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Danish Pump Manufacturer Grundfos to Co-Sponsor Air, Water & Waste Prize for the California Clean Tech Open

Posted on: Thursday, 18 October 2007, 12:00 CDT

California Clean Tech Open, the nation's pre-eminent clean technology business competition, is delighted to announce that Grundfos, one of the world's largest pump manufacturers, will co-sponsor the Air, Water & Waste prize in this year's competition.

"We and our customers see the world changing," says Poul T. Frederiksen, Research Manager, Grundfos. "Water scarcity, water pollution and climate change make new solutions vital. Grundfos' slogan, 'Be responsible, Think ahead, Innovate,' is equally valid for the CCTO, so we are sponsoring the contest to strengthen innovation and business in the clean tech field, and to gain new partners for tomorrow's challenges."

An estimated one percent of the world's electricity runs through Grundfos pumps, creating a huge environmental responsibility for the company. Starting twenty years ago, integrated power electronics have enabled dramatic reductions in power consumption. For example the power required for one domestic heating circulator pump has dropped from 60W to 6W. With 10 million Grundfos pumps produced per year, savings achieved can be reckoned in terms of multiple power stations.

Sustainable development is a key concept at the 62 year-old company, which is owned by a foundation whose purpose is to keep Grundfos independent. Founder Poul Due Jensen's belief in social responsibility was as least as strong, so for forty years Grundfos has run 'flexible workshops,' where people with mental or physical disabilities can contribute to production and earn an income.

This emphasis on triple bottom line ideals is echoed in the sustainability requirements for the California Clean Tech Open. A key part of the CCTO business plan format is that all finalists must demonstrate a net positive environmental and social impact. A comprehensive training program has been provided to all finalist teams, and included a first-ever CCTO Sustainability Starter Kit which offered best-in-class examples of sustainable products and ideas to jumpstart the greening of their businesses.

The information and materials in the Sustainability Starter Kit were generously donated all or in part by over fifteen businesses and organizations, including Adobe Systems, Blue Bottle Coffee, Blue Sky Shipping, the Department of Energy -- San Francisco, FlyDesign Media, Give Something Back, method, New Leaf Paper, P3 International, Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, ScanArt, TerraPass, To-Go Ware, Vestal Design, Waldeck's Office Supplies and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

"The goal of the California Clean Tech Open is to promote cleaner technologies and businesses that do not simply switch out one set of problems for another," says Marc Gottschalk, co-founder. "Large-scale success in clean tech can be significantly undermined by ignoring or side-stepping environmental issues. Our goal is to facilitate the creation of successful clean tech businesses, and sustainability must be an integral part of that success."

To help other startups and businesses benefit from this information, the CCTO's Sustainability Starter Kit Guidebook is available at www.cacleantech.com/ssk.

Registration for the California Clean Tech Open gala awards event at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts on October 29, 2007 is now open at www.cacleantech.com.

About the California Clean Tech Open:

The California Clean Tech Open brings together a unique and powerful combination of entrepreneurs, researchers, environmentalists, investors, business professionals and others to create economic growth and environmental sustainability by sparking a clean technology cluster in California. By giving winners early-stage capital and expertise, the competition speeds clean technologies from lab to market. The goal is to foster innovative new businesses focused on energy efficiency, smart power, renewable energy, transportation, green building materials, pollution control and resource management. The competition thrives on the state's strong business and governmental support for innovation, technology and environmental protection to create rich soil for the growth of clean technology enterprises that foster a healthy natural environment. To learn more, please visit: www.cacleantechopen.com/.

The California Clean Tech Open is sponsored by Acterra: Action for a Sustainable Earth, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit based in Palo Alto, California. The competition is supported by a diverse array of businesses, educational institutions, government leaders and private individuals, and run by a dedicated group of volunteers including business professionals, scientists, environmentalists and entrepreneurs.

Source: Business Wire

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