ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Sandia National Laboratories will be honored twice for its work to transfer innovative technologies to the private sector at an awards ceremony May 3 at the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) national meeting in Pittsburgh, Pa.
The Sandia Science & Technology Park (SS&TP) will receive the State and Local Economic Development Award, and Fuel Cell Mobile Light is a winner of the Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer.
“Both of these awards recognize successful public-private partnerships in promoting technology transfer,” said Jackie Kerby Moore, SS&TP executive director and Sandia’s representative to the FLC.
The State and Local Economic Development Award recognizes successful initiatives that involve partnerships between state or local economic development groups and federal laboratories for economic benefit.
The SS&T Park opened in 1998 as a partnership between Sandia and public and private partners. Adjacent to the multibillion-dollar engineering and science facilities of Sandia Labs, SS&TP’s mature companies and startups collaborate with the labs on a broad assortment of technologies, products and services.
The 33 companies and organizations in the park employ more than 2,230 people at an average annual wage of $71,612. Investment in the park is currently at $356 million.
“It is very satisfying to be recognized by our peers in the tech transfer industry,” Kerby Moore said. “This award demonstrates the impact that Sandia has had in economic development and job creation.”
The Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer recognizes employees of FLC member labs and non-lab staff who have accomplished outstanding work in the process of transferring federally developed technology.
The fuel cell mobile light helps bring clean hydrogen (H2) fuel cell lighting products to industry. A quiet, zero emissions fuel cell replaces the noisy, diesel-powered generators that provide energy for mobile lights used by highway construction crews, airport maintenance personnel, film crews and many others.
The project was initiated as part of the Sandia/Boeing umbrella Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) and strategic partnership. It included a coalition of institutional partners — funding sponsors, fuel cell and lighting technology experts, equipment manufacturers and diverse end users.
The coalition’s work has led to a commercial product, the H2LT (H2 Light Tower), being developed by partner Multiquip Inc. of Carson, Calif.
Among other uses, the hydrogen-powered lighting system last year illuminated the red carpet at the Academy Awards in Hollywood and lit the grounds at the final Space Shuttle launch at the Kennedy Space Center. Sandia project lead Lennie Klebanoff estimates that deployment of a single hydrogen fuel cell-powered lighting system would offset 900 gallons of diesel fuel per year and eliminate pollutants, allowing the system to be used indoors.
The CRADA and partnership is constructing six units that will be subjected to rigorous environmental and performance testing in order to finalize the commercial design. Multiquip hopes to offer the lighting unit for sale soon.
“The FLC award is a true honor for the fuel cell mobile light project. It is a wonderful recognition of the very purpose of this DOE-funded project, namely to get hydrogen fuel cells into more widespread commercial use via technical transfer from the national labs to industry,” Klebanoff said.
The FLC is a nationwide network of more than 300 members that provides the forum to develop strategies and opportunities for linking laboratory mission technologies and expertise with the marketplace.
The FLC Awards Program annually recognizes federal laboratories and their industry partners for outstanding technology transfer efforts. Since its establishment in 1984, the FLC has presented awards to nearly 200 federal laboratories, becoming one of the most prestigious honors in technology transfer.