The Utility Technology Challenge, now in its third year, is an initiative of the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI). The Challenge seeks companies and technologies focused on cleaner and more environmentally sustainable energy solutions that help solve challenges facing utilities. This year, CTSI has partnered with Fraunhofer TechBridge to raise funded services for winners.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is providing a grant to support the Utility Technology Challenge, contributing $50,000 to the funding pool of up to $100,000 in awards for demonstration projects and services for Challenge winners. Utilities and other entities are also sponsoring the competition. Winners have the opportunity for pilot projects with utilities, and possible projects in Fraunhofer CSE's future "living laboratory" in Boston.

Smart grid technology areas of consideration for the Utility Technology Challenge include (but are not limited to) transmission and distribution, demand response and power electronics. This year, there is a new emphasis on demand-side building energy technologies, such as energy efficiency measures (e.g., HVAC, lighting, and building management), as well as distributed generation systems (e.g., building-integrated solar photovoltaics and combined heat and power).

Challenge applications submitted by January 31, 2012, are currently under review.

Applicants with pilot-ready or early-stage commercial solutions targeting utilities and other large customers needed to submit their proposals online by Jan. 31, 2012. The timeline for application review is here: http://www.ct-si.org/services/cleanTest/challenge.html.

There are no fees to enter or to participate in the Utility Technology Challenge. Selected finalists will be invited to attend the TechConnect World Clean Technology Conference in Santa Clara in June 2012 and present their solutions to the sponsor committee that includes: the City of Anaheim, Arsenal Venture Partners, Shell, National Grid, Northeast Utilities, Austin Energy, Constellation Energy and Southern California Edison. Other regional partners include: the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the New England Clean Energy Foundation, the Association of CleanTech Incubators of New England (ACTIONetwork), the Austin Technology Incubator and the Clean Energy Trust.