A few days ago I wrote about my timely discussion with Jonathan Cloud, Entrepreneur in Residence at the Institute for Sustainable Enterprise at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is responsible for the new Sustainable Business Incubator there, and he is a big mover and shaker for green business in New Jersey.

This post is #2 of 2 from that discussion, and includes more specifics about sustainable companies and opportunities in NJ that are unlikely to fade amidst the general recession and energy price crash, in my view.

SBI's goal is to use its expertise and huge network to help green technologies and very early stage green companies succeed big. In a sense we all have a stake in the success of sustainable business, and probably all have an expertise or know someone who can contribute to sustainable business in New Jersey.


New -- Sustainable Business Network. First, a partial digression from SBI: I was thrilled to learn that Cloud has recently launched the Sustainable Business Network, with has a strong representation from New Jersey. It's an online social network linking professionals with a similar passion, opening up easy opportunities to connect in the way Facebook allows. The Sustainable Business Network is less than three months old, so there's a chance to get in "at the bottom" while it's still considered a collegial gesture to get in touch with anyone in the Network. Through it, I learned from Wendy Knapik about the Northeast Organic Farmers Association - NJ, which is holding its major winter meeting in January at Rutgers' Cook Campus; the website lists a new job posting as well. I also learned about Ed Schwartz, a sustainability consultant who offers energy audits and green improvements via his firm Green Living Solutions (NJ). There are many other interesting folks listed.


Now regarding the Sustainable Business Incubator again ... its work is equally fascinating and touches the mind with a sense of opportunity.

• For instance, Cloud and SBI are working closely with HydroCoil Power, Inc., which makes unique water turbines that could revolutionize the U.S. power grid. They transform flowing water to electricity at much lower levels of water flow and pressure than traditional turbines, which could help transform thousands of existing dams into green energy sources. HydroCoil estimates that there's enough pent-up energy within the 70,ooo-80,000 dams in the U.S. (the vast majority of which are small and aren't producing electricity now) to power the entire nation's energy needs. And while there's a movement in America to deconstruct dams, in many cases the ecological damage damage of removing the dams would be larger than leaving the dams alone because of the ecosystems they currently sustain. HydroCoil's minimally invasive turbine technology could present a boon across the country, not to mention the world. Moreover, its turbines could be applied to numerous areas, such as capturing lost power that's in buildings that have water tanks on their roofs. There's a touch of New Jersey poignancy to the story. Our own Paterson Falls hydro plant, an impetus for the American industrial revolution, is one of the last functioning hydro power entities in NJ; it hasn't been refurbished in years and doesn't utilize the full power capacity of the falls. HydroCoil may provide a compelling solution. Cloud is also working with with HydroCoil's sister company, the installer National Hydropower. He also assisted NJ's Energy Master Plan in ultimately recognizing the enormous potential for hydro power in NJ.

• There will also be a new automotive opportunity in NJ, if the Incubator is successful in transforming home-grown technology to a business entity. Cloud is currently working with Fairleigh Dickinson University engineers and others who have created the basis for turning regular gas-powered vehicles into vehicles that can also run on plug-in electric power, at the flick of a switch. The Incubator is now expanding its network of contacts, many of them in New Jersey, and looking for more people and firms with relevant expertise. I recently saw an estimate that 75,000 New Jersey jobs are ultimately tied to the U.S. automakers, which gives us a pool of talent and a big stake in American automotive innovation.

Finally, note that I've added significantly to the Links - Business Entities section of this blog. There are many under-utilized listings of sustainable businesses in the state, and I'll be adding more as time goes on. Whether you're looking for a job, opportunities for your business, or contributions to your green endeavor, the NJ green business links could be helpful. One of the new links, for instance, is titled "Renewable Energy Businesses in NJ," which lists 144 such companies headquartered here. Finally, don't forget to click the Green Business label for our previous related posts.

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