Hydrovolts will premiere its first commercial products at the annual conference of the New England Water Environment Association in Boston on January 27. The company will offer 2.5 and 15 kiloWatt (kW) waterfall turbines for the industrial water market and a 12kW turbine for the water canal market. The turbines generate steady clean renewable energy from water, with fast installation and no environmental impact, to serve an untapped global market.
Our research and experience to date demonstrates that the “industrial” waterfall market will have a faster initial domestic acceptance and shorter sales cycle than that of the canal turbine. The industrial market for the new water turbines includes factories and plants with large internal flows of water dropping from one level to another (man-made waterfalls) and covers water treatment plants and a wide range of processing and manufacturing facilities. Hydrovolts has a patent-pending new way to attach the waterfall turbine that enables multiple installations along a waterfall rim. We have received strong interest in this new product from numerous municipal water treatment plant operators, energy services contractors and several global water technology corporations.
We are continuing development of the canal turbine for a global market that includes irrigation systems, water supply, cooling water discharges, and other controlled water channels. The C-12 turbine has been installed in a northern California canal operated by the Butte Water District and is generating power. Interconnection discussions with a local utility are underway.
By the end of 2012, Hydrovolts will have two waterfall and two canal turbines installed and generating renewable energy in four locations along the West Coast, proving the products’ viability and effectiveness. Hydrovolts expects several units to be purchased by the demonstrations’ host organizations.
New Leadership
Hydrovolts is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Layton as President. Mr. Layton has served as Hydrovolts COO for the past two years, and brings a legal background together with almost a decade of experience in manufacturing and hydropower generation.
“This change reflects Hydrovolts’ transition from an early-stage development company to an operating business ready to launch its hydrokinetic turbines commercially,” says Board Chairman Paul Curtis, “Hydrovolts’ founder Burt Hamner has done a tremendous job growing Hydrovolts and winning international recognition. He has always recognized that the company will need new leadership when it goes to market, and that time is now.”
Hamner, who is remaining on the company’s Board, notes that “Mike has much more manufacturing experience than I do, and he has been ably managing the company’s daily operations as COO for almost two years. I am looking forward to pursuing new opportunities while supporting Hydrovolts’ continued success.” Hamner has a new website, Cleantech Mentor, where he can be contacted.
Hydrovolts has also added senior advisors for marketing (Anil Shrikhande, former President of Rolls-Royce India and Boeing India) and finance (Peter Weiss), as well as two outside Directors to its Board (Michael Fragin and Gilbert Hakim).
Source: Hydrovolts Newsletter, November 2012.