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Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) announced today the renaming of Accel-VT, a climate economy business accelerator managed by VSJF, to DeltaClime^VT in order to better align with the program’s mission of finding climate change solutions. Delta meaning change. Clime meaning climate. DeltaClime^VT is change for the better.

“The only constant in life is change and for millennia, this statement holds true,” said Geoff Robertson, business assistance director at VSJF. “It continues today as the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund proudly introduces the evolution of our business accelerator program, DeltaClime^VT.”

ΔClime^VT Energy²⁰²⁰ Now Accepting Applications Through Feb. 16, 2020

Along with the name change, VSJF opened the application period for the DeltaClime^VT Energy 2020 program, which will be focused on reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings, and enabling better integration of distributed energy resources and smart building technologies. They are seeking innovative, early-stage, energy entrepreneurs for the business accelerator to be held in Burlington, Vermont. Applications for Energy 2020 are due Feb. 16, 2020.

Eight to ten companies will be competitively selected from Vermont and throughout the U.S. and Canada to work with climate economy leaders, industry experts, potential partners and investment professionals. Participants will complete an intensive curriculum, developed by ecosVC, during three four-day onsite workshops over three months in addition to webinars and mentoring sessions between the workshops.

This will be the fourth cohort for the business accelerator. Graduates of the 2017, 2018 and 2019 programs benefited from substantive meetings with various Vermont companies who were looking for innovative technologies and products. In addition to connecting the accelerator participants to the larger ecosystem of business support and capital in Vermont, Energy 2020 participants will compete for a $25,000 non-equity award to be awarded to the top company and compete for the opportunity to demonstrate their technology through collaborative pilot projects with DeltaClime^VT sponsors Burlington Electric Department and Green Mountain Power. Three participating companies won pilot projects as a result of Energy 2019.

The goal for the Energy 2020 program is to help move us toward a zero-carbon future through better integration of distributed resources and smart building technologies and to help Vermont’s utilities harden the distribution network against outages.

“We are particularly interested in technologies that have wide potential applicability and enable low and moderate-income populations and multi-family building residents to participate in the low-carbon economy,” said Robertson.

Who Should Apply for ΔClime^VT Energy²⁰²⁰

DeltaClime^VT is interested in startup and/or seed stage ventures who offer products or services, including smart home and building technologies, aimed at reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings, enable better integration of distributed resources and smart building technologies, increase resiliency and/or support demand management strategies that avoid peak time energy usage.

Some examples of technologies or services could include, but are not limited to:

• innovative heating systems, such as advanced wood heat, geothermal heat pumps, advanced air to water heat pump systems or heat pump technology with integrated storage or demand response controls;
• building controls that align with utility demand response signals;
• new weatherization materials or building construction materials that have lower embodied carbon footprints and help reduce energy use;
• smart thermostats, EV charging supply equipment and other devices to include storage that could align with utility demand response signals;
• fuel cell technologies;
• innovative solutions to bring reliable connectivity (ex. broadband) to rural areas to enable behind the meter technologies;
• innovative financing models for technologies and services (e.g., innovative loans, on-bill financing, heating as a service); and
• any other technology or service that reduces energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings and/or supports demand management in buildings.

To apply for or sponsor DeltaClime^VT Energy 2020, visit deltaclimevt.com.

About DeltaClime^VT – A Climate Economy Business Accelerator

The DeltaClime^VT business accelerator (formerly Accel-VT) is a Vermont-based program serving startup and seed-stage ventures focusing on energy and climate economy innovation in the energy sector. The program provides an intense accelerated learning and business development process designed to test assumptions, expose and remediate business vulnerabilities, prepare for significant investment, and provide a platform for rapid scaling. As a proven leader in sustainability, Vermont offers participants access to a large number of entrepreneurial climate economy and energy experts throughout the program. The program is managed by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF). deltaclimevt.com

Funding Support

DeltaClime^VT is funded by VLITE, the Jane’s Trust Foundation, the Sustainable Future Fund, and a large number of utility and corporate sponsors. See deltaclimevt.com for more details.

About Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

In addition to offering the DeltaClime^VT business accelerator to startup and seed stage entrepreneurs, the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) provides business assistance, value chain facilitation, network development, and strategic planning to a wide range of stakeholders in the agriculture and food system, forest product, waste management, renewable energy, and environmental technology sectors. Located in Montpelier, Vermont, VSJF was created by the Vermont Legislature in 1995 to partner with state government, private sector businesses, and nonprofits to build a thriving economic, social, and ecological future for Vermont. www.vsjf.org

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