Green Options » UC Davis

Furfural May Be the Future of Easy and Cheap Biofuels

Nick Chambers — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:29:31 +0000

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed an easy, efficient and inexpensive method for transforming raw plant material directly into a fuel called furfural without any fermentation. Furfural can be substituted for diesel.

The current, most widely adopted process for making second generation cellulosic fuel — “celluline” — involves the use of acids, enzymes and fermenting microbes to get from the harvested plant material to a fuel that is usable in your car’s engine.

Ecopreneurist: Need Advice on Starting (and Funding) Your Cleantech Business?

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:49:55 +0000

Editor’s note: Many investors see clean technology as a smart bet these days… but how do you get your cleantech business plan in front of the people with the money? Lead Edwards at Ecopreneurist points to one source of advice for clean/green entrepreneurs: universities… and some of this advice is free. This post was originally published on Monday, March 31, 2008.

If you are a scientist or researcher with a great idea for a green business, you should check out what universities have to offer you (even if you are not in school).

As an example of the types of programs available, consider UC Davis’s Green Technology Entrepreneurship Academy (GTEA), which provides a free, week-long intensive for science and engineering researchers. Yes, I did say free, and it’s held at Lake Tahoe, Nevada in July—a very nice plus.

According to UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship Assistant Director, Nicole Starsinic, the GTEA combines classroom learning with a team project, which pairs scientists with business school students and professionals. A number of venture capital firms, law firms, and other professionals, which are listed in the Academy’s schedule, devote time in the hope of discovering the cleantech Google.

Is your Next Great Investment Hidden Away in a University?

Leah Edwards — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:45:46 +0000

As Joshua S. Hill wrote in our sisterblog Planetsave.com, on January 31, 2008, over 1500 universities and other organizations across the country participated in an all day teach-in about global warming solutions. Under the title “Focus the Nation”, each participating organization held a wide variety of trade-show-like fairs, panel discussions, public debates, presentation of research, and tours of buildings either built with sustainable materials or gardens planted with drought resistant plans, and much more.

I attended a panel at UC Davis’s “Focus the Nation” program called, “Innovation: Commercializing Science In Energy & Efficiency’. UC Davis has strong programs in many science disciplines, and there is a desire among university players and local politicians to have Davis, California (and some of the greater Sacramento area) be known as a cleantech center. I was interested to hear about what is actually being done to support green entrepreneurs.