Seattle-based Hydrovolts has taken the top prize of this year’s Imagine H2O competition, the theme of which was the water-energy nexus. The winner and runners up were announced at the organization’s Innovator’s Showcase in San Francisco last week.
Hydrovolts provides power to irrigation districts, water treatment facilities, canal operators and nearby consumers. Featuring a floating “flip-wing” turbine that is portable and easily installed, Hydrovolts brings a new clean energy solution to existing water infrastructure.
“We’re very optimistic about the global market opportunity,” says Hydrovolts CEO Burt Hammer. “Canals are an untapped energy resource, and they are essentially the same around the world so we expect to expand our impact rapidly. Participating in the Imagine H2O contest helped us refine our business plan, recruit investors, and initiate new partnerships. We’re thrilled about continuing to work with Imagine H2O’s ecosystem for water entrepreneurs.”
Runners up included Philadelphia-based BlackGold Biofuels and Oakland, CA-based FogBusters. The prize offers over $100,000 in cash, business and legal support, and access to a network of partners, customers, and financiers to accelerate the process of bringing water technology ideas to market.
