDA has been – and continues to be – absolutely essential in our efforts to drive our technology forward,” said Michael Newell, CEO, Ener-G-Rotors.  “We consider them a true partner in our growth and development; it has been a truly rewarding and successful experience from the very start.”

 Newell also thanked Congressman Paul Tonko for his role in supporting the company over the years. “Like NYSERDA, Congressman Tonko recognized early the great potential of our technology, and provided essential support for our research and development efforts,” Newell stated.

 Ener-G-Rotors is widely considered a pioneer in converting low-temperature waste heat to electricity. A large potential market exists for a device that can generate power from low-temperature waste heat sources. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 20 to 50 percent of industrial energy is lost as waste heat. And 60 percent of that waste heat is defined as low-temperature heat.  

 New York has almost 4,000 potential sites that could make use of this product, representing an opportunity to generate 200 megawatts of electricity.

“I want to congratulate Ener-G-Rotors and NYSERDA for their partnership to innovate and create a carbon-free solution that generates electricity and lowers energy costs for companies,” said Congressman Paul Tonko. “I’m working on legislation in Congress that will provide investment that will help bring this technology to market and reduce the costs of production, so companies like Ener-G-Rotors can manufacture their products and create new jobs.”

 Ener-G-Rotors has received awards at six clean-energy forums around the country in the last two years. The firm was also named a “Top 10 Defense Energy Technology Solutions” company, chosen from a field of 220 applicants, by the U.S. Military, which describes itself as the nation’s largest consumer of fossil fuels. The Ener-G-Rotors team will showcase its product to Department of Defense representatives and others at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit Sept. 13 in Hawaii.

NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, offers objective information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise and funding to help New Yorkers increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.  NYSERDA professionals work to protect our environment and create clean-energy jobs. NYSERDA has been developing partnerships to advance innovative energy solutions in New York since 1975.

 Ener-G-Rotors is commercializing devices based on a near frictionless expander that turns low- temperature heat into electricity, opening up a new market in waste heat and changing the technology landscape for solar thermal and geothermal installations. Based in Rotterdam, NY, the company is widely recognized as a pioneer in the conversion of low-temperature waste heat into electricity.  The company has received numerous awards for its technology. www.ener-g-rotors.com

The Utility Technology Challenge (UTC) is an annual program designed to address a critical gap in the clean technology commercialization process: helping companies with commercial-ready products find test partners and early adoption customers.

With initial support from the US Department of Energy, the Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) launched the UTC program in 2009, receiving over 150 applications across the clean technology spectrum. In 2011, committee partners include Austin Energy, Lockheed Martin, Northeast Utilities, National Grid and the City of Anaheim. Core categories for submissions included:

The U.S. Military is the world’s largest consumer of fossil fuels. The Department of Defense recognizes the importance to national security of increasing the military’s use of alternative fuels, because much of the world’s oil and gas come from unstable parts of the world. The Army plans to use renewable sources for 25 percent of its fuels by 2025. Similarly, the Navy’s goal is to slash fossil fuel usage in half by 2020 by turning to biofuels. The U.S. Marines and Air Force have made similar commitments to using alternative fuels.

This year’s winners represented a wide range of organizations and solution types, including: biofuel, wind, transportation, microgrid, and energy storage.

California Energy and Power, California

Ener-G-Rotors, New York

LanzaTech, Illinois

LaserMotive, Washington

National University of Singapore, Singapore

Nextek Power Systems, Michigan

Seeo, California

Sempra Energy, California

Thermal Conservation Technologies, Illinois

ZeaChem, Colorado

“The quality and number of applications was staggering,” stated CTSI Executive Director, Patricia Glaza. “Our review committee, made up of ex-military, military and industry experts, had a difficult job. Many of the organizations deserved to present.”

The Top 10 organizations will attend Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit (http://ct-si.org/events/APCE2011/) in Honolulu on September 13 and present their technologies in a quick pitch session to the Department of Defense partners, as well as energy industry professionals, investors, utilities, and corporate strategic groups. Following the presentations, the companies and conference attendees will attend a Defense Energy Technology Challenge Reception and Showcase. Presenting companies and additional invited applicants will have display areas to highlight their technology solutions.

“ZeaChem is honored to be selected as a top ten energy solution to meet the energy security needs of the U.S. military,” said Jim Imbler, president and chief executive officer of ZeaChem. “ZeaChem is leveraging its feedstock flexible, low cost conversion process for advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals into the production of drop-in biofuels, including jet and diesel, for use in military applications.”

To learn more about the Challenge, visit http://ct-si.org/events/APCE2011/challenge/. To register for Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and attend the event, visit http://ct-si.org/events/APCE2011/register.html.