2016 Clean Energy Awards

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FIRMGREEN, INC. Alternative Energy Project Specialist of the Year- West USA, page 4

HOPE CELL TECHNOLOGIES BEST RENEWABLES TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT COMPANY - USA & AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CLEAN HYDROGEN GENERATION

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We will continue to expand globally providing guidance and mentoring to climate change visionaries, that are committed to making lasting and positive change - CARBON CREDIT SOLUTIONS INC.

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CONTENTS

CLEAN ENERGY AWARDS

AS THE WORLD GETS TO GRIPS WITH THE REALITIES OF GLOBAL WARMING AND CONSUMERS BECOME MORE CONSCIOUS ABOUT HELPING THE PLANET, CLEAN ENERGY HAS BEEN THRUST INTO THE LIMELIGHT. COMPANIES ARE UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE TO UTILISE MORE CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND AS SUCH ARE TURNING TO THE FIRMS, CONSULTANTS AND EXPERTS ACROSS THE CLEAN ENERGY MARKET WHO ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THIS ENERGY REVOLUTION. AS SUCH THE 2016 CLEAN ENERGY AWARDS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO REWARD AND RECOGNISE THOSE WHO ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS. 4. FIRMGREEN, INC. ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PROJECT SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR - WEST USA 6. HOPE CELL TECHNOLOGIES BEST RENEWABLES TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT COMPANY - USA & AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CLEAN HYDROGEN GENERATION 8. BRIGHTVOLT BEST ECO-FRIENDLY BATTERY MANUFACTURER - USA 9. HIQ SOLAR BEST SOLAR PRODUCT INNOVATOR - USA & MOST ADVANCED 3 STRING INVERTERS: TRUESTRING™ 480V INVERTER 10. GREEN CITY ENERGY AG BEST POWER PLANT DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANCY - WESTERN EUROPE & BEST WIND FARM PROJECT: WIND FARM SINDERSDORF 11. ONYX SOLAR GROUP LLC BEST PV GLASS MANUFACTURER 12. OSCEOLA ENERGY BEST GREEN CONSTRUCTION SERVICES COMPANY - SOUTH WEST USA 14. MISSOURI WIND AND SOLAR LLC BEST ALTERNATIVE ENERGY R&D AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY - MIDWEST USA 16. CARBON CREDIT SOLUTIONS INC.

BEST CARBON CREDIT CONSULTANCY - CANADA

18. GREENHEART ENERGY LIMITED BEST OFF-GRID ENERGY SUPPLIER - UK 20. NORDH ENERGY BEST SVP TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER - SWEDEN 22. SOLARNAVIGATOR MOST INNOVATIVE SOLAR POWERED AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING PROJECT 24. THE MIDCOUNTIES CO-OPERATIVE BEST RENEWABLE ENERGY SUPPLIER - UK 26. PROPEL FUELS BEST CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY INNOVATOR - CALIFORNIA & BEST CARBON EMISSION REDUCTION TRACKING PLATFORM: CLEANDRIVE® 28. BRITE SOLAR INC. BEST AUTONOMOUS GREENHOUSE MANUFACTURER - USA & EXCELLENCE IN AGRICULTURAL CARBON FOOTPRINT REDUCTION - USA 30. WHITEFOX TECHNOLOGIES BEST BIOFUEL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER - UK 32. SCS GLOBAL SERVICES BEST RENEWABLE ENERGY VERIFICATION SPECIALISTS 2016

CL160001

Alternative Energy Project Specialist of the Year - West USA

Headquartered in Newport Beach, CA, FirmGreen, Inc., is a privately held, integrated energy company, which participates in virtually all aspects of the global green energy business. FirmGreen identifies, develops, and commercializes new and emerging technologies and alternative fuels that promise to play an increasingly important role in the world’s energy mix. We spoke to Steven Wilburn, Chairman and CEO, who told us about the firm’s innovative technology and about his plans for the future.

FirmGreen’s patented and proprietary technology converts solid, liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons from readily available renewable resources - including landfill gas, forest residues, and biomass - into renewable electricity and clean biofuels to power vehicles and fuel cells. FGI has the unmatched ability to process BTU fuel feedstock from such sources as landfills, stranded natural gas fields, and biomass, into alternative, low carbon-emitting transportation fuels that meet fuel standards for 2013 and beyond.

life for people around the world with implementation of sound sustainable energy solutions that positively impact their environment and economic condition.

“Through integration of our social and financial goals, FirmGreen is well-positioned as a global leader in the renewable energy and alternative fuels markets, generating demonstrable stakeholder value for both the short and long term. We are constantly doing research on new pathways to produce clean energy on a cost-effective basis, while minimizing our carbon footprint.”

The firm produces a wide variety of fuels from renewable sources, including compressed natural gas (CNG), methanol, and hydrogen. In addition, the technology enables production of a variety of other commodities; carbon dioxide can be collected, processed and reused to improve crop growth in greenhouses. In the form of dry ice, CO2 is a widely used coolant, and may be used as a non-toxic cleaning agent, which is why the firm’s ability to collect, process and reuse it is so valuable. Dimethyl ester (DME) can be used in a variety of industrial applications such as a flame retardant, hydraulic fluid, antistatic agent and for other textile uses.

For over a century, fossil fuels were the mainstay of energy production. The use of fossil fuels for energy generation has resulted in the pollution of air, land and water resources. FirmGreen and its team of engineers have developed patented and proprietary alternatives to fossil fuels for energy production.

“We publish technical papers to inform the industry that our solutions are cost-effective and perfect for clean energy generations. We have very strict ongoing technical due diligence to ensure our processes are operating at maximum efficiency, and as CEO, I personally engage with each client, no matter how large or small the project value is in dollars.

The entire team at FirmGreen are honoured to have been selected as an award winner in the Global Energy Clean Energy Awards. Steven notes that FirmGreen has won numerous International Awards for its innovations in the field of renewable energy generation from alternative fuel resources like landfill gas, digestion of municipal waste streams, and biomass.

“Our proven patented and proprietary energy generation and storage technology are superior to those provided by our competitors. FirmGreen’s labs never stop researching and developing improvements to our existing technologies, and invent entirely new approaches as well.”

“We feel that our dedication to solving local waste handling and clean energy generation for our clients will result in a true win-win proposition. We are passionately committed to improving the quality of

One of the major challenges that is currently facing FirmGreen is the provision of Export Credit Finance for their overseas clients. Steven explains that the

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Steven P. Wilburn, Chairman and CEO OF FirmGreen Mr. Wilburn is a senior energy executive with over thirty years of experience in development and implementation of energy production technologies and alternative energy projects. Mr. Wilburn combines in-depth industry expertise with broad business and entrepreneurial capability. He has had extensive and successful dealings with municipal entities, government agencies, and regulatory bodies.

Mr. Wilburn is married, the father of five children and seven grandchildren and resides in Newport Beach, California. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1967 to 1970 and is a decorated Vietnam War Veteran including the Purple Heart. firm’s markets are evolving rapidly, and that the firm need to be able to access favourable export finance to be able to compete globally.

is well positioned on the world stage, and will be a causal factor for innovative change in the world’s evolving green energy markets for decades to come.

“This an issue that is affecting a number of industries; American manufacturers are currently struggling to compete on the world markets, not because of the quality of our goods and services, rather it is the strong US Dollar and unfavourable trade treaties that provide FirmGreen’s biggest challenges. As the past decade or so has seen a major economic downturn in the world’s economies, and the economic recovery has been slow to mature, we have developed innovative and attractive long term trade finance offerings for our clients. These allow us to continue to lead the way in providing cost-effective greening solutions for our diverse client base.

“We are currently developing 1.2 billion dollars’ worth of renewable energy projects in Brazil, China, India and the Philippines. We are confident that FirmGreen

“Looking to the future, I see micro and mini grids projects as the future for energy generation and distribution. FirmGreen has patents in micro-grid, and even nano-grid, technologies and will become a world leader in integrating energy from micro grids to utility grids.”

Contact Details Company: FirmGreen, Inc. Name: Steve Wilburn Email: steve@firmgreen.com Web Address: www.firmgreen.com Address: 2901 W. Coast Highway Suite 201 Telephone: 949-285-4567

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CL160007

Best Renewables Technology Advancement Company USA & Award for Excellence in Clean Hydrogen Generation

Hope Cell In order to generate one tonne of hydrogen, eight tonnes of carbon is released into the atmosphere, through conventional technologies which are commonly used today.

Nearly all the hydrogen that is currently manufactured throughout the world is made through the steam reforming of hydrocarbons, a process that has low energy conversion efficiency and which is adding to the atmosphere rapidly growing 8.8 billion tonnes of carbon annually. This is a devastating result for anticipated “clean energy” usage. We cannot seriously think of kick-starting Hydrogen Economy without addressing this obstacle first.

of the electrons, and covering temperature enthalpy characteristics. Single conversion of energy results in the most effective hydrogen dislocation from medium, and in the case of methane feedstock, carbon is isolated through effective sequestration. Technology has been designed to be able to serve on-demand scalable stationary and mobile utilization with fuel cells, combustion and life support systems, underwater or in the space.

In light of this, how is Hope Cell making a difference?

This technology can be adapted to many existing devices and utilities, which already consist of significant technical and capital input while minimizing the need for a grid or an expensive hydrogen infrastructure. This bridges the gap of a technology which is in transition between the 20th and 21st centuries; from hydrocarbon fuels to hydrogen technological solutions.

Hope Cell Technologies’ award winning plasma based technology for hydrogen generation under the highest energy efficiency induces an elementary hydrogen exothermic effect, which taps in to molecular bond resonant frequency.

This is then coupled with plasma propagation, whilst additionally manipulating excitement

Robert honored with Energy Globe Award – World Award for Sustainability

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HOPE CELL not only significantly lowers the costs of hydrogen by making its production a low-energy intensive process; it gives several other advantages such as: •

Starting and stopping of the process of decomposition becoming close to instantaneous.

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Scalable size with variable output allowing possibility of mobile equipment friendly development with wishful scaling up to submarine or plane drive energy source, and scaling down to implementation with robotics in the near future.

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Combined with latest storage solutions, expensive infrastructure can be minimised for grid-less application of wind turbine, which can now be relocated to maximum yield and out of populated areas

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Hope Cell design allows utilisation with existing technology applications with minimum cost of conversion.

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It ideally serves for transition of technology from 20th to 21st century – from carbon to hydrogen clean energy source.

With those advantages Hope Cell technology is opening new perspective to Hydrogen Economy.

Robert Vancina founded Hope Cell Technologies in 2001, and his role in research and development at the firm has resulted in a significant improvement in theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of Plasma Physics. His pioneering work has resulted in understanding, and the establishment of a mechanism of clean hydrogen generation through hydrogen embrittlement in metal hydride lattice.

filling the gap within the missing link in a quest for “0” carbon solutions. Hope Cell is a pioneering technology that is strategically positioned to present a strong possibility of significant importance and represents a breakthrough in clean energy solutions.

The technology has won an Energy Globe Award, a prestigious World Award for Sustainability. It was presented globally at the Green Leaders’ Summit in Sydney, Australia.

Through various media presentations, Hope Cell Technology has also received very positive reactions and endorsements in the scientific, economic and general public circles worldwide.

Hope Cell Intellectual Property is now strongly presented with a family of granted patents and will help to ensure the firm’s future path to success, and strong position on the global stage. There is opportunity for the proposed technological solutions to be commercialised with a strong potential global market presence.

Robert’s leading innovation is the Hope Cell scalable device for hydrogen generation from water or methane gas.

In the energy utilisation field, scientific advancements are now giving us several options with regards to new technologies, but the drawback of each of those options is preventing us from completing our path to “0” carbon emission produced energy as an on-demand mainstream. Those technologies are also creating a new dependency on the network grid for energy sources, with restricted usage ability.

The next step for Hope Cell Technologies is to exploit the commercial value of this compelling solution by creating market-ready prototypes and investing into corporate development through a joint venture, where a suitable partner is currently sought-after.

Hope Cell complements these advances in an evolutionary way; it significantly lifts energy efficiency, lowers the price of generated hydrogen in carbon-less condition, and is a viable option for a mainstream energy platform. On-site, off-grid, scalable generation of hydrogen eliminates the restriction in generating and the utilisation of hydrogen for mobile and stationary fuel cell applications.

Its ability to conserve alternative sources energy for on-demand usage, overcoming insufficiencies in existing technologies, and

Contact Details: Company: Hope Cell Technologies Name: Robert Vancina Web Address: www.hopecell.wordpress.com

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CL160003

Best Eco-Friendly Battery Manufacturer - USA

BrightVolt makes the thinnest, most flexible, energy-dense and safest batteries in the world. The firm’s batteries power a wide range of Internet of Things devices, including sensors, labels, medical devices and wearable technologies with long lasting capabilities; Venetia Espinoza tells us more about the advantages associated with BrightVolt batteries.

The revolutionary batteries produced by BrightVolt are helping to meet the world’s need for safer, smaller and more powerful batteries. But the company doesn’t stop there; unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries that use lithium electrolytes which can be flammable and toxic to the environment, BrightVolt batteries use no volatile liquids and have superior thermal stability. As Venetia explains, this revolutionary chemistry makes BrightVolt’s batteries environmentally safe and minimizes the potential for spontaneous combustions events.

component layers, rather the conventional standard of three, which allows for a more rapid development and a cost-effective approach to manufacturing at scale.

“This revolutionary chemistry and manufacturing process has already been used to manufacture more than 10MM ultra-thin film batteries that are in commercially viable products. BrightVolt also has the in-house ability to design, develop and manufacture custom batteries. As wearable and IoT technologies continue to evolve in size, usability, form factors and diverse power needs, BrightVolt is able to provide these technologies with customizable, scalable, affordable, environmentally friendly and safe power solutions like no other company.”

Venetia believes that future is very bright for BrightVolt. The company is currently intensely focused on continuing to scale production to meet global growth. As IOT expands and wearable applications require more and better thin, flexible, and most importantly, safe, batteries, BrightVolt’s will be ready to meet the market demand.

“As IoT and wearable applications continue to expand, and power requirements for semiconductors continues to decrease, many designers and manufacturers are now looking to BrightVolt to develop safer, smaller and more flexible batteries to power these devices. Here at BrightVolt, we are not just another battery research company; we have proven technology and real products in the market.

“Our patented chemistry, development and manufacturing process, which employs BrightVolt PME®, Polymer Matrix Electrolyte, technology, is superior to any conventional battery manufacturing process, increasing the reliability and stability of the cell, and is solid-state rather than liquid or gel.

BrightVolt PME® is bonded directly to the battery cathode, enabling thinner layers and eliminating dead space and weight, allowing BrightVolt batteries to have higher energy density. Another advantage is that BrightVolt’s battery assembly requires just two

Contact Details Company: BrightVolt Name: Venetia Espinoza, VP-Marketing and Product Web Address: www.brightvolt.com

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CL160002

Best Solar Product Innovator USA & Most Advanced 3 String Inverters: Truestring™ 480V Inverter

HiQ Solar is an indigenous string inverter company, a rare thing in the US. The Silicon Valley-based start-up is thriving because of a focus on an underserved, but relatively large, niche – the US Commercial rooftop and carport segment.

The US Commercial rooftop has a number of unique requirements, including rapid shutdown, which is a firefighter instigated code rule that makes it desirable to mount inverters immediately next to the PV array.

Arc detection is also an increasingly urgent topic, with large inverters struggling to accurately detect high voltage electrical arcs in DC connectors, with several high profile building fires resulting.

These unique aspects have allowed the firm to grow from a Founder ’s bedroom in Palo Alto, to a company that is successful and continually growing, with products manufactured by Flextronics and several industry awards to their name. Through a partnership with OutBack Power Technologies that was announced this year, the company now has a distribution channel to allow for the continued growth of their products in international markets.

HiQ’s technology increases the power density of the power electronics used to underpin their TrueString inverter. By using low cost computing power rather than brute-force and over-specified magnetics, the size and weight of the string inverter can be lowered. This means that an 8kW 3-phase inverter, that commonly might weigh more than 100 lb., weighs 24 lb. The inverter has been referred to by one customer as ‘the back-pack inverter ’, because it can easily be carried onto a roof and fitted by one person.

The current trend in the industry focuses on the relentless pursuit of lower initial cost for components such as inverters. In the US, even large ground mount installations are switching over to string inverters because of their overall Balance of System (BOS) savings. In order to meet demand, these string inverters are becoming larger in order to keep manufacturing costs as low as possible. However, through this, granularity is being lost; the ability to see each string individually for monitoring and troubleshooting, the ability to complete reliable arc detection through detection circuitry for every string and the maximization of power harvest per string.

HiQ TrueString products solve these issues through a technology that allows for a cost-competitive product that addresses only two strings; each one individually for harvest, monitoring and arc detection. The form factor is unique, with a NEMA6 waterproof rating that allows them to be mounted under the PV array, used in harsh desert, coastal and high altitude environments and then forgotten, with no electrolytic capacitors, fans or air filters to necessitate maintenance visits.

Contact Details: Company: HiQ Solar, Inc. Name: Guy Foster Email: info@hiqsolar.com Web Address: www.hiqsolar.com Address: 2030 Duane Avenue, Suite 101, Santa Clara, CA 95054 Telephone: (408) 970-9580

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CL160018

Best Power Plant Development Consultancy - Western Europe & Best Wind Farm Project: Wind Farm Sindersdorf

Green City Energy was established in 2005 as the subsidiary of the non-profit environmental organization Green City e.V., and firmly believes that global climate change can only be reduced to a tolerable level if energy supply is switched to a model that is based on renewable energies.

Renewable energies are an attractive area of business currently, and as a project developer and financer, Green City Energy AG is operating in a growth market. By 2050, the firm estimates that the installed capacity of solar and wind power plants will have increased fivefold, from around 82 GW to over 400 GW in Germany alone. Green City Energy intend to consistently exploit the market opportunities in its core markets of Germany, France and Italy. Green City Energy Group is an effective tool for bringing about a transition in the energy supply, and places this tool at the hands of ordinary citizens.

at the firm, dozens of municipal and district authorities have devised climate protection and energy concepts to suit their particular needs. Generally, Green City Energy formulate a catalogue of measures that policy-makers can use as a guide when working on climate protection measures for their particular area of municipal energy consulting.

Green City Energy are dedicated to their goal of ensuring that all energy needs can be met through 100% renewable energies. Through their energy projects, services and ecological investments, the firm make a significant contribution to energy transition and help to bring about a climate-friendly, citizenowned energy supply at stable prices, whilst conserving valuable resources.

Green City Energy plan to build, finance and operate solar, wind and hydro power plants in selected European markets, and work together with municipal authorities and local players to carry through power plant projects in a spirit of partnership, from the initial concept through to the finished plant. The firm’s carefully considered ownership and financing concepts enable municipal authorities, cooperatives and citizens to become directly involved in projects that involve their power plants. Renewable energies offer an attractive and real assetsbased investment opportunity, and Green City Energy’s sustainable capital products, such as closed-end funds, participation rights and bonds, are used to finance the expansion of renewable energy power plants. Investors benefit from statutory feed-in tariffs and the firm’s wealth of experience, gained through over 30 asset investments.

Contact Details Company: Green City Energy AG Web Address: www.greencity-energy.com Email: info@greencity-energy.de Address: Zirkus-Krone-Str. 10, 80335 Munich, Germany Telephone: +49 089 890668 – 800

Climate protection is a large concept, and municipal and district authorities wishing to reduce their carbon footprint, while at the same time reaping the benefits associated with this, require hard facts to formulate a solution.

Working in close collaboration with experts

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CL160004

Best PV Glass Manufacturer

Onyx Solar is the global leader manufacturer of photovoltaic glass for buildings. We invited Manuel Sánchez to provide us with an absorbing overview of the company and the innovative products it provides.

Established in 2009, Onyx Solar is devoted to the development and manufacture of photovoltaic glass for construction. This inventive product is a glass that can be integrated in buildings in the same way as conventional glass alternatives with the advantage that it is able to generate its own clean, free electricity through solar power.

Among their clients are companies such as Novartis, Pfizer, Coca-Cola and Samsung, and they have collaborated with architecture studios like Foster+Partners, Zaha Hadid and SOM in more than 80 projects across five continents. Manuel discusses the importance of being flexible and creative in order to develop the solutions that clients need which will help to support the environment.

already been implemented in the renovation of historical buildings, such as Le Petit Écho de la Mode in Châtelaudren, France, and moving forward the firm is keen to move into new international markets in order to support similar projects around the world, as well as continuing their work in newly constructed buildings.

“Looking ahead, our plan here at Onyx Solar is to consolidate our presence in some key markets, including the USA and Europe, as well as continuing our expansion into others, such as China, a country that currently accumulates 50% of the global demand of glass for construction. Our pipeline currently includes more than 750 projects in some 90 countries, and we are excited by the prospect of supporting more clients and increasing our knowledge and experience.”

“Buildings are responsible for 70% of the global energy consumption and 35% of CO2 emissions. If we are to truly confront the issue of global warming, clean energy must be central to the strategy. As a company, one of our main focuses is making sustainable technology widely available, easy to implement and profitable for customers.

“Fundamentally, at Onyx Solar we have always believed that innovation is one of the most important aspects in the field of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). For this reason, we devote a lot of resources to our R&D department, whose individual work as well as collaborations with leading institutions has resulted in three patents (including the first walkable photovoltaic floor).”

Within the wider industry, Onyx Solar have noticed that refurbishments and renovations are growing in importance as spatial, regulative and economic constraints mean that often clients cannot just build new, sustainable buildings from scratch; often they have got to work with an existing building and adapt it to sustainable principles. Onyx Solar ’s glass has

Contact Details Company: Onyx Solar Energy SL Email: info@onyxsolar.com Web Address: www.onyxsolar.com Address: Calle Rio Cea 1-46.

Avila 05004. Spain.

Telephone: +34 920210050

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CL1600012

Best Green Construction Services Company - South West USA

Osceola Energy is the premier full-service solar, wind, and electrical contractor in New Mexico. We invited Galina Kofchock to tell us more.

Osceola Energy Solar is an EPC offering engineering, procurement and construction services for all sizes throughout New Mexico which has installed hundreds of PV systems across New Mexico as well as offering grid tied, off grid, and hybrid solar systems. The firm is committed to providing the best quality solar panel systems for home, business and utility scale projects, as Galina emphasises.

“Here at Osceola Energy our philosophy for client services is the customer is always our top priority.

We ask many different questions to build our understanding of our customer ’s needs. We want to be sure we are offering the best solution to fit our customer ’s needs. Our company’s Quality Assurance Program helps set the guidelines for how we treat, interact and manage our projects and clients.

“An important tool that has helped with our success is the personalized websites that each client has for their project. This website gives our clients immediate access to updates, documents, photos deadlines, schedules and much more. Through this website they are able to track the progress of their project every step of the way. We also make a point to call our customers to make sure they are receiving updates, and to get insight on their prospective of the project.

This ensures the highest quality customer service every time.”

exciting future plans and how it aims to build upon its current success.

“Moving forward, Osceola Energy is very excited to be working on several large projects with Central New Mexico Community College, University of New Mexico, as well as Albuquerque Public Schools. We are also happy to be a part of Unirac’s case study for their new DT Dome & low slope – 5 degree racking systems.”

“Ultimately, clean energy is our way of promising a sustainable future, and today we have the ability to put that into action. It gives us great pride to be a part of securing our energy future for generations to come. Osceola Energy participates in many community outreach programs that help educate young people on solar and how it works. We believe that educating the youth is the best long term solution to the industries growth and to ensure its continued success.”

In her concluding comments Galina outlines the firms

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Company: Osceola Energy Name: Galina Kofchock Email: galinak@osceolaenergy.com Web Address: www.osceolaenergy.com Address: 3004 2nd St NW Albuquerque NM 87107 Telephone: 505-850-8863

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CL160020

Best Alternative Energy R&D and Distribution Company - Midwest USA

Missouri Wind and Solar is an alternative energy company that was founded in 2007. The firm’s focus is on supplying unique and rugged products for their primarily DIY residential and commercial customer base. We profile the firm below to find out more about the important service that the firm offers.

The team at Missouri Wind and Solar is incredibly excited to be the recipient of the Global Energy Clean Energy 2016 Award for ‘Best Alternative Energy R&D and Distribution Company - Midwest USA’. As a company, they pride themselves on being forward thinkers, and consistently work to develop new and innovative products in order to expand their product offering on the market. Missouri Wind and Solar is committed to making alternative energy accessible to everyone.

to keep their ear to the ground to get real feedback from real end users.

As part of this commitment, the firm has operated a walk-in store since inception, with a fully stocked showroom and warehouse. The firm puts its own products to the test, as this store is almost entirely powered by 4500 watts of wind and solar power.

When the power goes out, the firm’s battery backup system kicks in, and they are able to continue helping their customers all over the world.

Fundamentally, Missouri Wind and Solar believes that the impact of alternative energy is twofold. Their customers are not only able to save money but also generate cleaner energy when they produce their own power, regardless of whether they are off the grid or in the middle of the city. In order to provide a service to be proud of, the firm’s philosophy is simple; if you give people a quality product at a good price, you will be successful. In order to achieve this, Missouri Wind and Solar maintains a huge database of diagrams and videos to educate their customers with, helping them to overcome any challenges they may face.

Additionally, the company is constantly brainstorming ideas for new videos in order to be able to offer current content to their customers. This dedication to client service revolves around collaborating with clients in order to fully meet their needs, and as such, the staff constantly listens to their customers’ likes and dislikes and works to provide them with the solutions they need. The company makes sure

Within the wider market, Missouri Wind and Solar recognises that the energy industry is undergoing significant changes and that it is important to adapt around them to remain successful in the business.

End users are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the industry, including awareness of potential savings by taking advantage of the Federal Renewable Energy Tax Credits for home owners and businesses.

Ultimately, storage systems for wind and solar energy have been rapidly evolving over the past year. A big trend that Missouri Wind and Solar has noticed amongst their customer base is the need for an affordable lithium battery, which the firm now carries. Additionally, they have also started to offer a saltwater battery that is cradle to cradle certified.

The company is finding that a current challenge for people interested in wind and solar is the misinformation that is circulating along with gaps in genuine information available. Since Missouri Wind and Solar deals directly with the end user, they are continuously getting feedback about red tape from homeowners’ associations, municipalities and power companies about homeowners installing renewable energy systems. Missouri Wind and Solar makes it a point to help customers connect to overcome those limitations by sharing projects and ideas from people in areas all over the world.

As the company is in the heart of the United States, Missouri Wind and Solar believes they are the perfect distribution center to ship both domestically and worldwide to their clients. Missouri has an abundance of wind, allowing them to complete extensive testing of their existing and new products as they develop; the firm is incredibly adept and takes advantage of the resources their region has to offer.

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Alongside its operating base, the firm has a strong online following, with the majority of Missouri Wind and Solar ’s business now being conducted online.

This means that the firm has had to constantly adapt to meet the growing needs of their customers.

Therefore, Missouri Wind and Solar has evolved from very small ecommerce platforms to their current site, that now offers more features and functionality for the customer. Now, more than ever, the staff at Missouri Wind and Solar is very accessible, and as such are able to assist their customers across the globe, whenever they need to troubleshoot their system. The team is constantly improving all means of communication, because they firmly believe that communication is vital to ensuring solid customer relationships are made.

Moving forward, Missouri Wind and Solar has a number of exciting projects that are currently under development which will provide it with many great opportunities for growth and expansion.

Company: Missouri Wind and Solar, LLC Email: sales@mwands.com Web Address: www.mwands.com Address: 332 Cobblestone Drive, Seymour, MO 65746 Telephone: 417-708-5359

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CL160016

Best Carbon Credit Consultancy - Canada

Carbon Credit Solutions Inc. and its affiliates, Viresco Solutions and Climate Smart Group ™, offer end to end solutions for companies interested in becoming carbon neutral, assessing the sustainability of their supply chains, developing carbon credits and participating in environmental markets and programs. We spoke to Edward Alfke, CEO and Alastair Handley, President, to find out more about the innovative services offered by Carbon Credit Solutions.

Carbon Credit Solutions Inc. has a client base of over 2,500, ranging from individuals that own carbon reduction projects to blue chip multinationals. Alongside these clients, the firm has worked on projects in North America, Europe, Africa, South America and Australia.

Carbon Credit Solutions offers services in Greenhouse Gas Quantification and Carbon Project Development, Sustainability Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement, Policy and Program Development, Protocol/Methodology Development, Sustainable Supply Chains and Climate Finance.

Edward and Alastair are honoured to have been recognised in the Global Energy Clean

Energy Awards 2016. “Climate change is the biggest challenge facing global development today, and we are truly committed to making a difference. This award re-affirms what we are trying to achieve, and our commitment to combating climate change has been fundamental to our success. We know that it is possible to reduce emissions by adopting new technology and by changing to practices that reduce GHG emissions. We believe that placing a meaningful price on carbon will provide the financial motivation that will result in real and lasting change. “In line with this, we make sure that we stay

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Alastair Handley

at the forefront of emerging developments technologically, by sharing ideas and information with global experts. We know that communication and collaboration are critical to our success, and the success of others who share our commitment to help drive change and move us to a low carbon economy. We participate in global conferences as speakers and delegates and are actively engaged with our peers and the International Emission Trading Association. Our team has shared ideas with industry experts in North America, China, Korea, South America, Africa and Europe.”

The team at Carbon Credit Solutions Inc. has developed policy, protocols, strategy, and implementation plans for governments and corporations, and has developed small to large aggregated emission reduction projects. In this endeavour, Edward and Alastair believe that their firm delivers every time.

“We work with clients that share our goal of achieving meaningful change. By understanding our client’s goals and values, we can tailor our team, in order to deliver meaningful and lasting results. We use our proprietary MRV software platform to simplify

Ed Alfke

the quantification of GHG emission reductions.

Our system provides project stakeholders with timely and meaningful insight into the project development process; our systematic processes provide credit certainty while lowering project development and verification costs.”

Asked about the future for Carbon Credit Solutions, Edward and Alastair are both very excited about the firm’s plans.

“We will continue to expand globally providing guidance and mentoring to climate change visionaries, that are committed to making lasting and positive change. Collaboration, the sharing of ideas, information and solutions are needed to drive change to a low carbon economy; this is what we are committed to.”

Company: Carbon Credit Solutions Inc. Name: Edward Alfke, CEO Name: Alastair Handley, President Email: ed@carboncreditsolutions.com, alastair@carboncreditsolutions.com Web Address: www.carboncreditsolutions.com Address: 1-724 East Lake Road NE, Airdrie, Alberta Canada, T4A 2J5 Telephone: 403-912-9132

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CL16000111

Best Off-Grid Energy Supplier - UK

Greenheart Energy is a UK based company, founded in 1999 by Mike Eyre, who is a European Engineer and Fellow of the Energy Institute.

Mike had been a member of the United Nationals Policy Forum for Climate Change and, having worked for the UK state power utility, saw both the need and opportunity for sustainable power generation. Mike told us more about the firm’s critical partnerships with ABB and Rolls Royce and their plans relating to off grid power.

Since 1999, Greenheart Energy has been a pioneer in UK renewables and renewable energy in Africa.

The firm is an IPP, which develops, arranges, finances, builds, owns, and operates power plants using cutting edge technologies, and the firm often innovates technology applications for the first time.

The senior management team are all industry professionals, having worked for UK regional energy companies in Asia, Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Greenheart developed and is the provider of Solar PV for one of the UK’s largest social housing solar PV projects, New Charter Homes in Manchester, with solar PV installed on over 2,600 residential properties. Mike notes that alongside projects in Britain, Greenheart Energy is an industry leader in Africa, focusing on off grid generation, and they are active in Benin, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zambia, Madagascar and South Africa.

“We are committed to staying at the forefront of emerging developments, simply working with the leading technology companies to attain this. We are a formal partner of ABB, the largest technology company with great solar PV power systems, and are an associate of Rolls Royce, the most efficient genset

technology provider in the world, in our opinion.

“Solar PV is now very low cost per kilowatt hour and, with energy storage such as battery or hydro pump storage and the careful use of highly efficient Rolls Royce gensets, affordable energy can be supplied, , anywhere in the world preferably by Greenheart Energy . Interest in clean energy has brought with it the opportunity to rethink how to solve numerous energy related issues; such as how to provide power to the hundreds of millions of people who do not as yet enjoy access. Off grid power is now available and is being understood better than ever with the potential to overcome the technical and economic barriers that previously existed in getting power to people.

“The reorganisation and uptake of off grid power solutions has been slow, but it is happening, and the market is immeasurably large. Greenheart Energy is really excited about its position as a market leader in this off grid sector. Solar PV is well understood now and is a ‘commodity., Energy storage is the new frontier; it is considered part deep science, part black art. This creates both risks and opportunities; Greenheart Energy is competent to manage the risk, so we look forward to the opportunities of working more with energy storage technologies.”

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Greenheart is behind the development of a containerised off grid power and water purification plant, which they call SOLAPAC. For this development, the firm’s focus is on Africa, as they believe the opportunities for fast roll-out off grid power are very large indeed.

“The senior management team has been working in the African power sector for over 30 years, so we are highly experienced and offer coverage all over Africa.

The challenge we face is in the financing of projects, and we are constantly seeking funding partners.

Our packages are ABB and Rolls Royce branded, which comes with a great expectation of high quality and to maintain our relationships with these highly esteemed firms, we force ourselves to perform at the very highest level. Owing to these partnerships, we are not short of technological supply; our challenge lies in finding the funds to do all the work that needs to be done in Africa to get people power.

“We believe that we are only getting the best out of our business if we are able to deliver affordable power. We use less than 10 US cent kilowatt hour as a corporate target for off grid power; which is well within the affordability band for much of Africa. We currently have a project that is in the early stages of work where we are partnering with GIBB, Africa’s leading hydro consultants. The project involves developing fairly small scale hydro pump storage energy systems for African communities.”

Mike is excited as he looks towards the future for Greenheart Energy, and he believes that the firm is only just beginning to show what it is capable of creating.

“We are confident of growth; however, we cannot estimate how much or how quickly it may happen.

We are highly competitive and will respond to tenders within the set timeframe. We have one project in Benin, 25Mw Solar PV which has a project concession and PPA, and we have exclusive MOU’s for a number of off grid projects in other African countries. Our ABB, Rolls Royce and Solar PV off grid packages are fully modular, and include ABB power systems management, so application and integration is never an issue. If governments really want affordable off grid solutions, we can respond very rapidly.”

Company: Greenheart Energy Limited Name: Mike Eyre, Chairman Email: mike@greenheart.co.uk Web Address: www.greenheart.co.uk & www. solapac.com Address: Unit F, The Old Bakery, Golden Square, Petworth, West Sussex , GU 28 0AP, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 7802 437389

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CL1600013

Best SVP Technology Provider - Sweden

Nordh Energy can offer full coverage solar energy services, from planning and selling to installing both off-grid and on-grid systems.

The firm’s clients appreciate that this level of service cannot be found everywhere, and many feel that Nordh Energy simplify the complicated rules and regulations associated with this industry. All of the firm’s installed solar systems are left with their clients in full running production, which is a testament to the customer service which Robert Nordh was keen to tell us more about.

Nordh Energy truly enjoy seeing their work being appreciated by their clients, and this is the driving force for the entire team. James believes that by really listening to their clients’ needs, Nordh Energy can help them with smart solutions to their power supply needs.

“We at Nordh Energy always use the latest technology in all of our products to ensure that we are prepared to meet our clients’ needs. This commitment to the latest technology is also reflected in our clients, who prefer to see quality solutions instead of cost effective components that are not able to perform their given task. We believe that providing a genuine and informative to our clients is critical to our success. As such, our standards are very high and we are committed to fulfilling the wishes of our clients, and to make sure they know we are a trustworthy company that has their best interests at heart. This has helped us to gain an enviable reputation amongst our client base, and allows us to continue to expand our service offering.

“For our sensitive planet to survive, we all must commit to making sensible choices; we have to decide that we will make changes, and act upon them. We always suggest, to whom it concerns, our thoughts about future energy supply, and we always note the benefits of solar energy and the tools that we at Nordh Energy have to fulfil this endless supply of energy. The clean energy industry has finally switched to a higher gear in order to accelerate the development of sustainability and to also manage costs. In this way, we will give the earth a chance to recover. The major challenge in this sector is purely political, as the majority of the population wants to contribute. This willingness is reflected in our clients, that allow us here at Nordh Energy to get involved, because we are also citizens with families and we hope to pass on a bright future for generations to come.”

The Swedish region is seeing almost double the

number of solar installations year on year, and Robert believes that this is because public knowledge of these solutions is increasing, and because of the government’s aim to be fossil fuel free by 2040.

“The challenge at the moment is that the governmental financial support on offer and the intention of solar installations is severely limiting this 2040 goal. Fortunately, the knowledge of our solutions is widely spread through the media to the public, who discover the many benefits from their own solar production, both environmentally and economically. This is giving us a great opportunity to work for a brighter future and leave something important for the next generation.

“In a sense, Nordh Energy is not unique; but our advantage lies in the flexibility that we offer to solve our client’s need by finding the products which are most suited to their specific project and energy supply need. We also believe that giving our clients excellent service throughout the decision making process right through to the finished project is very special. We are always adapting to meet market trends, and keeping a sense of high flexibility to changes in the prevailing conditions and market demands.

“The future for us as solar installers is looking increasingly bright, and we are very hopeful as we plan ahead. All of our future projects will be a delight to work on, and we hope that by helping our clients, we are helping to ensure our common future.”

Contact Details Company: Nordh Energy Name: James Robert Nordh Email: Robert.nordh@nordhenergy.se Web Address: www.nordhenergy.se Address: Södergårdsvägen 18, SE-434 92 Vallda Telephone: +46 735 54 10 10

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CL1600015

Most Innovative Solar Powered Autonomous Shipping Project

Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd are a think tank, working to develop zero carbon ocean transport. The firm also have one eye on land transport and electric service stations, but are focusing currently on pushing ahead with hull and energy harvesting for maritime applications, simply because they are not afraid to try something that has never been tried before. That is Bluebird’s strong suit: innovation, unfettered by convention. We spoke to Briggette Dusart to find out more about the firm’s innovative work.

Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd are constantly looking to improve their designs, using the very latest in solar and wind turbine technology, and allying this with the rapidly advancing science of robotics.

Briggette believes that thinking laterally is key to the firm’s ability to make major advances, but that major advances also rely on scientific breakthroughs, thus allowing the creator to keep up with the discoveries of others.

“It is wonderful to know that our work is being recognised in this area. Recognition for development that is not main-stream is hard to attain for a small entity such as ourselves. Such acknowledgement is likely to trigger other people, who may not have realised the significance of what we are doing, and that it is worthy of appreciation - hopefully this will make people take a second look at the work our firm is doing. We measure success by achievement, in terms of testing a design and tweaking that concept until we make it work. Edison was an inventor who almost never slept until he had made an idea work; whilst we are not quite at that stage, we do look up to such engineers as our inspiration.”

Briggette notes that clean energy could eventually be used to replace fossil fuels for cargo and passenger vessels, and she hopes that by developing and demonstrating what is possible, Bluebird will help policy makers to achieve a truly circular economy.

“We find it incredibly pleasing that solar panels on houses are now commonplace, as this demonstrates how far we as a society have come already with regards to clean energy. Wind farms are now commercially viable, and most makers now also manufacture electric cars. Twenty years ago, when SolarNavigator was in its infancy and not fully autonomous, the world was a very different place.

We believe that in 20 years, fossil fuels will be well on their way to being replaced for homes, factories and transport.

“A good example of how we are integrating technology into our own processes to make them cleaner would be our use of ordinary LED. We have improved our operations by replacing incandescent lighting, and recently replacing all of our welding equipment with inverter based machines that are significantly more efficient, allowing us to fabricate parts cheaper and to a higher standard. We are soon to install a wind turbine and we have solar water heaters to help reduce our carbon footprint.”

When asked about the clients that the firm work with, Briggette explains that the firm does not have clients in the conventional sense, but is working more for the general industry.

“We are working for those interested in the circular economy. At some point in time, we may provide vessels that are derived from the SolarNavigator concept, such as SeaVax, an ocean-cleaning machine that is being developed on the same platform, reconfigured to filter plastic pollution from the oceans; though the SeaVax workhorse is not designed for speedy ocean passages, it will help pave the way.

“We know that as a firm we could be better placed for our work on clean boats and ships; as such, we are looking for a beachfront property to launch our solar boats, using a virtual shipyard concept that is in the pipeline. The low overheads and privacy of our research HQ is the main advantage of being located in a small village, just a few miles from the English Channel.

“As a firm, we believe that our forte is in the inventiveness of our key staff and the willingness of support staff to allow our ideas to flow and gel into working engineering models. The move to lower emission engines for cargo and passenger ships due

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"The SeaVax is a potential blue growth solution, and it's powered by energy from nature so as not to add to climate change."

to marine anti-pollution laws is coming into force now, and this has had the effect of promoting drag reducing coatings and more efficient propellers.

While these are essential steps in the right direction, we do not feel that these improvements tackle the grass roots need to evaluate renewable energy for ocean transport. The problem here is change and the expense of change, for fleet operators who have invested large sums in traditional shipping from which they need to see a reasonable return. “Despite this challenge, we believe that the future is bright for zero carbon shipping. Some years ahead, we hope that we may get the opportunity to adapt cargo and passenger ships. This all depends on the success of our current projects; we believe

that SeaVax is likely to be better received right now, because of the need for blue growth and fish to feed future generations.�

Contact Details Company: Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd Name: Briggette Dusart Email: bluebird@bluebird-electric.net Web Address: www.bluebird-electric.net Address: Solar House, Lime Park, Herstmonceux, BN27 1RF Telephone: +44 (0) 1323 831727

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CL160021

Best Renewable Energy Supplier UK

The Midcounties Co-operative is a consumer co-operative, owned by its members and operating across a wide variety of sectors, including energy. It therefore puts social responsibility at the heart of everything it does. We spoke to Pete Westall to find out more about its work in this vital sector.

Established in 2010 by The Midcounties Co-operative, Co-operative Energy supplies electricity and gas to 400,000 domestic customers across England, Scotland and Wales.

While there has been a significant increase in lowcarbon electricity generation in recent years, this has been driven by foreign capital and so foreign investors will benefit from the returns.

It is the first major British energy supply business to be co-operatively owned, with members rewarded with a share of profits.

To change this, Pete believes the UK needs an approach to ownership and innovation that is more co-operative, citizen-centred and decentralised.

One that enables people to work together to generate, distribute and supply their own sustainable energy. And one that taps the emergence of new crowdfunding mechanisms to leverage large sums of money into clean energy investment, while also bolstering energy-democracy and the social economy.

Pete outlines how the company, which now employs more than 500 people, has grown through innovation.

He said: “From the outset, we pledged to deliver lower carbon energy at fair prices – and that’s what we have done.

“In 2016, we made fresh commitments to avoid the use of coal and to source up to three-quarters of electricity from renewable sources over the next three years. And in 2015, our unique User Chooser facility, which allows customers to control the energy mix of their electricity, was recognised with an EU Renewable Energy Award.

“Since inception, one of our primary aims has been to support the growth of community energy generation projects. We provide a secure market for community energy through power purchase agreements, and now have numerous agreements in place, or under development.

“The community energy projects we support range from co-operatives through to charitable trusts and crowd-sourced debt offerings, and make use of new technologies including wind, solar PV and hydroelectric.”

The UK’s energy market is currently dominated by the ‘Big Six’, which account for more than 80% of energy supply. But it has long been one of the worst performing countries in Europe when it comes to utilising renewable energy and the UK will miss its target to generate 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Crucially, there is overwhelming support amongst the public for renewable energy and particularly community energy.

Polling commissioned by Co-operative Energy (August 2016) found that more than two-thirds (67%) of respondents said they would support local community-owned renewable energy projects, including wind turbines, within two miles of their house (with just 8% against).

The market still needs to adapt to provide customers with the energy providers they want.

Pete said: “Fundamentally, the UK energy market is skewed toward six large incumbent corporations that control more than 80% of supply. At the same time, the penetration of renewables in UK energy supply is among some of the poorest in Europe.

“This means that a progressive new entrant such as Co-operative Energy faces an uphill struggle to deliver a fair and sustainable offering.

“It is vital that we engage with policy makers and influencers at the highest level and argue for a more balanced legislative and regulatory regime – one that recognises the value of fair, low carbon co-operative solutions.

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“To date, we are the only UK energy supplier to play a full and active role in Community Energy England, the UK Community Energy Coalition and the European federation for renewable energy cooperatives (REScoop).

“At our inception we knew that it was not just about being in the game or winning the game, but changing the game, and this will remain our ongoing focus moving forward.”

Company: Midcounties Co-operative Web Address: www.midcounties.coop Address: Co-operative House, Warwick Technology Park, Gallows Hill, Warwick, CV34 6DA

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CL1600005

Best Autonomous Greenhouse Manufacturer - USA & Award for Excellence in Agricultural Carbon Footprint Reduction - USA

Brite Solar is a nanomaterials company, focusing on improving the manner in which glass, when used as a building material, can reduce the overall energy consumption of the building. The firm currently has three product lines; Solar Glass, Electrochromic Glass and Thermally Insulating Glass. We spoke to VP of Business Development, Rick Orlando, to find out more about the enterprising solutions the firm has to offer.

Brite Solar provides the solar glass for new greenhouse production, as well as retrofitting the glass of existing greenhouse structures. The firm’s mission is to apply advanced materials engineering to the creation of innovative glass products to reduce total energy consumption. Rick points out that the three elements of energy consumption that Brite Solar focus on are: energy production, control of solar light and heat transmission, and thermal insulation.

When commercializing advanced technologies into older, established marketplaces, Rick believes it is key to be able to operate from a customer perspective.

“In the case of a hydroponic tomato grower, the first concern one must address is crop quality and yield versus a traditional glass greenhouse covering. As a result, we need to provide a complete solution to our customers so that they can focus on their core strengths. Greenhouse customers who install or retrofit greenhouses equipped with the Brite Solar Glass receive credits and incentives from local and regional governments, just as normal solar sites would. As a result, these incentives can become a large factor in the financial motivation for choosing Brite’s solution, and changes to these programs directly affect customer ’s decisions.

“Our Solar Glass range is a transparent solar glass which generates electricity. We are targeting this product initially for commercial greenhouses, which are a more efficient method of growing food, in terms of land and water usage, but require ten times more energy than open land agriculture. Brite’s Solar Glass allows the greenhouse operation to become energy neutral, eliminating the need for external energy, and in some cases, providing excess energy back to the grid. Brite’s Solar Glass also has thermal insulating characteristics three to four times better than dual pane, low E glass.

“As the global population increases, energy use and production, alongside water use and food production are two critical issues which are being faced. Traditional agriculture must be replaced with new technologies, such as hydroponic greenhouses.

We work closely with industry groups, customers and government agencies to ensure that we are bringing products to market which satisfy current and future needs. Since our products are just entering the market, we believe that the value proposition is simple and clear. A key factor for our success is to make people around the world aware of the technology that we are producing and the benefits of this.”

“Our base technology is based on replacing large, expensive and high energy consumption material deposition systems with ink-jet printers. Ink Jet printer material deposition is a unique core competency of the team. This approach also allows tremendous flexibility in the R&D area, allowing us to quickly and cost-effectively test our new material formulations.

As a result, the energy consumption for a factory producing Brite’s glass products is a fraction of that used in a traditional solar cell or an electrochromic glass factory. In addition, the capital equipment requirements for such a factory are modest, allowing production to be placed closer to the end customers, thereby reducing transportation energy costs.

“Greenhouse operators are continually looking at ways of making their greenhouses more energy efficient. A lot of work has been done which looks at the advantages of dual pane glass panels for thermal insulation, especially in very hot and very cold

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Brite Solar Greenhouse

Hydroponic Tomatoes Transparent Solar Cell

climate regions. Brite’s Solar Glass’ excellent thermal insulation characteristics are an important added benefit to address this trend.

“Solar energy generation has the potential for generating a large portion of the worlds growing energy requirement in a clean and sustainable manner. One problem with traditional PV technologies is that they require relatively large horizontal areas that can only be used for PV installation. Brite Solar ’s solution, especially when used in greenhouses and large atrium installations such as airports and train stations, allows the area to serve two functions, which is especially important in crowded urban environments.

“The Brite Solar Glass has applications beyond greenhouses. The technology is very attractive for any large structures where maximizing natural illumination is important, such as those mentioned previously. Automotive application of the technology in sunroofs and windows would allow the vehicle to generate electricity during daylight hours, whilst integration of the technology into roofs and the windows of houses and buildings would reduce the total energy consumption of these structures. We hope to broaden the scope of our technology in the future, and see it used in many more applications.”

Contact Details Company: Brite Solar Name: Rick Orlando Email: Rorlando@britesolar.com Web Address: www.britesolar.com Telephone: 001-408-499-8455

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CL160011

Best Clean Energy Technology Innovator - California & Best Carbon Emission Reduction Tracking Platform: CleanDrive®

Propel Fuels is the top retailer of low carbon fuels in California, helping spearhead the state’s focus on low carbon fuels. We profile the firm and explore the secrets behind the firm’s success.

Established in 2004, Propel Fuels is on a mission to connect consumers to better fuels.

Propel has pioneered clean fuel retail, leading the industry with unparalleled innovation in retail technology and customer experience.

Among its many innovations, Propel developed CleanDrive®, the nation’s first integrated carbon emission reduction tracking platform.

Board (CARB). And while Electric Vehicles get most of the attention, low carbon liquid fuels are responsible for 82% of the greenhouse gas reductions achieved by the California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) during the program’s first five years. Low carbon fuels also significantly reduce air toxins including NOx and particulate matter (PM), improving air quality in local communities.

With Flex Fuel and Diesel HPR renewable diesel locations across California, Propel provides new fuel choices that are higher in performance, deliver better value and create healthier communities. CleanDrive members have access to free, online reports showing the positive impact of their choice to use cleaner fuels.

Uniquely, Propel only retails low carbon fuels and has overcome the typical barriers impeding public access to alternatives. The company’s unique business model offers established gas stations a new revenue stream by seamlessly adding the fuels with no cost to the station owner. Propel drives low carbon fuel volumes six-times the national average through innovation in customer experience; connecting mobile, social and location activities. Propel customers prioritize better value, high performance and healthy communities and are extremely loyal, with rates matching that of America's strongest brands, including Starbucks and Trader Joe’s.

In addition to value and performance, Flex Fuel E85 provides significant climate-change benefit, as a gallon of Propel’s California produced ethanol has 60% less greenhouse gas emissions than a gallon of California produced gasoline, according to the California Air Resources

Driven by Propel, California, the firm’s home state, now leads the U.S in low carbon fuels.

California’s Big Oil disrupting climate-change policies have been extended to 2030, and the state leads the nation in low carbon fuel retail volumes with more than 14 million gallons of E85 Flex Fuel sold in 2015. This increase was led by Propel, which acts as the top retailer of low carbon fuels in the state. Propel’s branded network of stations has created a new consumer category in the multi-billion-dollar retail fuel industry, redefining customer loyalty and breaking the stronghold of big oil brands.

Propel’s CEO Rob Elam, outlines how recent research undertaken by the firm showcases the importance of low carbon fuels.

“Our research shows that low carbon fuels provide great value and appeal to a wide range of Californians, which is why Propel locations have the highest low carbon fuel volumes in the country, and well over double the volumes of other retailers in the state,” said Elam.

“It is critical that California’s carbon reduction policies are equitable, and not just benefitting the top five percent wealthiest Californians.

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Political durability of these programs only comes with broad based benefits. Low carbon liquid fuels are working for mainstream Californians today.�

Propel customers are highly diverse, representing the socioeconomic demographics of California with strong Latino, AfricanAmerican and Asian demographic groups.

The Millennial demographic represents the company’s fastest growth segment. During 2015 14.77 million gallons of E85 were sold in California, with Propel selling 9.3 million of those gallons, equating to 63% of the market, according to CARB data. Previously, ethanol production leaders Minnesota and Iowa led the nation; according to revenue records these states sold 13.1 million gallons each in 2015.

As such moving forward the firm is keen to build upon this success. Currently consumers are extremely loyal to low carbon fuels, choosing Propel branded fuels 90% of the time, and going forward the firm is keen to continue this enviable track record, seeking new ways to innovate and adapt in order to meet the ever evolving needs of consumers.

Contact Details Company: Propel Fuels Phone: 800-871-0773 Email: info@propelfuels.com Website: www.propelfuels.com

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CL160017

Best Biofuel Production Technology Provider - UK

Whitefox provides membrane-based solutions that significantly reduce energy consumption, water usage and greenhouse gas emissions in industrial processes. We profile the firm and explore the secrets behind its success.

Whitefox has over 10 years’ industrial experience, focused on providing energy and water-efficient separation systems worldwide.

The company installed its solutions at ten industrial plants in seven countries across the following ethanol-related industries: biofuels, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and industrial chemicals.

In the last decade, the global biofuels industry experienced a period of rapid growth, in particular in North America, Brazil and the EU, reaching 85bn litres of ethanol production in 2014 (with an approximate market value of £40bn). The US market represents about 50% of the global market, with around 200 existing ethanol plants. This output is expected to double over the next decade. However, as well as increasing ethanol production, ethanol producers have an urgent need to improve efficiency and reduce costs, both for competitive reasons and in response to increased regulatory requirements to reduce carbon emissions.

Whitefox has developed a membrane based solution that can help companies increase output capacity whilst at the same time reducing energy and water consumption, helping to address these key priorities.

Whitefox therefore sees the global biofuels market as an attractive opportunity for its technology, worth potentially £3 billion to Whitefox.

Its technology is applicable to a wide range of industries from biofuels, including jet fuel, to industrial applications such as drugs and Vitamin C production. The firm’s innovative membrane solution achieves these objectives by eliminating water-rich waste streams to improve overall energy consumption and

free up capacity in various sections of the production process. Furthermore, the solution enables an increase in output capacity and reduces the overall carbon intensity of each litre of ethanol produced as a consequence of reducing the energy consumption of the whole plant. This helps producers to reduce operating costs, water usage and carbon footprint. As a consequence, producers become more competitive and can withstand market fluctuations and pressure on margins. This also means that producers can meet Government targets on greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and water efficiency and are better able to secure and maintain local jobs and ensure that raw material suppliers can continue their regular business.

One recent successful project saw the firm provide a US client with an industrial-scale membrane-based, solvent dehydration facility equipped for stand-alone operation. The facility is designed to treat high water content streams (typically 65-75 vol%) to final product, ranging from US fuel grade (1 vol% moisture) to export grade (<0.4 vol% moisture). Whitefox demonstrated that certain water-rich recycling streams can be dehydrated to US fuel grade in a continuous process eliminating continuous recirculation loops in the current process and de-bottlenecking the plant. The Californian installation showed multiple benefits with Whitefox’s technology: estimated steam and cooling water recirculation savings of approximately 9%; potential for 20+% increase in product output; significant reduction in carbon intensity; and, system flexibility that enables production of drier products for exports e.g. Canada, Europe etc. Following six months of successful demonstration in 2015 the client ordered a permanent installation in January 2016 which has now been started up.

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The success of this project highlights Whitefoxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to client satisfaction and the excellence of its innovative solution, which has led to a subsequent customer installation and an attractive pipeline of potential projects going into 2017.

Moving forward, the future looks bright for the firm as it seeks opportunities in exciting new markets within industrial applications as well as biofuels. After having carried out a detailed US market assessment of the opportunities for Whitefox in 2014, Whitefox embarked on a three-year US market entry strategy, which is now in its second year. With an office in Canada the firm has a strong connection to the market, and moving forward its continued focus will remain to de-bottleneck existing production plants in order to reduce energy, water consumption and carbon emissions whilst increasing product output.

Company: Whitefox Technologies Limited Address: Coppergate House, 16 Brune Street, London, E1 7NJ, United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0) 20 7953 8446 Fax: +44 (0) 20 3318 6746 Email: solutions@whitefox.com Website: www.whitefox.com/home/index.html

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CL160019

Best Renewable Energy Verification Specialists 2016

SCS Global Services (SCS) is an international pioneer and leader in third-party certification, auditing, and testing of environmental, sustainability, and quality accomplishments.

The firm independently evaluates products, services, and management systems to confirm practices, policies and processes that advance the goals of sustainable development and give innovators a competitive advantage. Steve Kooy, SCS’ Director of Sales and Marketing for its natural resources and environmental certification services divisions, told us more.

Working across the energy, forestry, green building, food and agriculture, fisheries, and consumer products sectors, SCS provides services in every corner of the earth. These services enable policy-makers, procurement officers, company decision-makers, and consumers to make informed decisions, based on the highest level of environmental, ethical and quality accountability.

“Our certification and verification service offerings in the renewable energy sector include Life Cycle Assessment, Sustainable Biomass Certification, Carbon Offset Validation and Verification and Carbon Footprint Reporting. Over three decades, we have also played an active role in developing national and international environmental and sustainability standards, thus helping to create a framework for continuous improvement.

“With renewable energy sources playing an increasingly important role in the global energy mix, the demand for third-party verification to confirm performance relating to climate and environmental criteria is on the rise amongst producers and users alike.

Our success as a verification body in this arena stems from an in-depth understanding of the energy sector, based on independent assessments that we have conducted over 25 years. These assessments have included a wide range of renewable and non-renewable energy technologies, and have considered the

environmental challenges they confront on a site-specific basis, and as part of the larger energy grid. Moreover, SCS’s multi-disciplinary scope of services affords us a unique perspective that contributes to thorough assessments.”

SCS’s engagement within the energy sector began with detailed life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies, which started in the early 1990s. Steve detailed some of the work SCS has completed in the energy sector over the years.

“We have had the privilege to have worked across three continents. We have examined a wide range of renewable power sources on a regional and site-specific basis, including solar photovoltaic, wind power, geothermal power, large and small hydropower, woody biomass, cellulosic ethanol and more. We also conducted independent evaluations on behalf of the US Department of Energy under its Loan Guarantee Program for Renewable Energy and Efficient Energy (REEE) Projects.”

Steve explained that the certification and conformity assessment services offered by the firm are independently accredited under a number of widely recognized environmental and sustainability programs.

“We are accredited as a third-party verifier under several internationally recognized biomass standards, including the Roundtable

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for Sustainable Biomaterials, Bonsucro (sugar cane for ethanol) and the Sustainable Biomass Partnership. We are ANSI accredited, which allows us to verify renewable energy offset credits under several carbon offset schemes such as the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), using either VCS or Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) offset methodologies. We also support companies’ efforts to report their carbon footprints under the CDP (formerly the 'Carbon Disclosure Project'), as well as to assess their footprints using the most upto-date climate accounting methods based on the IPCC Fifth Assessment. We have also been accredited as a certifier with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) since its inception, and in addition, conduct certification to PEFC and timber legality standards around the world.

“SCS’s unique position in the marketplace is a function of our broad scope of service and our sustainability mission. For instance, our extensive agricultural and forestry expertise informs our understanding of biomass generation, and our life-cycle assessment (LCA) expertise ensures that we bring a systems analysis perspective to our examination of renewable energy. As a relatively small organization, we can operate quite efficiently on our client’s behalf. And in contrast to our competitors, we can provide multiple verification services simultaneously to help clients save time and money.”

the future of the energy sector, but it must be understood in the context of the larger energy generation and delivery system to be deployed effectively.

SCS’s client base continues to grow, in part because timely and thorough client service are core values of the SCS service team, Steve explained.

“As an accredited verification body, SCS subscribes fully to the tenets of responsible third-party assessment. However, our philosophy of client service extends beyond the accreditation requirements of verification bodies. To put it simply, we believe that our clients are best served when we deliver sound, scientifically supported information that reinforces careful decision making.

Consistent with its sustainability mission, SCS is a chartered “benefit corporation,” which reflects its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.

“We’re honored to be included amongst Global Energy News’ 2016 Clean Energy Award winners, being recognized as ‘Best Renewable Energy Verification Specialists’,” said Steve.

In addition to independent assessment and certification, SCS actively engages in standards development activities. According to Steve, “This helps ensure that we are staying ahead of emerging sector developments.”

Steve explained that from a circular economy perspective, the long-term success of the energy sector will be contingent upon the degree to which it can satisfy demand, whilst protecting natural resources and minimizing pollution and wastes.

“The energy sector ’s pivotal role in the future is a product of the growing worldwide demand for energy and the recognition of the wideranging impacts of power and fuel generation and delivery on climate and the environment.

People have come to recognise the degree to which energy use dictates the environmental performance of buildings, manufacturing, and product use, from white goods to the Internet of Things to transportation. The continued rapid advances which are being seen in energy technology are a positive result of this recognition.

“Renewable power will clearly play a key role in

Company: SCS Global Services Name: Steve Kooy Email: skooy@scsglobalservices.com Web Address: www.scsglobalservices.com Address: 2000 Powell St., Suite 600 Telephone: Direct Line: 616-443-5053; General Line: 510-452-8000

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