EcoThermics Corporation announces the achievement of a critical milestone, selection of a production manufacturing partner, Mennie Machine Company located in North Central Illinois.
Click here to view the Peoria Press Release.
Click here to view the actual press conference.
Click here to view WMBD TV news coverage.
EcoThermics CEO Merle Rocke Presents Innovative Heat Pump Technology at TechConnect World Expo
Click here to view the Anaheim Press Release.
Click here to view Merle’s presentation.
Click here to view an overview of entire TechConnect event including trade show & presentation highlights.
Dr. Rod Hugelman, EcoThermics’ Chief Scientist discusses CO2 heat exchanger design with a supplier.
AHR Expo - CO2 Components Hit the Market
Commercialization of CO2 technologies is expanding rapidly, as evidenced by new product introductions at this year’s combined annual AHR Expo and ASHRAE event in Orlando, Florida.
Back when EcoThermics began development of its CO2 compressor, there were no heat exchangers available on the market designed to handle the high pressures, as great as four times that of traditional refrigerants. We knew we would need heat exchangers to do system testing and therefore designed, patented and manufactured our own prototype units for testing.
At this years show, EcoThermics CTO Dr. Travis Horton and Chief Scientist Dr. Rodney Hugelman met with engineers and fellow PhD’s from a number of heat exchanger manufacturers who now sell products designed specifically for use with CO2.
Four such companies, SWEP, Kaori, Alfa Laval and TurboTech, provided EcoThermics with sample heat exchangers for testing.
In addition to meeting with various component suppliers at the show, EcoThermics CEO Merle Rocke had follow-up meetings with over twenty different individuals or companies interested in further exploring the technology and potential developmental opportunities.
One other important takeaway from the January event was further confirmation from a number of credible sources that EcoThermics is presently the only company with a single modular compressor package encompassing premium novel efficiency options and incredibly spanning 3-7 ton size ranges depending on configuration.
EcoThermics will participate in the bi-annual International HVAC, Compressor and High Performance Buildings Conference at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana July 12-15, 2010.
This well-attended event, hosted by our SBIR partner, Dr. Eckhard Groll of Herrick Labs at Purdue, brings together experts from around the world.
For more information:
https://engineering.purdue.edu/Herrick/Events/2010conf/index.html
April 2010 - EcoThermics CEO Merle Rocke is invited to present at the 5th Annual TechConnect Venture Forum on June 24th in Anaheim, CA.
Last year’s event drew over 4,000 participants from 70 countries including leading corporations, research universities, start-ups, and financial investors in cleantech, nanotech, microsystems, and life sciences sectors. Attendees are actively seeking technology partnerships, including product development and distribution, financial assistance, research collaborations, and technology licensing.
For more information:
http://www.techconnectworld.com/Summit2010/program/ventures.html
EcoThermics was one of 44 companies selected to present at the 11th Annual InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum.
The conference in St. Louis, MO, showcased companies from 14 Midwestern states in three presentation tracks: life sciences, technology and cleantech/alternative energy.
For more information:
http://www.investmidwestforum.com/
EcoThermics presents at Cleantech, San Francisco.
EcoThermics presents at Cleantech Forum XXVI in San Francisco, CA. The forum unites nearly 1,000 investors, entrepreneurs, policy makers, global corporations and industry influencers to provide insight, investment opportunities and unparalleled networking for the world's leading investors, growth companies and global corporations.
For more information:
http://cleantech.com/cleantechforum/sanfrancisco10/index.cfm
EcoThermics attends AHR EXPO, Orlando
AHR Expo 2010 brings together more than 1,800 exhibiting companies, dozens of industry organizations and over 25,000 visitors to learn what’s new in the HVACR industry. http://www.ahrexpo.com.
EcoThermics hosted an investor session Sept. 11, 2009 to provide an update on technology, progress and corporate strategy. A roundtable discussion provided opportunity to meet and openly engage joint development partners, industry experts and key strategic advisors.
Investors... Meet Our Partners
In keeping with a cultural philosophy of openness and transparency, EcoThermics investors met September 11, 2009, in Peoria for an update on EcoThermics’ technology, progress and corporate strategy. A roundtable discussion provided an opportunity to meet and openly engage joint development partners, industry experts and key strategic advisors.
Panelists included Associate Professor of Engineering at Purdue and part-time EcoThermics CTO Dr. Travis Horton, Intellectual Property Expert and Licensing Strategist Mr. Bill Berlinger, and representatives from partner companies in five states.
While interest in CO2 as a refrigerant soars globally, challenging high pressures present technological hurdles to those interested in its development. Dr. Horton explained that many technological challenges facing the industry are overcome simply because of EcoThermics’ unique design. Mr. Berlinger added, “Problems the company is experiencing and solving today are very likely to become the friend of the company in the future.” He goes on to explain that novelty, in conjunction with strong patent protection provides barriers to entry for competitors. Mr. Berlinger, now in his 20th year at CAT, essentially created a corporate technology transaction business within Caterpillar dealing with intellectual assets. He now advises start-up companies through Peoria NEXT to attain WIN-WIN-WIN deals, which he describes as, “What is best for both parties, the third WIN being what the technology needs to thrive.”
Investors expressed appreciation for this unique opportunity to address partners and advisors on subjects of strategic importance.
EcoThermics CEO Merle Rocke & CFO Thomas Lewicki spend a week in Washington D.C.. Thirteen meetings with over 30 people in 5 days prove valuable.
EcoThermics on National Agenda – Washington DC
EcoThermics CEO Merle Rocke & CFO Tom Lewicki spent a week in Washington, DC with several goals in mind: (i) to secure support for Congressman Schock’s funding requests, (i) gain a first-hand under-standing of the landscape for federal funding for research and (iii) expand our network of relationships.
This very successful trip involved 13 meetings with over 30 people in five days! We received a strong letter of support from the U.S. Army as well as support from the congressmen representing the districts where several of our key partners are located (Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri) – all crucial for the funding requests.
We met with Congressman Schock, who helped focus our efforts and fine-tune our message. Meetings with senior staff from the offices of Senator Durbin and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood have proven very helpful in connecting us to appropriate personnel in Defense and Energy. Their advice has been invaluable.
What We Learned
The tone in Washington under the new administration is that they are serious about the following national goals: energy conservation and independence, safeguarding the environment, U.S. jobs, healthcare and education. We heard from influential people several times that to successfully secure research grant funds, we need to show that our technology presents an innovative solution that improves energy efficiency and conservation, leverages close relationships with U.S. partners, enhances U.S. technology and manufacturing competitiveness and finally, creates U.S. jobs.
Upon return, we set out to review state and federal funding opportunities with both Stimulus and regular appropriations, focused with Defense and Energy.
What We’re Doing
We have prepared an application package for a Department of Energy grant to demonstrate the ability of our technology to efficiently capture and conserve industrial waste heat and provide usable thermal and mechanical energy for multiple applications - in a real-life demonstration at a honey processing plant in Ohio. Our grant proposal includes our U.S. partners and would advance our heat pump technology further down the road to commercial use. And, our focus on energy conservation with a natural refrigerant, leveraging our partners for U.S. technology and manufacturing competitiveness, and creating U.S. jobs puts us right in the sweet spot on the national scene!
Global industry leaders meet in Peoria.
EcoThermics was host, March 17-18th 2009, to four progressive, forward-looking HVACR companies, which have partnered with us to speed development of innovative CO2 technologies. Orchestrated by Director of Product Development, Roy Bullivant, the dynamic 2-day session assembled partners from four different states, the EcoThermics leadership team, members of the Technical and Business Advisory Board and expert strategic consultants to hammer out plans to significantly accelerate time to market. Facing governmental pressures to eliminate synthetic refrigerants and mandates to reduce energy consumption, the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) industry is looking at some tough decisions and challenges ahead. To our knowledge, we are the only U.S. company currently working on a CO2 heat pump. What this means for EcoThermics, our shareholders and our partners, is an extraordinary opportunity to be first to market in the U.S. with a natural refrigerant solution.
EcoThermics was one of 44 companies selected to present at the 10th Annual InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum.
The conference, in Kansas City, showcased companies from 14 Midwestern States in three presentation tracks: life sciences, technology and cleantech/alternative energy.
EcoThermics press conference held at the Peoria NEXT Innovation center.
During the press conference, EcoThermics announced that it is ready to begin field testing units and is looking for local businesses and residents that are willin to become beta sites for the field testing. Speakers at the conference included - Congressman Ray LaHood, US House of Representatives, Glen Barton , Retired Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar, Jim McConoughey , President/CEO The Heartland Partnership.
Five members of the EcoThermics management team participated in the bi-annual International HVAC, Refrigeration and Compressor Conference at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
This event was again hosted by our SBIR partner, Dr. Eckhard Groll of Herrick Labs at Purdue. With a conference schedule dominated by CO2 technologies, it is clear that the future of CO2 is now!
EcoThermics Corporation moved into its new office and laboratory within the new Peoria NEXT Innovation Center, 801 W. Main, Peoria, Illinois 61606.
EcoThermics Management Team meets with investors and EcoThermics Business and Technology Advisory Board members after EcoThermics was formed in January, 2008.
This presentation was held at the Peoria NEXT Innovation Center in Peoria, Illinois – the new location of the EcoThermics Corporate Office and Research Laboratory.
Thomas Lewicki, EcoThermics Director, Quoted in ITDA's Annual Report.
ITDA Announces that WhiteMoss, Inc. Completes Commercialization Award Milestones.
The Illinois Technology Development Alliance (ITDA), a public-private nonprofit that serves high-growth technology companies, announces that WhiteMoss, Inc. of Peoria, IL has successfully completed all milestones associated with the ITDA Commercialization Award by producing a very durable, working prototype of the company’s CO2 variable compressor.
WhiteMoss, Inc. and EcoThermics are highlighted in the November ITDA eNewsletter.
The U.S. Army selected White Moss to develop a "clean-sheet" design for a scalable environmental control unit using CO2 as a refrigerant; in 2006 this project was completed successfully. WhiteMoss went on to design a unique hydronic heat exchanger and heat pump system that will deliver thermal energy via hot and cold liquid circuits. WhiteMoss receives ITDA commercialization award to support development of a pre-production prototype.