The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Israel’s Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources (MIEW), along with the Israel Innovation Authority, announced $4 million for five newly selected clean energy projects as part of the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Energy program. This announcement marks the eighth annual selection of BIRD Energy projects, supporting efforts to develop low-carbon alternatives to traditional energy resources.
This initiative builds on ongoing cooperation between the DOE and MIEW under the U.S.-Israel Energy Dialogue. The dialogue encourages the use of clean energy technologies, fosters sustainable natural gas regulations, explores the energy-water nexus, and enhances energy cybersecurity. It also aligns with an amendment to a U.S.-Israel Energy Agreement signed by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Dr. Yuval Steinitz in April 2016 to expand cooperative clean energy efforts.
“The collaboration through BIRD Energy leverages the work of top energy scientists in the U.S. and Israel which will help both nations continue to work together to foster research and development efforts, build on the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement, and drive down the costs of clean energy technologies,” said Secretary Moniz.
“The climate change and clean energy challenges cross borders, and that’s where collaborative projects emerge and succeed,” said Dr. Steinitz. “The great minds and capabilities from Israel and the U.S., together with MIEW's and DOE's continuous support for the BIRD Energy program, will drive technological developments for the Clean Energy market in both countries and worldwide.”
BIRD Energy began in 2009 as a result of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Since then, it has funded 32 projects with a total investment of about $26 million. The five selected projects announced today will leverage cost-share for a total project value of $8.6 million. The program encourages cooperation between Israeli and American companies through funding joint research in various clean energy subsectors including energy efficiency, biofuels, and solar energy.
The approved projects are:
- BrightSource Industries Ltd. (Jerusalem) and Dynamis Solutions, LLC (Las Vegas, Nevada), will develop an automated heliostat cleaning system for concentrated solar plants.
- CelDezyner Ltd. (Rehovot, Israel) and POET Research, Inc. (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), will develop a process for lower-cost ethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks.
- Solview Systems Ltd. (Ramat Gan, Israel) and Yarotek PR, LLC (Aventura, Florida), will develop rooftop solar analytics for commercial markets.
- Technion IIT (Haifa, Israel) and Pajarito Powder, LLC (Albuquerque, New Mexico), will develop lower-cost catalysts for energy storage devices.
- Waves Audio Ltd. (Tel Aviv) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Blacksburg), will develop an electrostatic speaker using a nanoscale active membrane based on graphene.
Projects qualifying for BIRD Energy funding must include one U.S. company paired with an Israeli company or institution involving innovation in renewable energy or efficiency areas beneficial to both countries.
Watch Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz discussing the program here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LDWPMK9VRQ
Visit http://www.birdf.com/ to learn more about the program.
