Energy Technology Showcase Participation Report

October 21 - 23, 2002

Executive Summary

October 21 - 23^rd, Janet and Bill attended the Energy Technology Showcase in Portland, where we presented a multi-media PowerSat exhibit and attended lectures and panel discussions. The conference was geared to participants in the energy-environmentalism industry and had a specific focus on distributed generation systems. Attendees and speakers represented public utilities, government, research organizations and environmental groups. The conference turned out to have a much smaller attendance than organizers had hoped for (and advertised) but it gave us a way to meet a cross-section of experts in the energy industry.

We had four goals for our participation in the conference:

1. Public debut of our powersat design
2. Make contacts in the industry to form the foundation of a network
3. "Sanity Check" by getting reactions from independent experts
4. Road test our exhibit and presentation skills

All four goals were successfully met, with details given below.

As a result of our participation in the conference, we have confirmed the solidness of the powersat concept and our ability to communicate it effectively. We have also realized the critical importance of making face-to-face contact with industry leaders and industry press representatives, leading to a shift in business plan strategy.

Networking

Prior to show, Janet researched the speakers, selected those who appeared to have technological expertise and/or interests that made them potential allies or champions for PowerSat Corporation, and wrote individualized letters to them, introducing PSC and inviting them to visit our booth. Four of the nine addressees visited the booth, and told us they had received Janet's letter. Bill talked to one of the others. Of the four with whom we did not have conversations, we know that three of them never came to the exhibit hall.

The overall quality of our contacts was excellent. People with whom we spoke fell into two groups: they had never heard of powersats before, or they had "read about that a long time ago." In all cases, significant education was necessary, but the vast majority of contacts were interested enough to become as educated as we could make them, and ended up favorably inclined toward the idea. Some expressed an attitude of "I'll keep an eye on your progress" rather than enthusiastic endorsement, but since we are newcomers to the community proposing a huge and paradigm-shifting project, we did not find this surprising.

Both of us feel that we did an excellent job with our presentations. There were no questions we could not answer. Each of us had a single encounter with a person who had a strong negative reaction, but those were isolated incidents.

Although our main focus was educating others, we also sought education ourselves. Along with Alison Gjertle of Northwest Energy, Jim Richardson, a power trader from Jacksonville FL, also was extremely generous with his time and expertise. The speaker sessions were an invaluable source of insider industry information.

We were not involved in all the conversations regarding powersats. Conference organizer Brooke Dickinson told us, "You guys are generating a lot of buzz!"

We have done a systematic follow-up with all our contacts, ranging from hand-written notes to informational packets to emails.

Industry Insights

Participation in the conference exposed us to aspects of the industry and its issues of which we were previously unaware. We discovered new areas of challenge, as well as opportunity for synergy with individuals and interest groups.

The conference organizers failed to make clear one important aspect of the conference: the focus was not on "new energy technology" in general, but specifically relating to Distributed Generation. Distributed Generation refers to the practice of utilizing small generators on a mini-region or single building level, leading away from the traditional reliance on large central generating systems. As proponents of a very large generator, we found ourselves bucking a trend, even though we share the goals of the DG's: reliance on renewable energy, reduction of emissions, economic advantage, and etc.

Out of this, however, we found a new way to align ourselves with existing interests: co-generation. Excess power from a powersat receiver can be used to produce hydrogen from any water source. Hydrogen is fast becoming the fuel of choice in next-generation automobiles and public transportation systems. Hydrogen can be combined with carbon dioxide from the air to form methanol, a favored gasoline substitute. Since powersats have no fuel cost, and no negative environmental consequences from electricity generation, the responsible thing to do is to run them full-on all the time. Turning them down "conserves" nothing. This means that we can use excess energy in any number of ways, including aluminum recycling, water desalination and carbon sequestration. These uses actually help UNDO the damage caused by other electrical generation technologies. When energy is clean and extremely inexpensive, many of our environmental problems become easy to solve.

There was a lot of conversation at the event, both in the panel discussions and informally, about the current condition of the Grid and its physical limitations. As electrical demand rises and new generation systems are built, the power lines and control systems will need to be updated to handle the load. Unfortunately, there is little incentive for existing power companies to pay for new lines, because they could lose "right of way" to another company who outbids them for preferential use of those same lines. PowerSat Corporation can gain allies in the industry and advance our own cause, by getting involved in this discussion and search for solutions.

Physical Exhibit

The primary physical presence of the booth was provided by a shell rescued from a dead dot-com. These black panel blocks were packed into a shelving unit which made for easy and low-cost transportation. Two folding tables were purchased, which also fit in the shelf structure. At the show, the shelf supported a television and DVD player, which played a looping version of our informational video.

New signs were designed for the show. A giant poster showing a powersat beaming power to earth covered the main part of the backdrop. One side sign detailed the environmental benefits of powersats, and the other one made the business case by showing the greater profitability of powersats compared to traditional generation systems. One table supported a Wireless Power Transmission Demonstration unit and WPT signage. The other table displayed information about the ISEC concept.

Brochures were available, as were Wireless Power Demonstration Cards. These cards had a small antenna, diode and LED affixed to them. When held next to the Demonstrator unit, the LED lit, demonstrating the fact that we don't need wires in order to transmit electrical power.

Two bars of track lights were installed over the backdrop provided effective lighting for the booth.

We found that we received relatively few challenges on the issue of wireless power transfer, but the demonstrator gave us an easy way to engage passers-by in our display - and the card can be used with a cellular phone or microwave, so visitors have something to take with them to spread the word about powersats and our company.

Summary

The strength of our presentation and the success of its reception strongly suggest that we have all the information we need to pitch PowerSat to angel investors.  It also gave us an introduction to influential members of the power and environmental communities.

The contacts we made at the conference have produced at least one champion already, and several more may become champions as we continue our follow-up. Further conference participation will build on this momentum, and larger conferences will give us access to other decision- and opinion-makers.