Perpetual Green: Perpetually ambitious about efficiency

Posted by Josh Ewing in CT Spotlight, Featured Articles on Jul 27th, 2009 | 15 responses

Every day, each of us go home to the world’s greatest source of alternative energy. According to Brent Ivie, founder of Perpetual Green, our homes represent our greatest opportunity to have a positive impact on reducing our carbon emissions and reducing the need for carbon-emitting sources of electrical generation. How do our homes create alternative energy? Ivie and his company firmly believe that a watt saved is a watt generated, to twist the old Benjamin Franklin quote.

In fact, Perpetual Green promises its system can reduce a home’s energy use by more than 30%. Older, less efficient homes can realize even greater savings. PG’s energy efficiency system is made up of several components, including “non sexy” elements, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs and weatherization. But the system goes further, with proprietary power correction technology and power consumption monitoring. The patented power correction equipment optimizes the power factor of electricity flowing into the home, making active appliances more efficient. And, the power monitoring equipment allows users to see their consumption patterns and waste, suggesting simple changes that can have big impacts on energy use.

This early stage company, like many in the new green economy, is rushing to market.

PerpetualGreen Offices in South Jordan, Utah

In less than a year, the company has gone from an idea to the verge of marketing products to the public. In fact, Gary Tanner, PG’s VP of Sales, reports that the company plans its first manufacturing run of its proprietary power correction equipment, this fall.

One might expect such a system to only be affordable by the most committed tree huggers. But perhaps the most innovative part of Perpetual Green’s approach is its “Green Equity” financing. This innovative payment mechanism allows home owners to tap the equity in their homes to pay for efficiency improvements. When a resident signs up for the PG system, the resident signs over a small percentage of the home’s equity, upon the sale of the home. With this approach, Perpetual Green hopes to tap into a huge emerging market: the millions of Americans who want to reduce carbon emissions, but can’t afford the large up-front costs associated with many current technologies.

Sound far reaching? Hardly. That’s just the beginning for this ambitious start-up. Perpetual Green has its efficiency sights set on big commercial projects and the emerging market for carbon offset training. Ivie and his business partner, Doug Stuart, have developed a sophisticated system for monitoring, quantifying, and monetizing energy efficiency credits. These credits, the company believes, will be the currency of the coming green economy.

So, keep an eye out for this up and coming Utah start-up. It just might become a perpetual player in Utah’s clean tech community.