Report by Lisa Damast, Green Prophet Cooperation Circle
October 28, 2010
Imagine H2O, an organization dedicated to finding solutions to the world’s water problems through an annual contest, recently launched its second annual water competition. Focused on the water-energy nexus this year, the competition is open to startups throughout the world and will select the most promising ones that are able to reduce the energy needed to move and treat water and wastewater.
Innovation in this area has long been needed. According to the Imagine H2O website, in the U.S. alone,
“More than 60,000 water systems and 15,000 wastewater systems use 3% of annual electricity consumption in the United States.”
“The EPA estimates that retrofitting one out of every 100 homes with water-efficient technologies could save 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and avoid adding 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.”
Any startup water companies that were started after January 1st, 2007 and have not received outside investment over $1.5 million USD are eligible to participate and compete for the $100,000 prize. The companies should be focused on an area within the water system that needs improvement in energy efficiency, such as sourcing water, distributing water, water treatment or disposal.
Israel, considered the “Silicon Valley” of water technology, is home to several successful wastewater treatment companies. Two of them, AqWise and Emefcy (founded by the founders of AqWise), made the Cleantech Group’s “Global Cleantech 100” list earlier this month.
Instructions for entering the Water-Nexus Energy competition can be found here. The deadline to enter is November 15, 2010.
