Evolve offers route to market for energy efficient innovations

The Energy Innovation Challenge aims to reward innovators and companies that have come up with an idea, product or services designed to improve energy efficiency delivery.

Evolve, which works with companies including Co-op, Tesco and Whitbread, to improve their energy efficiency, says it will help successful applicants bring their innovations to market through the delivery partnerships it has formed and the independent energy management solutions it offers. Successful applicants could also benefit from investment backing.

The company claims to offer a total solutions service, including re-fitting premises with energy efficient equipment and managing and monitoring the energy systems thereafter to ensure savings are maintained. It says it also has a track record in championing successful innovators in the energy efficiency sector.

The Energy Innovation Challenge, which is an ongoing competition, is open to businesses at all stages of development, from prototypes through to revenue generating, profitable businesses.

Successful applicants shortlisted for the first round of the challenge will have to introduce their ideas in person to the Evolve Energy panel of judges on February 24 2009. The panel of judges will consist of Evolve Energy directors and business people experienced in the cleantech sector.

“We are looking for the most forward thinking ideas in energy efficiency, whether it's a better light bulb, power station or energy storage facility - we want to hear about it,” said Gary Parke, ceo of Evolve Energy.

Flexitricity is a smart grid technology firm that has worked with Evolve Energy to reach more customers. Its commercial development director, Gary Swandells, said Evolve could offer technology developers and entrepreneurs an alternative route to market.

"Working with Evolve Energy enables us to reach out to a far wider range of business. In particular, we can work with lots of smaller installations around the country which, individually, would not provide enough capacity to justify a direct relationship with ourselves, but, when aggregated together through Evolve Energy it will be possible to reach much deeper into an estate and work with far smaller assets,” he said.

Evolve Energy was founded in 2006 and since has expanded rapidly, acquiring companies in the areas of building automation, metering, energy reduction solutions and supply analysis. It claims to have helped businesses cut their energy bills by up to 40 per cent.

“Energy efficiency has too often been viewed as the ugly sister next to renewables; it's time for people to realise that during the downturn, investment in energy-saving and energy-reducing measures will have an immediate material impact in terms of emissions reductions and actually save money," commented Parke.