The Sacramento Area Regional Technology Association (SARTA), as part of its Clean Start initiative, held the 2011 Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase last Monday, October 24, 2011.

The showcase, entitled, “Green Innovation: Engine of Growth,” was the fifth annual showcase and was held in the California State University Sacramento Union.

SARTA CEO Meg Arnold welcomed everyone to the Union Ballroom and acknowledged the governmental leaders present.

SARTA CEO Meg Arnold (Image by: Bill Burgua)

Mayor Kevin Johnson, a strong supporter of bringing clean tech companies to Sacramento; Dr. Joseph F. Sheley, Sacramento State Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Congresswoman Doris Matsui, a strong supporter of clean tech in Congress (via video); also offered their encouragement to those present.

Mayor Kevin Johnson (Image by: Bill Burgua) Congresswoman Doris Matsui (Image by: Bill Burgua)

The welcome was followed by a series of speakers, starting with Neal Dikeman, founding partner of Jane Capital; Brian Keane, President of SmartPower and Carla Peterman, California Energy Commissioner.

The morning session also featured the presentation of the first Clean Tech Innovator of the Year Award to Dr. Raju Pandey of Synapse. The Distinguished Honoree was presented to Al Rich of SolarRoofs.com.  SARTA's award committee included: Jim Alves, SMUD, Jack Crawford, Velocity Venture Capital, Mark Henwood, CleanStart, Laurie ten Hope, California Energy Commisssion, Emir Macari, Sacramento State,  Jay Schmidt, PG&E, Gary Simon, CleanStart and Bruce White, UC Davis.       

In the afternoon, there were two tracks of panels and presentations with multiple presenters or panelists. Track A was “Driving Growth” and Track B, “Making Markets.”

At the same time, there was a large exhibition hall displaying examples of clean tech products and all the associated companies needed to develop clean technology. As with the presentations, both the technological side, including research by academic and private companies, and the technology that has been developed and is being marketed, were present.

Technology included solar panels, inverters to convert the DC electricity from the panels to AC for the grid, and plug-in stations for electric/plug-in hybrids.

Solar panel and inverter (red) (Image by: Bill Burgua)

Electric Vehical Charging Station (Image by: Bill Burgua)

Several companies displayed clean technology that sometimes gets lost in the flashy equipment. This included high powered computer technology that reduces energy consumption by better management of energy use.

Richard Hart with ENERNOC (Image by: Bill Burgua)

Emerging or developing technology - such as new, more efficient biofuels research and better ways of capturing solar energy – was also present.

Several research groups had poster presentations with researchers present to explain their work.

The business side included venture capital companies, law firms, marketing and communications consultants, business parks and workforce development and deployment firms.

Besides business and high technology, there was very low-tech technology present as well. The Sacramento Tree Foundation was there to promote the planting of shade trees to reduce residential heat load.

Sacramento Tree Foundation (Image by: Bill Burgua)

Susan Frost with Alliance Mortgage and Marketing spoke about their program, which works with a partner company that flips foreclosed houses with an emphasis on refitting the houses for energy conservation. The organization can then offer buyers a more energy efficient home with a mortgage with a lower down payment.

Even with all the technology on display on the exposition floor, the big technology draw was outside the building on a nearby street. Along with electric cars on display by manufacturers, there were numerous privately owned electric cars brought by their owners. The owners enthusiastically spoke with attendees about their real life experiences owning and driving the cars.  More about the cars and other electric transportation in a future article including a test drive of the latest electric car coming to maket in a future article.  

While 2011 Sacramento Clean Tech Showcase is aimed at those involved in the industry from academia, the private sector and government.  That said there was a lot to interest those in the general public that like to keep up on technology and any technophile would have been heaven at this event.