Clean Energy Cluster growing
BYLINE: CHRISTINE McMANUS ChristineMcManus@coloradoan.com
Northern Colorado's Clean Energy Cluster is snowballing into its first official winter, connecting innovators as renewable energy fields grow locally and internationally.
For the first time, out-of-work techies joined cluster members last week for an update of the newly emerging cluster.
Hosted by the New Belgium Brewing Co., 500 Linden St., leaders updated members on international models and local power grid innovations.
The cluster also announced its newest partnership with NoCoNet. The group of unemployed, highly skilled residents from Northern Colorado networks and volunteers in order to find jobs.
"They came to us because they have a clean energy subcommittee. They really wanted to get involved," said Judy Dorsey, cluster leader and president of The Brendle Group Inc., an environmental consulting firm in Fort Collins.
"It's a logical partnership. We're focused on renewable energy as economic development," Dorsey said.
In the spirit of volunteerism - and with the hope of finding themselves job leads - unemployed NoCoNet members will be surveying cluster members in upcoming months. Volunteers will compile a report of renewable energy businesses as well as their growth potentials in the region.
"We're looking not just at emerging products in renewable energy but emerging technologies and how to build business around them in Northern Colorado," Dorsey said.
Interest in the Clean Energy Cluster continues to grow locally. More than 300 individuals are on the cluster's mailing list - a 50 percent increase since May, said Seth Jansen, an engineer with The Brendle Group.
Since its formation in May, Dorsey and cluster leaders have identified the region's strengths: renewable energy, smart-grid technologies and engine emission controls. The region also has a grip on distributed power generation - or local power alternative solutions to a central power plant, such as solar and wind, Dorsey said.
Informally, the Clean Energy Cluster has been in the works for more than a year. Since May, official partnerships solidified among dozens of emerging renewable energy businesses, the city of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado State University, the state of Colorado, the National Renewable Energy Lab and other universities.
"We want to put Northern Colorado on the map as a business and technology leader in clean energy," Dorsey said. "We all have interests in economic development and job creation."
Jim Welch of Sun Electric presented a slide show at the cluster meeting, giving local leaders a look at international solar energy solutions. He visited Germany last summer. His photos showed the different uses of photovoltaics in German cities.
Germany and Japan are emerging as leaders in photovoltaic technology for solar energy use, ahead of the U.S., Dorsey said.
To get ahead, the cluster and government partners are working to free any government regulations that would stand in the way of innovation or market adoption of new energy solutions.
For example, Larimer County might revise height restrictions for wind turbines.
Next on the agenda update was new news from central cluster partner Sunil Cherian, CEO of Spirae Inc.
Cherian's start-up company is partnering with CSU and the city of Fort Collins to unite typical power plants with local wind and solar energy.
After running simulations at the CSU engines lab for several months, Cherian is ready to begin supplying the city's power plant with some solar and wind energy. Spirae is developing the technology to convert renewable energy into power sources that regular power plants can use.
The cluster also unveiled its new Web site, www.nccleanenergy.com. The Web site will link to other partners' sites, including that of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation, www.ncedc.com.