Low-carbon innovators win Carbon Trust awards

by Bryan Betts, Manufacturing editor

The Carbon Trust today announced the winners of its 2009 awards for low-carbon innovation. Top prize went to Artemis Intelligent Power for its work on replacing traditional hydraulics with its Digital Displacement technology, which uses computer-controlled high speed solenoid valves.

Introducing the awards, Carbon Trust boss Tom Delay said that over 250 entrants had been whittled down to a second round of 64 and then to 16 finalists. He added that the overall standard of “cleantech innovation” had been so high, even among the non-finalists, that the judges had determined to also make “highly-commended” awards in every category.

The category winners were Artemis Intelligent Power in the Power section, TMO Renewables in the Transport section for technology that turns waste biomass into ethanol, CamSemi in the Buildings section for its work on power management electronics, and Oxtensis in the Industry section for its development of high temperature sensors for turbines and process control.

Two other awards were made for the most innovative applications of clean technology - Commercial Group took first prize for the private sector for revolutionising its fleet of vehicles, while the top prize for the public sector went to Oxford City Council for an ambitious energy management programme that includes plans to site three wind turbines on council land.

Ted Wiggams, VP of operations for CamSemi, said that the award would be a big boost for the company’s employees, and would help it win investors and customers alike.

“It’s always good to get recognition - it’s great for our public profile and it is vindication for the people in the company,” he said. “We were spun out of Cambridge University some years ago into what was then a not very sexy industry, but since then we’ve been in the right place at the right time with the right technology.”

A full list of the winners and runners-up is available on the Carbon Trust website.