Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory to Support Clean Tech Open 2008 Green Building Competition

Market Wire, August, 2008

The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory will support the Green Building competition of the Clean Tech Open's 2008 Competition. The prize will reward a project that reduces the environmental impact of building construction or operation through improved design or construction practices, new or innovative use of building materials, or new hardware or software applications. The prize is part of a package that provides the winning company with $50,000 from the Clean Tech Open and all the essentials necessary to help take its idea from concept to business, including free office space, free professional services and intensive mentoring from successful entrepreneurs.

The Department of Energy and five national labs announced earlier today the launch of the National Laboratory Collaborative on Building Technologies. The collaborative includes the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State.

"The central point of the DOE Commercial Building Initiative and the Collaborative is to accelerate innovation and market adoption in the field of high performance building," said David Rodgers, DOE's deputy assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency. "By partnering and supporting the Clean Tech Open, we are establishing a living linkage between the premier R&D scientists and engineers at the national labs and the engines of entrepreneurship needed for rapid commercialization of clean energy building technologies."

The Clean Tech Open has partnered since its inception with the DOE and its National Labs along with other key sponsors like AMD, Google, Grundfos, Lexus, Pacific Gas & Electric, Siemens TTB, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison. Finalist teams supported by the Clean Tech Open have raised over $70M in private capital and created more than 100 jobs in the clean tech sector in the first two years of the competition.

The official announcement will be made at the August 5th Clean Tech Open Finalist Mentoring and Workshop reception at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati in Palo Alto California. Deputy Assistant Secretary David Rodgers and the directors of the national labs will have the opportunity to meet the recently announced 44 finalist teams from the 2008 Clean Tech Open California competition. The purpose of the reception is to bring the finalists together with successful entrepreneurs who will act as their business and professional service mentors throughout the competition as well as to begin the series of workshops targeted at training the teams in everything they need to know to establish and grow a sustainable clean technology business.

"The DOE and its National Labs have been valuable partners for us since the very beginning," said Marc Gottschalk, co-founder of Clean Tech Open, and partner at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. "The power of public/private collaboration in encouraging technological innovation in buildings or any other clean technology sector should not be underestimated. We have seen the results ourselves through the success of our entrants."

About the Clean Tech Open

The Clean Tech Open is an organization dedicated to helping great ideas become viable businesses that will drive the new green economy. Driven by a network of sponsors, mentors, partners, judges, and over 360 volunteers, CTO has built resources to accelerate innovation. The goal is to foster innovative and sustainable new businesses focused on energy efficiency, smart power, renewable energy, transportation, green building technologies, pollution control and resource management. To learn more, please visit: www.CleanTechOpen.com .

The Clean Tech Open is under the fiscal and administrative sponsorship of Acterra: Action for a Sustainable Earth, a California 501(c)3 non-profit public benefit corporation. Acterra is located at 3921 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303-4303.

Press Contact: Patricia Colby Page One PR 650-543-4703 Email Contact