Energy and Environment
A society in which everyone can enjoy clean and sustainable resources and energy. This category includes solar, wind, and any other innovative ideas to create clean power (either for personal use or at a large scale) or new systems for better electricity capture, storage or distribution. It also covers technologies and programs to protect and regenerate forests, oceans, our atmosphere, and other limited environments as well as initiatives to create sustainable land use processes.
2011: 350.org
350.org is creating a global movement to stop the climate crisis through online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions that are led from the bottom up by thousands of volunteer organizers in over 188 countries.
2012: Reef Check
A network of 30,000 volunteers in more than 90 countries monitors the health of coral reefs. Volunteers collect scientific data and turn it over to government agencies.
2013: Aquion Energy
Aquion invented environmentally friendly batteries that can be used in large-scale energy systems like solar and wind power generators. The batteries are made with non-toxic materials like saltwater that acts as the electrolyte.
2014: Retroficiency
Retroficiency is the building efficiency intelligence company for utilities and energy service providers. Its proprietary software platform creates a unique energy model of any building to provide actionable insights that enable the fastest, most cost-effective way to target buildings, engage customers, convert projects and track opportunities at scale.
2015: Ocean CleanUp
The Ocean Cleanup is a nonprofit engineering environmental organization that develops technology to extract plastic pollution from the oceans and intercept it in rivers before it can reach the ocean.
2016: Holganix
Holganix produces and supplies plant-based bio-stimulant soil supplements that promote soil health, improve stress resistance and increase crop yield.They serve landscape and lawn care companies.
2017: CarbonCure
CarbonCure is a CO2 utilization technology company serving the global cement and concrete industry. CarbonCure concrete production technology enables concrete to permanently capture carbon dioxide (CO2), while enhancing concrete’s strength and value, upcycling waste CO2 sourced from final emitters such as refineries or fertilizer plants.
2018: WePower
WePower is a green energy trading platform that connects individual business energy buyers directly with energy producers enabling them to purchase energy upfront at below-market rates.
2019: Heliogen
Heliogen has discovered a way to use artificial intelligence and a field of mirrors to reflect so much sunlight that it generates extreme heat above 1,000 degrees Celsius. The breakthrough means that, for the first time, concentrated solar energy can be used to create the extreme heat required to make cement, steel, glass and other industrial processes.
2020: Bulb Energy
The company provides its members with 100% renewable electricity from solar, wind and hydro. Its gas is 100% carbon-neutral too. They offset the emissions from the gas they supply by supporting carbon reduction projects around the world.