Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster Celebrates 2024 Cleantech Innovation Award Winners

The 2024 Cleantech Innovation Awards, presented by RTCC at a ceremony Wednesday, included recognition for leading innovators and cleantech projects from across North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. (November 14, 2024) – The winners of the 2024 Cleantech Innovation Awards, including outstanding cleantech projects, innovations, organizations, and individuals, were recognized at an awards ceremony held on November 13^th at the SAS Institute in Cary. Winners were honored by the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC), an initiative of business, government, academic, and nonprofit leaders focused on accelerating the growth of the regional and statewide cleantech economy.

This year’s Platinum Sponsor was Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader advancing a sustainable energy future for all by making the world’s energy system more flexible, secure, and sustainable. Gold sponsors included Duke Energy and Ndustrial; Silver sponsors were The Town of Cary, Trilliant, and Windlift; and the Host Sponsor was the SAS Institute, a global leader in AI and analytics software.

“I’m impressed and inspired by the incredible people and work that our Cleantech Innovation Awards celebrate,” said Dr. Deb Wojcik, Executive Director of the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster. “It is an honor to recognize the many teams, companies, start-ups, academic institutions, and government agencies represented among our nominees, finalists, and winners. They are all making important contributions to the successful growth and leadership of the cleantech sector in North Carolina and beyond.”

The winners for each of the 2024 award categories are listed below:

Cleantech Champion of the Year – Recognizes an individual who exemplifies a deep commitment to advancing the cleantech industry in their local community, the Research Triangle region, or statewide.

Tim Fairchild
Tim Fairchild, a seasoned veteran in the energy and supply chain industries, is a dedicated champion of cleantech innovation. With a career spanning more than 40 years, including significant roles at SAS and IBM, Tim now mentors the next generation of cleantech leaders at the NCSU Supply Chain Resource Cooperative. His passion for the field is evident in his active involvement with organizations like RTCC, where he was a founding Board Member and served for nine years, and UNC Charlotte’s EPIC. His dedication to both his work and his fellow humans makes him an inspiring role model and a true force for positive change.

Cleantech Entrepreneurship Award – Recognizes an individual who has demonstrated innovation through the development of new technology or advancing existing technology that has the potential to disrupt traditional industries, create a cleaner planet, and improve the quality of life for people here in North Carolina or around the world.

DG Matrix
DG Matrix is redefining the EV charging, microgrid, and AI datacenter markets with revolutionary power electronics technology. The company’s core Power Router technology unlocks seamless integration of multiple energy sources and loads simultaneously with a single power-electronics unit that offers unparalleled versatility, efficiency, and size advantages.

Cleantech Research Innovation Award – Recognizes an individual or team from industry or within an institution of higher learning that is pursuing a research-based solution to a pressing cleantech challenge.

Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Wiley, Duke University Chemistry Department
Dr. Benjamin Wiley’s work is focused on the reduction of industrial carbon emissions through the production of green hydrogen by splitting water with renewable electricity. More specifically, his research is centered around increasing the productivity of electrolyzers used in green hydrogen. Dr. Wiley’s research shows that innovative electrode and electrolyzer designs can boost hydrogen production 50-fold. This breakthrough cuts production costs, making green hydrogen a more viable solution for large-scale industrial decarbonization. 

Cleantech Impact: Economic Development – Recognizes a cleantech organization that has accelerated economic growth in the region or state.

Natron Energy
Natron Energy, Inc., is the only commercial manufacturer of sodium-ion batteries in the U.S. In 2024, Natron announced it will invest $1.4 billion to establish a sodium-ion battery giga-factory at the Kingsboro CSX Select Megasite in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. The project will create more than 1,000 jobs with an annual payroll impact near $77 million. This transformative project is a huge win for eastern North Carolina and will yield dividends for years to come. 

Cleantech Impact: Energy – Recognizes an energy project that applies cleantech to create positive impacts for the environment, economy, and residents.

United Therapeutics Corporation – Project Lightyear
United Therapeutics’ 55,000 gross square feet, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) cold storage warehouse and distribution center located in RTP serves as a model for corporate sustainability. The fully electric, fossil-fuel free site includes onsite solar, geothermal wells, and battery backup among other features.  

Cleantech Impact: Local Government – Recognizes a local government or governments that have effectively leveraged resources and partnerships to complete an innovative project or initiative deploying cleantech solutions to create positive impacts for the environment, economy, and residents.

City of Charlotte – Sustainable Facilities Policy Revision – Beneficial Electrification
The City of Charlotte’s Sustainable Facilities Policy Revision – Beneficial Electrification, builds on the elements of the 2021 policy with a focus on the way the City constructs new buildings, completes major renovations, and operates and maintains city buildings. The most notable update is in building decarbonization, now requires all new buildings be powered exclusively by electricity, which means no direct combustion of carbon-emitting fuels. 

Cleantech Impact: Transportation – Recognizes a transportation or mobility project that uses innovative cleantech solutions to create positive impacts for the environment, economy, and residents.

Town of Carrboro – 2024 Street Resurfacing Project
In 2024, the Town of Carrboro shifted towards an annual pavement management strategy rather than a traditional pavement overlay program. This shift allowed staff to consider the deployment of Pavement Technology’s PlusTi solution, which helps extend pavement life while also providing the environmental benefits of smog reduction and urban heat island mitigation.

Cleantech Impact: Water – Recognizes a water, wastewater, or stormwater project that applies cleantech solutions to create positive impacts for the environment, economy, and residents.

ProcessWerx – FOG2Fuel
The ProcessWerx fats, oils and grease recovery and wastewater project was designed for and provided to WM for its FOG2Fuel^® Program. The project exemplifies a state-of-art cleantech solution by delivering real-world environmental, economic, and community impacts. The FOG2Fuel^® system can handle up to 60,000 gallons of FOG wastewater per day. This solution not only generates biofuel but also delivers treated wastewater suitable for sewer disposal. 

Diversity in Cleantech Award –Recognizes an organization or initiative that has made significant contributions to ensuring the cleantech workforce reflects the people it serves, pursues organizational approaches that are inclusive of a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, or actively supports employees’ sense of belonging within the organization.

C4EE – Center for Energy Education
The Center for Energy Education, or C4EE, is a renewable energy education and workforce development nonprofit based in Roanoke Rapids that serves rural counties in northeast North Carolina. C4EE’s primary focus is educating the region about clean energy with goals of providing sustainable employment and environmental sustainability. Working side-by-side with a range of stakeholders—academic, business, industry, workforce associations, elected officials, and nonprofits—C4EE shapes its initiatives through conversations and commitment, fitting the needs of rural, underserved communities while accommodating the challenges of populations which are historically marginalized. C4EE’s programs are driving a clean energy future sustained by equitable participation in clean energy jobs. 

Equity in Cleantech Award – Recognizes an organization or initiative that has demonstrated a strong commitment to equity in the implementation of a cleantech project.

Maureen Joy Charter School, Durham, NC – Maureen Joy Charter School Bus Electrification
Maureen Joy Charter School in Durham, NC, is one of the nation’s first schools to launch a full fleet of electric buses, overcoming unique challenges in a historic district with the support of partners like Carolina Thomas, Utilities Partners of America, and Duke Energy. This pioneering initiative, which spanned more than two years, has not only provided an environmentally sustainable transportation solution but also emphasized their commitment to health equity for their predominantly minority student body. 

Cleantech Talent Development Award – Recognizes an organization or initiative that has made a significant contribution to developing talent, providing professional development, or fostering employment opportunities that support the cleantech industry in the region or state.

North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) – NC Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Sectoral Partnership
NCBCE leveraged a grant from the Siemens Foundation to develop and support the workforce in the EV charging sector. The NCBCE-led EV Sectoral Partnership brought together stakeholders and developed the groundbreaking EVSE Field Technician training course providing hands-on experience with EV charging equipment. The pilot program launched at Wake Tech in June preparing students for the SAE EVSE exam. A Train-the-Trainer course and supporting materials are being developed to scale the program across community colleges, alongside a new 100-hour foundational course that covers electrical, manufacturing, and renewable energy concepts. 

RTCC also recognizes the contributions of the 2024 Cleantech Innovation Awards’ sponsors, including the Platinum Sponsor, Hitachi Energy; Gold Sponsors Duke Energy and Ndustrial; and Silver Sponsors Town of Cary, Trilliant, and Windlift. The Host Sponsor was the SAS Institute.

Image caption: RTCC Executive Director Dr. Deb Wojcik and Duke Energy’s Kendal Bowman at the 2024 Cleantech Innovation Awards

About Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC)
The mission of the Research Triangle Cleantech Cluster (RTCC) is to accelerate growth and leadership of the cleantech economy, leveraging the unique concentration of industry, academic, and government leaders in the Research Triangle to create benefits through innovation, deployment, and talent in the region, North Carolina, and beyond.

About Hitachi Energy 
Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We are advancing the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure and we collaborate with customers and partners to enable a sustainable energy future – for today’s generations and those to come. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries, serving customers in utility, industry, transportation, data centers and infrastructure sectors. With innovative technologies and services including the integration of more than 150 gigawatts of HVDC links into the power system, we help make the energy value chain more efficient, making electricity more accessible to all. Together with stakeholders across sectors and geographies, we enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 45,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of around $13 billion USD. For more information, visit https://www.hitachienergy.com