The N.C. Department of Commerce's Office of Science and Technology is now accepting applications for the second round of N.C. Green Business Fund grants. The grants are designed to develop and commercialize promising technologies, products and services in the areas of biofuels, green building, clean technologies and renewable energy.

Applications may come from small and mid-size businesses, nonprofit organizations, state agencies and local governments. Pre-proposals are required and are due Jan. 9. The pre-proposals will be evaluated and a number selected to submit full proposals in March. Detailed information on applying for grants, requests for grant proposals, eligibility criteria and other guidelines are available on the Office of Science and Technology's Web site, http://www.ncscitech.com/gbf/.

Last year's grant program received 85 applications from 33 counties across the state. Thirteen companies received grants ranging from $18,000 to $100,000. The total amount available this year is $950,000. A list of 2008 recipients appears at the end of this release.

The Green Business Fund, created by the General Assembly in 2007, is designed to increase economic activity through environmentally friendly technologies and practices that improve performance, productivity or efficiency while reducing costs, energy consumption, waste or pollution. The fund awards grants for activities that encourage the expansion of small to medium-size businesses with 100 or fewer employees and innovative commercial technologies, products and services.

By statute, the grants focus on three priority areas:

• Development and promotion of the biofuels industry;
• Development and promotion of the green building industry; and/or
• Attracting and leveraging private sector investment and entrepreneurial growth in environmentally conscious clean technologies and renewable energy products and businesses.

2008 Recipients, N.C. Green Business Fund Grants
• Blue Ridge Biofuels of Asheville has been awarded $77,737 to develop and commercialize an innovative purification method to convert low-quality fatty acids into biofuels.
• Organofuels of Asheville has been awarded $81,944 to manufacture an algae-based fuel for gasoline engines.
• Ecocurrent of Raleigh will receive $100,000 for a novel technological process that converts hog manure to electric power in an economically viable manner, while producing valuable byproducts such as fertilizer and building materials.
• Evans Environmental of Wilson will receive $75,000 to remove residual water in the final stage of biodiesel production. This innovative process will facilitate increased production to commercial-grade biodiesel by 300%.
• Alganomics of Southport has been awarded $60,000 to produce reliable, environmentally responsible, natural and renewable bioproducts from algal sources. The primary bioproduct is extracted oil/fatty acids for use as a biodiesel fuel feedstock.
• Kyma Technologies of Raleigh has been awarded $60,000 to work with researchers at North Carolina State University to develop a very efficient, lower-cost electric switch to be used in a broad range of applications including hybrid and all electric vehicles, legacy and renewable electric grids and power supplies in general.
• 3F LLC of Raleigh has been awarded $100,000 to develop a new natural fiber-reinforced concrete formula. The resulting concrete will be lighter weight, yet stronger.
• Piedmont Biofuels of Pittsboro will receive $75,000 to develop a cavitation reactor to produce biodiesel fuel. The process uses less energy than traditional methods, has a much smaller physical footprint and causes a more complete reaction with higher fuel yields.
• Nextreme Thermal Solutions of Durham will receive $57,319 to manufacture a novel thermoelectric power generator capable of converting waste heat into usable electrical power.
• Rain Water Solutions of Raleigh will receive $18,000 to develop a new rain barrel manufacturing process that will allow mass production to meet increasing demand and provide an inexpensive, appealing option to consumers desiring to collect rainwater.
• Nanotech Labs of Yadkinville has been awarded $70,000 to develop and commercialize an energy storage device that has extremely high volume capacity but small overall dimensions.
• Phazetek of Greensboro has been awarded $75,000 to develop a new class of thermal efficient building material for transfer and storage building wallboards.
• Sencera of Charlotte has been awarded $100,000 to open a photovoltaic solar cell production facility in North Carolina based on a new thin-film manufacturing technology.