Solaris Synergy

March 27, 2012	Today, the Israeli minister for Energy and Water, Mr. Uzi Landau, visited the site of the Solaris Synergy pilot plant in the Mekorot Tekumah reservoir. Minister Landau was accompanied by members of his team and by Mr. Arie Amsalem, Manager of the Mekorot southern regional division. At the site, Minister Landau was received by members of the Solaris Synergy team who provided a detailed description of the project and a demonstration of the system.
November 14, 2011	The Global Cleantech Cluster Association is pleased to announce its winners for the 2011 Later Stage Award. They were judged by 28 cleantech venture capitalists, investors and serial entrepreneurs who collectively manage $3.5 billion in clean technology investment, lead by Head Judge Dr. Peter Adriaens. In each category, these companies are making both broad strides in their global industries as well as working closely with their regional cleantech clusters to build sustainable green economies and jobs. The GCCA Later Stage Award Top 10 winners were selected from an original pool of 4000 eligible companies represented by the GCCA’s 33 member clusters. Each cluster conducted internal evaluations to nominate up to 10 companies in the 10 categories. In total, these member clusters nominated 185 companies for the 2011 Later Stage Award. That number was later narrowed to the Global Top 30 semi-finalists and the Top 10 winners. Best of Solar - Solaris Synergy Chicago, Illinois USA (cluster: Chicago Clean Energy) Solaris Synergy has developed a low-cost concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system designed to float on water surfaces, utilizing inexpensive, easy-to-manufacture platforms, based on a unique, patent pending cooling technology. The two key objectives of developing this system were; a) Significant reduction of the installed cost of the system, and; b) The utilization of “industrial” water surfaces in order to reduce the use of land resources, while simultaneously preserving water quantity and quality. For the full report: globalcleantech.org
February 2011	Solaris installs first live floating concentrated PV system connecting to Israel Electric Corp. grid Solaris Synergy installed its first live floating concentrated photovoltaic (F-CPV) system connecting to the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) grid. The system is based at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies' Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation located on Kibbutz Ketura, 30km north of the Israeli resort town of Eilat. The project is part of Capital Nature Experimentum, a full-service verification and inspection center for new technologies developed by renewable energy companies. "This installation is a milestone for us, and we're confident that it's just the first of many future Solaris implementations in Israel and throughout the world," said Solaris Synergy CEO Yossi Fisher. Guided tours of the comprehensive system are being offered to attendees of the 4th International Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference & Exhibition in Eilat on February 24. Solaris will be exhibiting for the third straight year at the conference, which is being held on February 22-24, and Fisher will participate in the conference's Water and Energy Nexus Plenary on February 23.
December 2010	Solaris receives R&D grant from Israel's Infrastructures Ministry Solaris Synergy received for the third consecutive year an R&D grant from Israel's Ministry of National Infrastructures. Issued by the ministry's Office of the Chief Scientist, the grant is given annually to support selected economically feasible startups that have developed renewable energy projects. "Our receiving this grant for three straight years underscores the ministry's confidence in Solaris' innovative system," said Solaris Synergy CEO Yossi Fisher. A description of the system is included in the ministry's PV technology status and prospect update appearing in the International Energy Agency's 2009 Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme – IEA 2009 PVPS Annual Report.
November 2010	Solaris wins Israel's Cleantech Open Ideas Competition; places in top 5 in Global Cleantech Open contest Solaris Synergy won the prestigious Israeli Cleantech Open Ideas Competition 2010 in a ceremony at Tel Aviv University on November 15. As a result of its victory, Solaris represented Israel in the second annual 2010 Global Cleantech Open Ideas Competition, where it placed among the top five entries. Known as the "Academy Awards of Clean Technology," the global event was held at the Cleantech Open Gala and Expo in San Jose, California on November 18. Over 1,000 investors, industry experts, and contestants attended the competition, which included the screening of presentations by Solaris and the other four finalists, which were chosen from among the winners of 20 national Cleantech Open competitions held across the globe. Supported by the Kauffman Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the US, the Cleantech Open Ideas Competition is the only contest aimed at discovering, supporting and fostering innovative, early-stage cleantech ideas at the grassroots level.
September 2010	Solaris signs agreement with Israeli water company Mekorot to install system on reservoir Solaris Synergy signed a contract with Mekorot, Israel's national water company, to install the F-CPV system on one of its reclaimed water reservoirs. The pilot project, in conjunction with Mekorot's WaTech™ Water Technologies Entrepreneurship Center, involves installation of a 50kW sub-plant in Q2 2011, with the option of expanding to 3MW. Mekorot, which owns the majority of Israel's more than 400 reservoirs, will initially test the system's ability to deal with environmental factors such as wind, waves and live organisms. Israel's largest consumer of electricity, Mekorot will also evaluate the impact of the system on water quality, as well as the impact of the system's water cover on temperature, evaporation, oxygen, fish and algae growth. "This agreement is a major step forward for both sides," said Solaris Synergy CEO Yossi Fisher. "We view Mekorot as a strategic partner that will not only help us evaluate and improve our system under real-life conditions, but also open up the water utility market in Israel. At the same time, the agreement enables Mekorot to fully leverage its resources and generate power without incurring any opportunity costs."
July 2010	Solaris receives funding from Israeli ministry for EUREKA project Solaris Synergy received funding from the Office of the Chief Scientist of Israel's Ministry of Industry, Trade & Labor for a joint Israeli-French R&D project within the framework of EUREKA, a research network involving 38 European nations, Israel and the European Union. The two-year grant covers 60% of a €1.5m. project with France's EDF, the world's largest utility company. The 50 kWp project will be carried out at the Cadarache Reservoir in Provence, France, one of the many dams in southeastern France that EDF operates and leverages for hydropower generation.
July 2010	Solaris signs agreement with France's EDF to install system on Provence reservoir Solaris Synergy signed a contract with EDF, the world's largest utility company, to install an F-CPV system on one of its water reservoirs in southeastern France. Aimed at determining the feasibility of stacking environmental-friendly power generation devices in order to save space, the 50 kWp project will be carried out at the Cadarache Reservoir in Provence, France. Within the framework of the project, EDF will provide the water reservoir surface, while limiting movement of water level and speed. A team of EDF researchers will validate decisions regarding the F-CPV system's electrical design as well as evaluate its overall performance. Responsible for 75% of France's hydropower generation capacity, EDF has experience in building and operating dams worldwide, including in high insolation areas such as Africa, Asia and South America. "We are thrilled to be teaming up with a company of the caliber of EDF," said Solaris Synergy CEO Yossi Fisher. "With vast experience in generating hydropower from dams in South America, Africa and Asia, EDF is the ideal strategic partner for helping us penetrate our F-CPV system into the global market."