Hydrovolts Wins Imagine H2O Prize, Harnesses Energy From Canal Water

Lora Kolodny

Lora Kolodny is a technology journalist. As of 2012 she works as a reporter for Dow Jones covering startups and venture capital. Her writing is also syndicated to the Dow Jones owned Wall Street Journal. Lora began reporting on business, technology and entertainment in 2002. She has worked as greentech writer and editor at TechCrunch, and as a staff reporter... → Learn More

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

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.