LOS ANGELES (July 25, 2019) The U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles Chapter (USGBC-LA) today is proud to announce the first cohort of its Net Zero Accelerator, a major new initiative which identifies viable net zero building technologies, positions them for success, and accelerates their market entry throughout the greater Los Angeles region. Believed to be the first accelerator of its kind to help achieve net zero goals—the leading focus of much of the building industry moving forward—the USGBC-LA has selected 13 technology solutions addressing:
Advanced building materials — DTE Materials
Energy efficiency – arbnco, Keewi, and SkyCool Systems
Energy storage — Shifted Energy and Yotta Energy
HVAC optimization — KomfortIQ and Blue Box Air
Renewable energy generation — Next Energy Technologies, Inc. (NEXT) Waste diversion and reuse — Angel City Lumber and ByFusion
Water conservation / control — Saya Technology
Urban agriculture — inHouse Produce
“This is an exceptionally compelling group of companies bringing diverse solutions to market that address our shared goals. We’re excited to help them overcome market-entry barriers often encountered by new technologies, and pair them with the green building experts and significant pilot sites throughout the Los Angeles region to see results before the new year, and keep the momentum rolling,” states Neal Anderson, Director of the Accelerator, and former Co-Founder of the LA Cleantech Incubator.
The 13 technologies—three more than anticipated—were selected from 68 applicants across 11 countries, reflecting the high quality of submissions, the international interest in piloting a technology in one of the most progressive net zero regions in the world, and the breadth of partners engaged in the Accelerator. The cohort technologies hail from Los Angeles, Northern California, New York, Texas, Hawaii, and Glasgow, and include recipients of recognition and awards such as CalSEED, Cleantech Open, Elemental Excelerator, IN2, LA Cleantech Incubator, NREL, TED, TomKat Center, US Department of Energy, and VentureWell.
The following expert building owners/operators, industry experts, investors, utilities, and large corporates have committed their engagement to help get these pilot-ready technologies into buildings: All About Waste, Blue Bear Capital, BuroHappold Engineering, CA State University at Dominguez Hills, the City of Los Angeles, Fifth Wall Ventures, Frederick Fisher and Partners, Gensler, HDR, Hudson Pacific Properties, i(x) investments, Integral Group, Kilroy Realty Corporation, the Los Angeles Department of Convention and Tourism Development, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, Rexford Industrial, Rising Realty, Skanska, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, Tishman Speyer, UCLA, The Westin Bonaventure, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, and Vanir Construction Management, Inc.
The Net Zero Accelerator was conceived by USGBC-LA Executive Director, Ben Stapleton, who is focused on addressing market barriers for increasing the sustainability of buildings throughout the region. With the Accelerator, his goal is to continuously source pilot-ready solutions that help the region get to zero carbon, zero energy, zero water, and zero waste, emphasizing promotion and placement of pilots with building partners at the end of the program.
“I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive reaction we’ve received from the building community acknowledging that there is a real market need for better ways to get new technology into our built environment,” states Stapleton. “Operators of building types of all kinds across the City have raised their hands to provide pilot sites and their expertise to help us get to net zero faster as we continue to feel the impacts of climate change in our communities at an increasing rate. Our goal is to work with our advisors to fine tune the technical and business models of these technologies, helping to deliver solutions today in a way that they can scale at an accelerated rate going forward.”
Free to selected technologies, and with no equity participation required, the six (6)-month Accelerator runs through December31st and includes:
- High-impact acceleration services with industry experts, focused on results.
- Sustained, professional marketing and storytelling through a leading and respected organization to amplify awareness of cohort companies and technologies.
- High potential for pilots with partner building sites, with leads and business development opportunities from committed owner-operators.
- Peer-to-peer learning, networking, and talent sourcing opportunities.
For more information on the Net Zero Accelerator, contact Neal Anderson at accelerator@usgbc-la.org. For information on USGBC-LA, please contact Ben Stapleton at ben@usgbc-la.org or Fernanda Zuin at fernanda@usgbc-la.org.
About U.S. Green Building Council-Los Angeles
USGBC-LA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to creating a prosperous and sustainable future within one generation. Our mission promotes sustainability in LA County’s built environment by delivering access to knowledge, resources, recognition and networking.