Power producing windows scoop first prize

Dutch students win London Business School’s CleanTech competition

A team of Dutch engineers which has developed coated windows capable of producing their own electricity, has been awarded the London Business School clean technology prize.

Students from Delft University of Technology landed first place and £10,000 for their 'Power Window' concept in the CleanTech Challenge 2013, beating off competition from nine other teams. The challenge was held on the School’s campus on 25-26 April.

Jointly hosted by London Business School and University College London (UCL), CleanTech Challenge, which was launched in 2009 sees students from all over the world develop their clean technology business plans through a three-stage competition. The competition aims to stimulate innovation in clean technology and foster cooperation between students with business and technical backgrounds.

Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean, London Business School, attended the competition said: “The CleanTech Challenge has grown enormously since its inception in 2009. This year over 200 ideas were submitted in the first stage from 28 countries. It is important that we encourage entrepreneurial initiatives and innovation to meet the changing economic and social needs - and that is exactly what a competition like the CleanTech Challenge does. This is a fantastic platform to encourage graduate students from business and engineering schools to take innovative clean technology ideas from the concept phase into business plans for seed funding.”

Judges said they were impressed with the team's Power Window idea, which produces electricity by combining three technologies: luminescence, fibre optic cables and photovoltaics.

The winning team said: "The CleanTech Challenge was an amazing experience, the inspiring atmosphere and professional guidance helped to bring our plans to the next level.

"It is fantastic to have the potential of our idea acknowledged by being awarded the first prize by a panel with so much knowledge and expertise in the field of clean technology."

Aerosol Control Technologies (ACT) from the Washington University of St Louis, Missouri came second with a technology that reduces exhaust emissions from diesel engines.

The CleanTech Challenge has a global reach and has given rise to four national competitions organised in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and France.

To find out more information and see a full list of participants click here.