The Magic of Biodiesel UW Experimental College Class: #W203.
NOTE: This workshop is almost full as of 1/11/06
Sunday January 29, 2006 from 10 am 3 pm
Want to drive or heat your home petroleum-free? Sort out fact from fiction in this class, which will cover what biodiesel is (and is not), qualities of the fuel, compatibility issues, chemistry, history of the movement and how the fuel can be made by anyone using simple and available chemicals. Students will experience making small batches of biodiesel from a variety of sources. Simple biodiesel reactor designs will be presented and discussed. After the class, students will be invited to visit a small-scale biodiesel processor near campus.Location:UW Campus.Max Enrollment: 25 General Public: $44 ; UW Students: $29. Register online at: http://exco.org or by phone at: 206-685-3276. Easiest way to get to reg. page is to Google: "experimental college biodiesel"Exp.Coll info: http://exco.org or 206-543-4375
Biodiesel Homebrew Workshop.
Saturday February 4, 2006 from 10 AM - 3:30 PM
Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle 98103
This class will be serve as both an introduction to biodiesel and a hands-on experience for those interested in learning how to make biodiesel from used restaurant oil. You will learn the chemistry and tricks of making quality biodiesel by making small batches and experimenting with different veg oils, catalysts, and pH indicators. We will also cover washing, quality control, sources of supplies and equipment, and reactor design, with an emphasis on the "Appleseed" reactor made from an electric water heater. Other topics to be covered will include: myths and facts about biodiesel, cold weather issues, local availabilitiy, and what's going on locally and nationally with the movement. Whether you just want to learn more so you can decide whether or not to use biodiesel, or you want to make your own brew, this class will help you get underway. After the class, students will be invited to visit a small-scale home biodiesel processor. Max Enrollment: 30. Fee: $50 or if financial need, $30-$50 sliding scale. 10% of proceeds will be donated to NW Biodiesel Network.Register by sending $15 by PayPal to: lylecroc@yahoo.com or, if no PayPal, send check to: BioLyle's Biodiesel Workshop, PO Box 18924, Seattle 98118. Questions? email: biolyle@gmail.com
Curious about using biodiesel on your farm or ranch, in your nursery operation or vineyard? Join us for a day-long workshop featuring experts from Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Learn about:
* production and processing of oilseed feedstock for biodiesel
(including what to do with the processing by-products),
* small scale processing options for making biodiesel on-farm,
* biodiesel use in agricultural equipment,
* storage and handling of biodiesel, and
* federal and state financial incentives for using biodiesel in
your agricultural operation.
This workshop will be held in two Oregon locations:
* 1 December 2005 at the CH2MHill Alumni Center on the OSU Campus,
Corvallis
* 8 December 2005 at the Pendleton Conference Center, Pendleton
Workshops will run from 8 am to 4:30 pm, and lunch will be provided.
Admission is $25, and pre-registration is required.
To register or if you have questions, contact Kathy Hyzy, at kathyh@oeconline.org or 503.222.1963 x105
These workshops are hosted by the Oregon Environmental Council and are made possible through a generous grant from the Lamb Foundation.
Kathy Hyzy
Program Assistant
Oregon Environmental Council
222 NW Davis St Ste 309
503-222-1963 x 105
Date: Tuesday Night, November 22, 2005Time: 6pm-9pmDonation: $25 Door for Entrepreneurs & Investors, $35 for Service Providers + Food DonationTIE & MindCamp Members: $5.00 Off - (Please alert us at the door)Credit Card Payment for Tickets: Please call 206.356.5130 to reserve your ticket and for processingLocation: Consolidated Works, 500 Boren Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Please join us for the Annual Venture All Stars Food Drive & Networking Event. The NW area food banks are extremely low on donations this year due to Katrina! Please bring a food donation to the event. Wine and full bar offered at the venue, 21 +I.D.
Food Lifeline - http://www.foodlifeline.orgFood Lifeline is the Western Washington affiliate of America's Second Harvest and a member of the national emergency response team in time of national disasters. As Washington's largest hunger relief agency Food Lifeline is working to provide nutritious food to hungry people in Western Washington. Each year Food Lifeline rescues and distributes 21 million pounds of food to its food bank network of Western Washington in 17 counties feeding 550,000 hungry people.
Special thank you to Heni & Spud for the food donation for our guests & Food Lifeline. Visit http://www.spud.com.Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (SPUD) is North America's leading organic food delivery service and Seattle's newest home grocer. We offer a complete selection of the freshest, healthiest products we can find and deliver them to your door at no extra cost than your local grocery store. Give us a try and discover all you can do with the time you save by not having to go grocery shopping.
Consolidated Works Art Exhibit: Hear it for yourselfThe Trimpin Installation is open Internationally recognized artist Trimpin premieres his new kinetic-acoustic installation titled Sheng High at Consolidated Works as part of a region-wide celebration of the artists career. Trimpin has presented artist residencies, performances, site-specific sound installations, and collaborations throughout the world, but seldom has been shown in Seattle, until now.
Venture Networking: Venture All Stars has invited over 250 investors, entrepreneurs and industry experts to spend time face-to-face in a pure- networking environment. Bring your business cards and a guest.
Photo from past event hosted at Chateau Ste Michelle by Asa Mathat
Signup at the event for your Venture All Stars Membership and receive a Complementary PR Newswire Growth Track Newsline Press Release ($250.00 Value)
Meet the Consolidated Works team and learn how you can support and enjoy one the NW finest non-profit art centers. Conworks has great facilities to host your corporate events. Visit
www.conworks.orgNow on to the fun stuff. The Venture Companies.
1. Microstaq. I LOVE this one. They basically have a silicon flow control valve that is about 1/20 the size of the mechanical flow control valve it replaces. A picture says a 1000 words and I wish I had the one from their presentation with the old valve and the new one next to each other. My friends at Yaletown are in the deal and my old friend Russ Aldrich just became interim CEO. This is part of the overall solid-state-ization of the automobile. Look under your hood. There are hundreds if not thousands of analogue old mechanical things in there. Most everything outside the core engine itself could be made solid state and out of silicone with enough thought. There are already large locomotives and dump trucks with solid state drive trains. Their first target market is to replace the mechanical flow control valve in an air condition pump with an electronically controlled one, a $750M market. You get 4mpg better, save weight and have finer grain control. The issue is the long sales cycle. But fortunatley these guys came out of the auto parts industry and have the right contacts. I like it.
2. Columbia Energy partners. This was more a project finance, Real estate limited partnership pitch than a venture pitch. They are basically small scale (<10MW) wind developers taking advantage of the standardized interconnect contracts and requirements for utilities to buy power from these facilities. They basically need $1.5M in equity up front to put in a 5MW deal. These equity investors are really treated like loans and get a projected 12% IRR over a 20 year life. Basically they should be marketing this in $50K chunks to doctors and lawyers not to VCs. There is no invention here.
3. Sieber Energy Inc. Yet another wave energy company. But this one has an interesting technology twist. They basically put bobbers on plungers out in the ocean. As these go up and down they create compressed air, just like when you pump a bicycle pump. This compressed air is delivered by a LONG hose to the shore. There you can run anything pneumatic from an electricity generator to a nail gun. Their technology works in prototype lab scale at the university and they want to commercialize it. Too much of a wild ass swing for me, but intellectualy interesting. Will take ALOT of capital to commercialize.
4. Novinium. These guys have figured out a way to increase the lifespan of medium voltage electricity grid cables. The WW industry spends about $350M a year replacing cables they say. Inject their gunk into your cables and get another 40 years (good as new) they say. Their goo is second generation goo. The first generation was developed by the same team and is now sold by the leader in the field with about $60M in revenues. Looks like an interesting niche technology with a long sales cycle to me. Not great for venture sized returns.
Comments always welcome.
Announcing the August 23 Northwest Energy Symposium and investment forum.
The EnergyVenture Northwest investment forum is the Pacific Northwest's premier forum focusing exclusively on energy-related businesses. Created by the Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative (NWETC), this event will feature presentations by six companies based in Washington, Oregon, Idaho or British Columbia engaging in high-growth opportunities.
These promising companies have experienced teams developing clean-energy technology products that are more efficient, have little environmental impact and/or reduced cost of production. All companies have been screened by a panel of investment experts and coached to give clear, concise investor presentations.
You also will have the pportunity to network with representatives from industry, utilities, academia, government, and other investors - all in one place.
For more information and agenda, please see http://www.nwetc.com/enventure.php or
http://www.nwetc.com/eventhandler.php?action=view&news_id=51
Register: To confirm your reserved seating, please register by August 15 at: https://www.sporg.com/servlet/IndRegister?sporgEventID=11931&viewType=1 Registration includes admission to the entire NW Energy Symposium, of which the Energy Forum is part.
Cost: $95 includes breakfast, lunch and evening reception.
Where: DoubleTree Lloyd Center, 1000 NE Multnomah, Portland, OR, 503-281-6111
When: Tuesday, August 23. The Symposium begins at 8 a.m. and the investment forum begins at 1:30 p.m.
EnergyVenture Northwest and NWETC
EnergyVenture Northwest is one of the initiatives created by NWETC to push products through the demonstration phase. It is one of several programs that falls under the Commercialization Services Portfolio of the Collaborative. A few of the other programs in this portfolio are: establishing testing commitments in the field, showcasing your market-ready product, and preparing companies to present to the venture capital/angel investor community.
****************************************
Nate Silverman
Manager, WTC Angel Network
Washington Technology Center
Office: 206-616-7153 | Mobile: 206-618-7871
Mail: 300 Fluke Hall Box 352140 Seattle, WA 98195-2140
]]>
When: Friday, October 14, 7:30am to 6pm
Where: The historic Tower Theater, Bend OR
Cost: $149 early registration through September 30th
Includes continental breakfast, lunch, a post conferencecocktail party and all conference proceedings
BVC 2005 will feature a keynote presentation from Tim Boyle, President and CEO of Columbia Sportswear Company. A panel of experienced and influential investors will discuss their current investment criteria, areas of focus and what it takes to get equity funding in todays market.
In addition, six to nine well qualified entrepreneurs will pitch their seed or early stage company, getting feedback from our investor panel and our questions from the audience. The conference will focus on well qualified investment opportunities in both technology and non-technology companies.
]]>