$55,000 Awarded to Four Pennsylvania Companies to Develop Alternative and Clean Energy Technologies

Harrisburg, PA-May 14, 2009 – Ben Franklin Technology Partners Alternative and Clean Energy (ACE) Applied Research Fund has selected and approved $55,000 each to four Pennsylvania companies. The funding was made possible through a $250,000 grant from the United States Small Business Administration. More than 100 technology-based small businesses in Pennsylvania submitted letters of intent to apply, 57 submitted full proposals and four were named as winners: Dynalene (Whitehall, PA), OmniWind Energy Systems (Dublin, PA), TM Industrial Supply (Erie PA) and Clean Power Resources, Inc. (North Huntingdon, PA). As recipients of a BFTP ACE grant, these companies will also receive business and technical assistance services from Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

The grants support the costs of applied research activities including, but not limited to, additional technical/laboratory work, additional market and competitive technology research, further examination/analysis of commercialization path options and implementation of beta tests. In addition, the funds will support development of channel market strategies and full-scale commercialization of new products/processes.

“Through these grants, Pennsylvania’s small businesses will help to accelerate the commercialization of promising alternative and clean energy technologies,” said Rebecca Bagley, deputy secretary for technology investment, Department of Community and Economic Development. “The grants and their recipients will help propel Governor Rendell’s Energy Independence Initiative by growing Pennsylvania’s economy while simultaneously helping to address a major national priority.”

“Projects focusing on the following Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Tier I energy sources received priority,” said Terry Singer, director of statewide affairs for BFTP and a member of the review panel. “This included technologies generating energy from solar photovoltaic energy, wind power, low-impact hydro-power, geothermal energy, biologically derived methane gas, fuel cells, bio-mass energy and coal mine methane.”

GRANT RECIPIENTS QUOTES

Dynalene Inc. (Whitehall, PA)
“With this funding we will take our first steps towards commercial production of our newly developed fuel cell coolant technology, Dynalene FC,” said Satish Mohapatra, PhD, president and CEO, Dynalene Inc. in partnership with Lehigh University. “We are developing technology to consistently produce key ingredients of our fuel cell coolant.”
–Satish Mohapatra can be reached at (610) 262-9686 x102 or satishm@dynalene.com

OmniWind Energy Systems, LLC (Dublin, PA)
“OmniWind is honored to be chosen as a recipient of the ACE Applied Research Fund and foresees Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ support of OmniWind’s program as an important catalyst for Company growth and regional stimulus to our community, creating new jobs for Pennsylvanians and bringing affordable wind energy solutions to the American public,” said Karl J. Douglass, president and CEO, OmniWind Energy Systems, LLC.

“OmniWind believes in growing wind energy one household and one business at a time, and with the Company’s unique low-wind speed, low-noise (silent) design, OmniWind is positioned to produce a revolutionary windmill system that brings clean, renewable wind energy to the American public’s doorstep as a truly affordable solution. ”
–Karl J. Douglass can be reached at 267-867-1005 or KJDouglass@OmniWindEnergy.com

TM Industrial Supply, Inc (Erie, PA)
“This grant will enable us to attest to the effectiveness of our filters for coal bed methane,” said Mike Rendon, manager of engineering services, TM Industrial Supply, Inc., which is partnering with Gannon University on this project. “Our plan is to market an innovative filter cartridge that can be cleaned and reused multiple times before having to dispose of it, making it environmentally friendly.”
–Mike Rendon can be reached at 814-453-5014 ext. 304 or mike_rendon@fluideng.com

Clean Power Resources, Inc. (North Huntingdon, PA) “In the energy driven economy of today, we at Clean Power Resources are eagerly optimistic about the research opportunities this grant will infuse into our work and to our ultimate goal of successfully using waste heat to create a renewable energy source for certain applications,” said Lauren Simkovic, president, Clean Power Resources, Inc.

“Our commitment, through successful development of our thermo-acoustic device, is to help pioneer the change across specific industries to allow for environmentally cleaner renewable energy solutions which convert waste heat from exhaust back into usable electricity.”
–Lauren Simkovic can be reached at 724-863-3768 or lsimkovi@tkpitt.com