Big Isle Team Selected for Energy Excelerator Program

A Big Island team was one of eight clean technology companies chosen from around the country to participate in the state’s first clean energy business accelerator program.

Acclimate TN, Physical Tech Inc., based in Captain Cook, was the only Big Island team selected for the Lightning Excelerator program, which started Feb. 7 and runs through this Thursday in Honolulu.

The engineering team’s project includes developing innovative technology to efficiently harvest thermal energy from solar panels.

The Lightning Excelerator program is managed by the Hawaii Renewable Energy Development Venture and is free of charge for participants.

Funded by the US Department of Energy, both programs are part of the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research, a Hawaii-based non-profit that helps spur technology development in the Pacific Rim.

The eight teams will receive mentoring and expertise from industry professionals, clean-tech investors, and experienced entrepreneurs to identify major needs for the growth of their businesses.

Teams will be eligible for up to $90,000 of grant funding to support future business or technology development.

In addition, one team will receive a state Energy Office $15,000 prize to fund a market assessment for their pre-commercial technology.

Companies were selected based on predetermined criteria, including: quality and experience of team members, technical innovation, commercialization strategy, and potential to scale in Hawaii and globally.

The other teams selected include: Bright Light Systems of Georgia, Conscious Commuter Corporation of Oregon, Gen-X Energy Development LLC of Maui, kWh Analytics of California, Oceanit Smart Socket of Oahu, Renewable Water Technologies of Oahu, and Spectrum137 of California.