Driving innovation

ClearCove Systems, based in Rochester, New York, describes itself as both a wastewater treatment solutions company and a renewable energy company. The company got its start by introducing a technology to separate organics from wastewater and has focused on processes that enable treatment plants to become self-sustaining through renewable energy production.

The company was founded in 2013 by Rochester Institute of Technology classmates Terry Wright and Greg Westbrook, whose approach allowed wastewater to be converted to a renewable energy source. In August, the company was named one of 24 finalists for the Fifth Annual Greater Rochester Excellence and Achievements in Technology awards.

Ginny Brandreth, chief marketing advisor for the company, says the company specializes in harvesting organics from wastewater, based on the belief that these organics could be the most underutilized fuel for renewable energy generation. In the following Q&A, Brandeth shares some details about the company’s objectives and future plans.
 

Q: What new projects or systems have you been focusing on?

A: After successfully demonstrating our technology at over 15 municipal locations and completing our NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) supported PON (Program Opportunity Notice) 2722 program, we are targeting a full-scale municipal installation beginning before the year’s end.
 

Q: What makes you different from your competitors?

A: Our competitors and conventional wastewater treatment technologies focus on expending immense amounts of energy to destroy organics in the secondary treatment process. Clear-Cove is driving innovation by focusing on the primary treatment phase, utilizing gravity and filtration to achieve the capture of high-value organics before they reach secondary treatment, resulting in a sludge which is substantially higher in methane potential for energy generation in anaerobic digesters and significant energy savings downstream.
 

Q: Where do you see your company five years from now?

A: Five years from now we see ClearCove continuing to be a leader and driver of innovation in the wastewater-to-renewable energy industry.