“He who cannot store will have no power after four.”

 Baxter Lecture Hall, Caltech

To supply instant energy to meet our needs, utilities are required to generate enough energy on the fly. Renewable energy presents us with several problems, including intermittency due to atmospheric conditions (e.g. at night, on cloudy days or when the wind is not blowing). Energy storage and deliver-as-needed has many benefits: the ability to adapt to sudden changes in supply or demand, increased grid efficiency and a reduction in distribution-related issues.

The main issue in energy storage at the consumer and utility scale is its high cost. Recently, however, industry changes have made a drastic reduction in prices possible. Within the next two to four years, some estimates indicate that battery banks will drop from the present $1200/KWh to less than $400/KWh. The technologies competing for dominance in this space go from Lithium-Ion, Lithium-Air and Flow batteries to flywheels, pneumatic storage, and Super Capacitors. IHS Research has recently shown that the “worldwide market for PV storage is forecast to grow rapidly,” and will likely “reach $19 billion in 2017 from less than $200 million in 2012.“

The question clearly becomes how clever start-ups and small companies can bring technologies to market; which can store large amounts of energy at attractive prices, and then gain market share to attract the attention of large companies interested in forming partnerships or, perhaps, to be acquired or go IPO.

Panelists:

UC Irvine Chief Executive Roundtable

Nochebuena R&D

Southern California’s startup community has come a long way, but has it fully emerged from the Bay Area’s shadow? Although companies, such as Cornerstone OnDemand, Snapchat and Maker Studios, grab headlines, the engine of this community is comprised of hundreds of entrepreneurs quietly building products and services that soon will disrupt established industries. A vibrant community of mentors, investors, accelerators and events has emerged to support these entrepreneurs and their companies. Yet, the allure of the Bay Area still beckons companies to move north.

In this very unique program, we will bring together local and SF-based entrepreneurs to discuss the resources in their startup communities that made a difference in building their companies.  Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with the speakers and ask questions about how to build a successful company in Southern California.

This program is designed for entrepreneurs, VCs, angel investors, advisors, strategic partners, service professionals and vendors in the startup community.  Key Questions we will seek to answer are: