March 10, 2020
Bart Bohn, startup adviser 
Elisa Gilson, project manager
Pecan Street Inc. has filled its second cohort of companies participating in its PLATFORM for Product Launch program. Designed to leverage Pecan Street’s groundbreaking research on residential and small business electricity and water use, PLATFORM integrates data-driven market intelligence, product development and validation, rapid prototyping, and collaboration with venture funding and energy industry executives.
Testing and validating energy and water technology in the real world is difficult and expensive. PLATFORM helps startups demonstrate their products’ and services’ value faster, so they can attract funding sooner.
Participating companies had their products tested at Pecan Street’s lab, working with staff engineers on performance optimization and an investor-quality performance verification report. They will get assistance developing investor materials and support with pitch meetings. If you are interested in these reports for investment-related decisions, please reach out to Bart Bohn at BBohn@pecanstreet.org.
Athena Power
Athena Power provides a low-cost/high functionality sensor solution called the UFD 1000, a self-powered, wireless, highly rugged and submersible product that provides detailed analytics and accurate power metrology for the underground distribution grid (e.g., padmount, vaults, and manholes). Major applications include fault detection, InRush detection, bi-directional power flow/directional fault, and advanced power quality analysis.
ATX-LED
ATX-LED has completely rethought how light is wired. It eliminates expensive copper, uses less energy, reduces LED operating temperature, and increases LED lifespan by 5x – all while reducing failure risk. The solution enables smart home automation controls with more precision and lower cost or can function as if it is a legacy wall switch.
BRASH Engines
Brash provides a residential scale micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) product as a direct replacement for old, inefficient home boilers and furnaces. Based on patented technology, one combustion process generates heat, power and domestic hot water for the home, thereby reducing home energy cost by nearly eliminating grid power demand.
Capacitech
The Cable-Based Capacitor (CBC) is a thin, flexible, wire-shaped energy storage technology with supercapacitor performance. Its unique form factor can be used to help miniaturize electronics and can be built inside DC power cords connecting sources to loads. The CBC has a 7x – 10x operating life compared to batteries, and when used to complement batteries, it improves their maximum capacity and operating life by up to 35%.
CURB
CURB is an intelligent energy monitoring and management system for residential and commercial customers. It collects data through hardware disaggregation using current transformer (CT) clamps that fasten over wires within the electrical panel. By pushing this data to end-users, it enables them to be more energy efficient. Through integrations with smart home devices, it provides the ability to control and automate appliances. CURB’s granular data allows for robust applications including appliance failure detection, control solutions, and safety alerts.
Leaptran
The Sky Imager forecasts future solar irradiance to be available at installation sites using a camera and pyranometer. Solar irradiance forecasts are 5, 15, and 30 minutes ahead. This product is designed to work in conjunction with large solar arrays and inverters to determine future solar energy production. The 180-degree camera takes pictures of the overhead sky and sends the images and recorded solar irradiance values to be analyzed and processed through algorithms that generate the forecast of future solar irradiance availability.
Neocharge
Neocharge is a smart splitter device that provides access to charging at home by plugging into a 220-volt outlet occupied by an electric dryer, hot water heater, EV charger, or electric heat pump in or near the garage. It ensures that charging between the appliance and the car is synchronized, so the appliance receives power when needed and the car resumes charging afterward. This plug-and-play solution can be installed without an electrician or permitting delays. The smart system integrates charge scheduling, automated carbon emission reduction, metering and demand response capabilities.
SAM Controller
The Compressor Controller is a versatile, machine learning control system that can be installed on any brand of reciprocating piston air compressor. It is a durable, real-time computing solution that ensures optimal compressor performance and minimal energy footprint while providing historical performance data/analytics tracking for easier and more consistent asset management. Built-in protections lower the startup current, reduce the oil/air contamination and prevent pump overrun on air line ruptures.
Shower Stream
Shower Stream is a motion-activated shower head adapter that saves hotels water, energy and money on their utility bills every month and proves the savings to hotel owners with a software analytics dashboard. Installing Shower Stream is easy: simply screw it on behind an existing showerhead. The simple device eliminates the problem of shower warm-up waste without disturbing the bather’s shower experience. Customers receive a 1-year breakeven and 400% 5-year ROI.