BGU partners with U. of Johannesburg and UCLA on water research

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has partnered with the University of Johannesburg and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to conduct scientific research into the fields of water purification and microalgal biotechnology, according to a press release last month.

"This is an international partnership that will benefit the peoples of South Africa, Israel and other countries around the world,” said BGU’s Vice President for External Affairs Prof. Amos Drory on occasion of the signing. Drory and Prof. Derek van der Merwe, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Johannesburg, signed the research collaboration agreement in South Africa.

"The two universities will become involved in extremely important, evolutionary research that will mainly benefit third world countries throughout the world,” said Dr. Bertram Lubner, Vice-Chairman of BGU’s Board of Governors and president of the SA Associates of Ben-Gurion University (SAABGU).

Prof. Sammy Boussiba and Prof. Yoram Oren from Ben Gurion University’s Blaustein Institute for Desert Research will head up the projects in Israel working together with Prof. Bhekie Mamba, leading the South African research teams. They will be assisted by Prof. Eric Hoek, an expert in the fields of water purification and microalgal biotechnology at UCLA.

According to Prof. Mamba, the two universities will brainstorm on how they can contribute to ongoing South African research into water purification in rural areas and around the Hartbeespoort Dam near Pretoria. In addition, they will research the feasibility of harvesting algae from the Dam and converting it to energy. The Hartbeespoort Dam remediation programme is being implemented by the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) to address the imbalances and unhealthy biological conditions in the dam.

"We will investigate how we can contribute and add value to this ongoing project,” said Prof. Mamba. Ongoing research into the use of membranes to purify water in rural areas will also benefit from the UJ, BGU and UCLA collaboration.

"We will look at the effective treatment of dam and river water used for drinking in rural areas,” he continued. "Here, the pollution is not industrial, but microbial. We need to address the issue of bacteria and viruses into the water, and we will be looking at what role UJ and BGU can play. "We hope to come up with a low-cost, low-maintenance solution geared for rural areas,” Prof. Mamba said.

Ben-Gurion University signs deal with Bayer CropScience

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev signed an agreement with Bayer BioScience N.V., a subsidiary of Bayer CropScience, to develop solutions to help plants cope with extreme temperatures and limited water availability.

The agreement builds upon the expertise and breakthrough results from Dr. Simon Barak's laboratory at the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR), according to an announcement by the University.

Barak's team is identifying genes that allow plants to tolerate the harsh environmental stresses characteristic of arid regions, and its study was published recently in the journal Plant Physiology.

Two of these genes have been studied in detail and the team found that by removing either of the two genes, the tolerance of the model plant, Arabidopsis, to heat, salt and drought could be increased.

The agreement signed between BGN Technologies -- the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University -- and Bayer CropScience will allow the identification of additional genes that have an effect on making plants more "stress-resistant".

Barak said the new collaboration will allow his team to further sift through the estimated 30,000 Arabidopsis genes to identify additional candidate stress tolerance genes.

BioScience is one of three business groups of Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of Germany's Bayer AG with sales of 6.4 billion euros in 2008.

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Ben-Gurion U. researchers develop green window technology

Ben-Gurion University partners with Israel Cleantech Ventures

Ben-Gurion U. researchers develop green window technology

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have developed a new, highly energy-efficient window technology, featuring two reversible panes that will save energy all year round in homes and office buildings, according to an announcement by the University.

"The 'Seasons Window' features the only glazing system that permits effective passive heating in winter without glare or high radiant temperature near a window and reduces unwanted solar gains in summer without obstructing the view outdoors," explains Prof. Evyatar Erell, a researcher at BGU's Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research.

The reversible window system technology features two panes: one clear, airtight pane, and a smaller, tinted glass with an opening on top and bottom, which allows air to circulate between the panes. The window panes are fixed to a single frame and can be swiveled easily during seasonal changes - or even on a daily basis, in response to changing weather. The window system is intended for buildings in sunny regions with distinct hot and cold seasons.

In winter, short wave solar radiation is transmitted through the clear glass, and is absorbed by the tinted glass which faces indoors. The interior is heated in two ways: by long wave radiation emitted from the warm tinted pane, and by heating of the air in contact with the warm glass, which flows through the gap between the panes and returns to a room as much a 20°c. warmer. The clear pane -- preferably double-glazed with a low-E (emittance) coating -- traps heat inside the building.

In summer, the glass panes are easily rotated so the tinted glass faces outward and absorbs the warm solar rays. This pane is then cooled by the outside air circulating between the two panes. The clear glass pane, which is on the interior, absorbs unwanted infrared radiation from the warmer exterior pane and helps to reduce a building's cooling loads.

According to co-developer and BGU Prof. Yair Etzion, "The heat lost in houses in various regions depends on both climate and on design and construction." A common indicator is energy required to heat or cool a building, per unit floor area per year, with values ranging from zero to more typical values of 150-300 kilowatts in many older buildings in the United States and Europe. "By converting solar radiation into heat, our new green window solution conserves energy and saves money over time."

The windows will be produced and marketed in Israel by Alubin, an aluminum company.

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America-Israel Green Buildings Conference

Ben-Gurion University partners with Israel Cleantech Ventures

Launching the Boston Israel Cleantech Alliance

I moved from Tel Aviv to Boston last month to begin working as an associate in the Business Law Department of Goodwin Procter LLP, a law firm with a substantial Clean Tech Practice.

Boston, like Israel, is emerging as a leading hub for cleantech research, development, and entrepreneurship. The Boston Israel Cleantech Alliance will be working to connect cleantech investors, entrepreneurs, academic researchers and government officials in both places, and the group is helping organize a number of upcoming events.

Israel Cleantech Investor Conference

On October 28, 16 Israeli cleantech venture capital funds and startups traveled to New York and Boston to meet with private equity, venture capital, and angel investors.

Participating startups included Aquapure Technologies Ltd., Aquatal Ltd., Cequesta Water Ltd., CheckLight Ltd., Coriolis Wind Ltd., CQM Technologies Ltd., En Gibton Ltd., Engineuity Ltd., EPC Wastewater Solution Ltd., Leviathan Energy Ltd., and RealiteQ Ltd.

The Israeli cleantech funds were: AquAgro Fund LP and its parent Gaon Agro Industries Ltd., BDB Technologies & Hi-Tech Investments Ltd., Israel Cleantech Ventures, MIYA, Precede Technologies Ltd., and Whitewater Technology Group.

In Boston, each participant made a 10-minute presentation in the morning and had an opportunity to meet one-on-one with investors like North Bridge Venture Partners and Atlas Venture in the afternoon. A formal reception in the evening included a presentation by Booky Oren, CEO of MIYA and Chairman of WATEC 2009, and a keynote address by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

You can read press coverage of the events in the Jerusalem Post and Globes and view photos online.

Environmental Symposia Featuring Experts from Ben Gurion University

On November 12, three professors from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will be in Boston to give presentations on their respective cleantech-related fields of expertise. Prof. David Faiman, who is also CTO of ZenithSolar, will speak about solar energy; Prof. Isaac Meir will discuss "green" architecture; and Prof. Zeev Wiesman speak about biofuels.

You can find more information about the lunchtime and evening symposiums and RSVP at the Boston Israel Cleantech Alliance meetup page.

Biofuels: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - A Presentation by Dr. Isaac Berzin

Dr. Isaac Berzin is the founder of Cambridge-based GreenFuel Technologies -- a venture-backed developer of algae-based biofuels -- and the founding director of the Institute for Alternative Energy Policy at the IDC in Herzliya, Israel. Earlier this year, Dr. Berzin was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in politics, business, and science.

Back in June, I had the honor of hosting Dr. Berzin at a CleanIsrael meetup event in Ramat Hasharon.

On November 20th, Dr. Berzin will speak to an audience of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and graduate students at Harvard Business School. The event is sponsored by Goodwin Procter LLP and Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP), in collaboration with the HBS Business & Environment Club, Harvard Kennedy School's Israel Caucus, MIT-Israel Program, and the New England Israel Business Council. You can find out more and RSVP at the event's meetup page.

Shai Agassi, CEO of Better Place

Shai Agassi of Better Place is scheduled to visit Boston on December 3rd and 4th. Stay tuned for more details.

Negev renewable energy R&D center approved by Israeli cabinet

The socioeconomic cabinet on Monday approved a plan by the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry to establish a center in the Negev for the research and development of renewable energy technologies, according to a report in the Jerusalem Post.

"The program will enable Israel to become a major player in the global renewable energy industry," Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Eli Yishai said.

The R&D center will be established in the Negev under the auspices of the Chief Scientist's Office, and it will invest NIS 70 million ($20m) over a period of five years. The center will focus on the development of renewable and alternative energy sources for the production of electricity, such as solar and wind energy.

The Negev desert region is already a hub of cleantech and renewable energy activities. This winter, Israel Cleantech Ventures announced a partnership with Ben Gurion University (BGU), located in Beersheva. The Central Arava Fund and Oasis Investment Fund are also raising money to invest in agritech, biofuel, and solar energy companies in the region. In Dimona, Rotem Industries manages a Renewable Energy Innovation Center that hosts the BrightSource Energy / Luz II solar thermal pilot plant and a testing ground for Leviathan Energy's wind turbines. Sde Boqer is home to BGU's National Solar Energy Center, whose director, Prof. David Faiman, is a pioneer in the field and the Chief Scientist of ZenithSolar.

It will be interesting to see where in the Negev this new government-backed R&D center is located and which entities are responsible for managing it.

Boaz Hirsch, Deputy Director General for Foreign Trade at the Trade Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, said Israeli renewable energy technology exports generated $110 million in 2007. Under the framework a new government plan, it is predicted that renewable energy exports will grow to $1 billion a year within 10 years. In addition, R&D investment is expected to increase to $350m annually during the 2008-2012 period of the program.

ZenithSolar featured in BusinessWeek

ZenithSolar, which is developing an innovative concentrator photovoltaic technology, was recently featured in BusinessWeek.

Concentrator photovoltaics (CPV) uses mirrors and/or lenses to focus and intensify the sun's light, thus producing more electricity at lower cost than traditional photovoltaic panels.

"Our goal is to utilize every suitable roof, backyard, and open space in Israel to turn households, hotels, and factories into net producers of electricity and thermal heat," says Roy Segev, the founder and chief executive of ZenithSolar. Founded in 2006, the company has raised $5 million from a handful of private investors in Israel and the U.S. Now, according to BusinessWeek, it is trying to raise an additional $10 million to $15 million to cover the cost of commercializing its technology.

Zenith, which is based in Nes Ziona, bought the rights to its solar technology from Ben Gurion University (BGU) and Germany's Fraunhofer Institute. A joint Israeli-German research team from the two institutions designed a working prototype, which consists of a 10-sq.-meter (107.6-sq.-ft.) dish lined with curved mirrors made from composite materials. The mirrors focus the sun's radiation onto a 100-sq.-centimeter (15.5-sq.-in.) "generator" that converts light to electricity. The generator also gives off intense heat, which is captured via a water-cooling system for residential or industrial hot-water uses.

The prototype has been tested over the last few years at Israel's National Solar Energy Center in Sde Boker in the Negev desert. Professor David Faiman, Director of the National Solar Energy Center, is Zenith's chief scientific officer.

After further refining the technology, Zenith plans in the coming months to take its first major steps toward commercialization. Two large-scale test installations are planned for this summer at a kibbutz and a factory. The company will put 86 of its 7-meter-high dishes on an acre of land at Kibbutz Yavne to provide the community of 250 families with more than a quarter of their energy needs. The second project will replace fuel oil used to produce heat at a large chemical plant in central Israel.

Once these projects are operational, Zenith plans to start commercial sales in Israel in 2009 and then to go abroad.

Renewable energy park to be built in Arava Valley

The Jerusalem Post reports that a renewable energy park is to be established in Kibbutz Ketura, located 50km north of Eilat in the Arava Valley. The park will be used for research, education and tourism. Believed to be the first of its kind, the park for renewable energy and energy saving is being established at the initiative of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and the Arava Power Company.

The research center will be a joint project of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Weizmann Institute of Science, and will be funded with donations from the Toronto community and the Jewish National Fund, among others.

According to its web site, the Arava Power Company (APC) will produce renewable energy and sell it to residents of the Arava and the Israel Electric Company. "The creation of Arava Power is part of a regional initiative to make the Arava the Silicon Valley of renewable energy." The company is negotiating for a regional exclusive on a new photovoltaic solar panel technology and is also setting up an independent affiliate across the border in Jordan.

Ed Hofland is Arava Power's Chairman, and Yossi Abramowitz is its President. Abramowitz blogs at Peoplehood.org, and, in September 2007, he gave a sermon on why developing solar power is part of the mission of the Jewish people. His words are inspiring, and I highly recommend reading the post.

For a sense of what Abramowitz has to say, and the goals that the Arava Power Company has set for itself, here is a passage from his sermon:

"The building of solar fields in the footsteps of Moses and the Israelites is certainly a worthwhile task (and may explain the glow on his face). Yet it can be much more. Can Israel become the first western economy to make the switch from carbon-based to solar based? Can the Jewish people become carbon neutral by 2020..."

Ben Gurion University partners with Israel Cleantech Ventures

Ben Gurion University of the Negev will invest in Israel Cleantech Ventures and will collaborate with it in locating and developing ventures in the field. The university did not disclose the amount of the investment, but sources inform ''Globes'' that it amounts to an initial few million dollars.

Israel Cleantech Ventures is the country's first specialized venture capital fund investing in energy, water, and environmental companies. Its general partners are Jack Levy, Glen Schwaber, and Meir Unkeles.

Ben Gurion University is an R&D leader in water, renewable energy, and environmental technologies. The university's research institutes include water purification, waste treatment, and solar and other renewable energies. Israel Cleantech will collaborate with these institutes and the university's technology transfer arm, BG Negev Technologies and Applications Ltd. Israel Cleantech hopes that the investment and collaboration will make it a leader in the field in Israel.

Ben Gurion University president Prof. Rivka Carmi said, "Promoting environmental research, such as water and renewable energy technologies is one of the primary goals of the university's research program. We hope to position the university as a leading institution in these fields at both the national and international levels. We hope to collaborate with more companies in the sector."

Levy added, "For us, this is a strategic investment with an institution that aims to be Israel's cleantech leader. We believe the collaboration will benefit both parties."

Ben Gurion University has invested in other venture capital funds. A university spokesman said that the investment in Israel Cleantech is the first investment in a cleantech fund, and that the university expected to make more investments in the sector.

Israel21c coverage of cleantech

Israel21c has recently published a number of articles related to the cleantech sector in Israel:

• 'Energy Towers' offer major source of alternative energy. Professor Dan Zaslavsky of the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the Technion - Israel Institute of Science, explains his project to build "energy towers" to produce cheap electricity. The massive towers, 1000 meters tall and 400 meters in diameter, would use convection to power turbines at the base of each tower.
  

• Israeli collaboration with Exxon fuels hopes for a greener future. A team of scientists from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, international petrochemical giant ExxonMobile, Canadian gas purification company QuestAir Technologies, and US energy products company Plug Power have developed a new hydrogen fuel cell technology.
  

• Intel develops the eco-chip, with Israeli help. Intel recently unveiled the latest addition to its processor family: a new chipset provisionally named 'Penryn.' The innovative hafnium-based "Hi-k" processor, which reduces electricity loss, or "capacitance," through the use of third-generation silicon materials, also does away with the need to incorporate eco-unfriendly lead and halogen materials in the production process. Intel's R&D center in Haifa played a crucial role in working out how the new chip micro-architecture could be manufactured on a commercial scale.

• Israeli startup develops ambitious plant to rid the world of waste. Shai Pinczewski, the founder and CEO of waste disposal company REN Waste, discusses his company's state-of-the-art treatment plant that he claims can rid the world of municipal trash by transforming it into recycled material and also produce electricity.

• Sharon's legacy turns wasteland to parkland. Israel's largest landfill, the Hiriya garbage dump, is being transformed into 2000 acre recreational area. Nearby, a waste transit station is a becoming a model of environmental innovation. The project may take up to 20 years and cost $250 million.
  

• Turning olive pits into energy. Israeli start-up Genova is setting up its first pilot plant to produce energy from biomass in the form of olive waste.

Exxon Mobil partners with Ben Gurion U. to develop hydrogen fuel system

ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), QuestAir Technologies Inc., Plug Power Inc. (Nasdaq:PLUG) and Ben Gurion University of the Negev are collaborating to commercialize an on-vehicle hydrogen production system for use in a fuel cell-powered lift truck application.

According to Cleantech.com and Globes, Plug Power will seek to commercialize unique technologies developed by ExxonMobil, QuestAir Technologies, and Ben Gurion University that take liquid fuels - gasoline, diesel, ethanol or biodiesel - and convert them into hydrogen onboard the vehicle where it will be used in a fuel cell power train.

"By developing a system that converts liquid hydrocarbons into hydrogen directly on a vehicle without the need for storage, we hope to demonstrate significant infrastructure, logistics and cost advantages compared to other hydrogen vehicle systems, all while reducing the impact on the environment," said Emil Jacobs, VP of research and development at Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering.

BG Negev Technologies and Applications Ltd., Ben Gurion University's technology transfer company is responsible for the university's share in the program. The university is represented by the Blechner Center and Prof. Moti Hershkowitz. The university and its partners have been developing the individual components that make up the on-vehicle hydrogen fuel system. Sulfur is controlled by an ExxonMobil proprietary S-Trap developed in conjunction with the university. Plug Power will be responsible for integrating the fuel system with its GenDrive fuel cell power system for lift truck applications.

Globes notes that a competitor to this project is Israeli start-up Enginuity Ltd., which is developing technology to produce hydrogen on-board the vehicle as needed, utilizing a modified internal combustion engine with a zero emission solution. Investors in Enginuity include the Ormat Group and the ATI - Ashkelon Technological Industries incubator.

Reflective Mirrors Seen Raising Solar Potential

A team of researchers at Israel's Ben Gurion University may have discovered a way to make solar energy more competitive using a combination of reflective dishes and an alternative to silicon, according to reports in Reuters and Ha'aretz.

David Faiman, a physics professor and expert on solar energy, has designed a reflector made of mirrors that collects and intensifies sunlight a thousand times over. Faiman says he is collaborating with an Israeli start-up company, ZenithSolar, to create a home solar energy system that uses a 10 square metre (107.6 sq ft) reflector dish.

Faiman would not discuss details of the ZenithSolar deal but said a prototype already existed and could be ready by the end of 2008. ZenithSolar would not comment on the project.

Little information is available online about ZenithSolar. Their founder and CEO, Roy Segev, apparently has a background in venture capital and high-tech.