I had the privilege of helping out with the CA CleanTech Open on Tuesday. This year, the $250,000 winner was EcoFactor–a company that makes smart thermostats that dynamically adjust your thermostat based on the weather and other factors. According to the company, an average household can shave as much as 20% off their home heating load without feeling any difference in comfort. Earth2Tech covered the Awards Gala in more detail than I could have (hey, I was busy being one of the event photographers, ok!).
The energy in this organization is impressive and the momentum the whole green tech sector has gained in the last three years is overwhelming. Each of the three years I’ve been going to the awards gala, the production has doubled in size. That’s even more impressive when you know that the whole thing is put on by volunteers.
Each day when I read a new article in the press about climate change and the drastic adjustments we’ll all have to make just to stay alive, I find myself getting down. But being in that room Tuesday was a real boost. The whole place was packed with the nation’s best and brightest and everyone was swimming in the right direction. The pitches from this year’s companies were the best yet and show a maturing and a focus that might just pull us through this thing