A competition designed to accelerate innovation in water technology, Imagine H2O, chose a winner last night in San Francisco for its Water-Energy Nexus Prize: Hydrovolts.
The Seattle startup makes small-scale hydropower turbines. They can be used to harness energy from the flow of water in canals. Unlike hydropower turbines in rivers or the ocean, Hydrovolts turbines take advantage of already zoned and installed water infrastructure. That means they’re not likely to disturb marine life where they’re installed. They also float and are portable.
The Imagine H2O prize (which we wrote about here here in December) included $20,000 in cash and $15,000 each in accounting and legal services from PWC and Cooley LLP, respectively for Hydrovolts.