Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Energy News .




ENERGY NEWS
Founders of Envirofit Selected as Energy Innovators of the Year by The Economist
by Staff Writers
Fort Collins CO (SPX) Nov 28, 2013


File image.

Tim Bauer, Nathan Lorenz and Bryan Willson, founders of Envirofit International have been named this year's Energy and Environment Innovators by The Economist magazine, based in London.

The 10-year-old social enterprise, based in Fort Collins, Colo., was recognized for the global impact of its innovative technology and market-based delivery approach that pioneered the clean cookstove marketplace. Envirofit is the global leader in the design, development, and delivery of high performing clean energy cookstoves that that combat air pollution in developing nations.

It has grown from its initial concept in the Colorado State University Engines and Energy Conversion Lab to a small pilot project in India with one stove, and from there on to become a worldwide company with multiple different models and 700,000 cookstoves sold across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

According to the World Health Organization, cooking over an open fire inside the home is the equivalent smoke exposure to inhaling two packs of cigarettes a day. Nearly half the world's population - 3 billion people - cook over inefficient wood- or dung-burning open fires inside their homes, which contributes to 4 million deaths a year - more than HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

"Indoor air pollution is a scourge that affects millions of people, but gets far less attention than other forms of pollution," said Tom Standage, digital editor at The Economist and chairman of the panel of 30 judges.

"We are delighted to recognize the achievements of Envirofit's founders in tackling this problem."

Described as the "Oscars of Innovation," the awards recognize more than innovative ideas, but also the commercialization and adoption of those ideas as products that can produce immense changes in society. Judges evaluate the nominees on meeting three criteria:

+ Impact on an emerging branch of science, technology or business;

+ Impact on revenue of the award winner's sponsoring organization or enterprise, or on general economic or societal well-being; and

+ Impact on a marketplace or the establishment of a new market.

Envirofit's Incubation from Colorado State's Engines and Energy Lab
Bauer and Lorenz were students of Willson and fellow CSU professor Paul Hudnut in 2003 when they founded Envirofit International as an independent social enterprise.

Its mission was to develop well-engineered technology solutions to solve global energy and health challenges that could be made available in the developing world through sustainable market systems. Their first product, funded by the Bohemian Foundation in Fort Collins, was a retrofit technology to reduce the pollution from two-stroke cycle vehicle engines in the Philippines.

In 2007 Envirofit teamed up with CSU to form a long-term strategic partnership with Shell Foundation - an independent charity working across the clean cookstoves value chain since 2002 who brought entrepreneurial thinking, grant funding and extensive business support to help Envirofit build a viable and scalable clean cookstoves business.

To prove the market for scalable clean cookstove solutions, they initiated their first pilot program in India. Together, the team combined global knowledge of cooking cultures from field-based research with state-of-the-art science to design new products, using advanced computational tools, rigorous performance testing, and even developing new metal alloys.

"Envirofit was really the leader in combining modern science, product design expertise, sophisticated supply-chain management, and large-scale sales/distribution networks to ensure that cooking solutions have real global impact," said co-founder Willson, professor of mechanical engineering.

Focusing on a target market of consumers who lacked awareness about the dangers of indoor air pollution, Envirofit entered the clean cooking sector faced with the challenge of improving the market for clean cookstoves.

"Arriving in India we saw the opportunity to transform a largely fragmented, artisanal, and non-commercial sector through the development of consumer-driven, high quality products with measurable results," said co-founder Tim Bauer.

"Working closely with our customers, we were able to adapt the design of the stove to meet their needs."

Using a market-based model, the team developed and commercialized high-performing biomass cookstoves that are efficient, durable, affordable, and appeal to consumers. In addition to the aesthetic qualities, Envirofit's stoves are designed to offer economic, health and environmental benefits, reducing smoke and toxic emissions by up to 80 percent and reducing fuel use, fuel cost, and cooking time by up to 60 percent.

The stoves reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by up to 60 percent, black carbon by up to 40 percent. They retail for between US$15-$30, and have a nominal life of five years.

Scaling Clean Cookstoves Globally
In the seven years after the first pilot, Envirofit has expanded globally, selling 700,000 stoves by the end of 2013. Throughout their lifespan, these stoves have impacted more than 3.5 million people, created more than 1,000 jobs, and saved more than 11 million tons of CO2. At the household level the stoves have reduced fuel costs by more than US$96 million and saved consumers 6.3 million working weeks of firewood collection.

"Envirofit is growing rapidly and we plan to sell 5 million stoves by 2020," said Ron Bills, CEO and chairman of the board of Envirofit, who has been leading the company since 2005.

"To support this growth we are currently seeking capital investment for equity/debt for working capital, market expansion, and distribution development."

Envirofit has established manufacturing operations in China, Eastern Africa, and soon in Western Africa and Latin America. Envirofit has an extensive distribution network in place with partners including Unilever, Tower Aluminum, and Lion Brand Cookware with opportunities for expansion to mainstream clean technologies across households and institutions in developing nations.

Bauer and Lorenz continue to grow the business as vice presidents of sales and engineering respectively. Willson has dual roles as a program director at the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy), and as Director of the Energy Institute at Colorado State University; he continues to serve on Envirofit's Board of Directors.

The Economist Innovation Awards will be presented on Dec. 3 in London.

.


Related Links
Envirofit International







Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








ENERGY NEWS
World's top carbon emitter China expands emissions trading
Shanghai (AFP) Nov 26, 2013
China's commercial hub Shanghai began carbon emissions trading on Tuesday, as the nation which is the world's biggest carbon emitter expands a pilot scheme. Shanghai is the second Chinese city after Shenzhen to trade carbon to try to limit emissions, with the capital Beijing to follow later this week, state media said. Under the scheme, companies which exceed their quota of carbon emissi ... read more


ENERGY NEWS
Founders of Envirofit Selected as Energy Innovators of the Year by The Economist

World's top carbon emitter China expands emissions trading

Are Canadian Energy Stocks Set for a Rebound?

Climate: Gloves off between EU, developing countries

ENERGY NEWS
Researchers convert thermoelectric material into high performance electricity

Enhancing battery performance

X-rays reveal another feature of high-temperature superconductivity

Holistic Cell Design Leads to High-Performance, Long Cycle Lithium-Sulfur Battery

ENERGY NEWS
Small-Wind Power Market to Reach $3 Billion by 2020

Siemens achieves major step in type certification for 6MW Offshore Wind Turbine

IKEA invests in Canadian wind project

High bat mortality from wind turbines

ENERGY NEWS
UC Davis West Village: Setting The Standard

Dow Corning and Tianwei New Energy Collaborate on Leading Edge Solar Solution

City of Aurora, Xcel Energy, EPA Celebrate New Community Solar Site

PROINSO delivers 310kWp to six commercial and residential solar PV installations in Japan

ENERGY NEWS
World Bank says no money for nuclear power

Bomb blast near India nuclear plant kills six: police

Westinghouse Sees Promising Future for Nuclear Energy Development in Brazil

Japan director turns to crowdfunding for anti-nuclear film

ENERGY NEWS
Microbiologists reveal unexpected properties of methane-producing microbe

Direvo completes lab scale development of low cost lactic acid production

Scripps Oceanography Researchers Engineer Breakthrough for Biofuel Production

Let's just harvest invasive species and the problem is solved

ENERGY NEWS
China names moon rover "Yutu"

China launches experimental satellite

China to send 'jade rabbit' to Moon: state media

"Gravity" director wants China to take him into space

ENERGY NEWS
The reality behind Europe's response to climate change

Pacific region faces economic risk from climate change: ADB

Even if emissions stop, carbon dioxide could warm Earth for centuries

New faultlines widen at UN climate talks




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement