For those pondering the long-standing conundrum of how technology transfer can work more effectively, look no further than Clean Power Resources. The North Huntingdon-based company, which has been developing a novel technology to turn waste heat into electricity, has enjoyed a successful collaboration with Penn State University's Industrial Research Office the past few years to commercialize the exciting new technology that the company hopes will pioneer change across several industries to allow for environmentally cleaner renewable energy solutions.

Converting waste heat from exhaust back into usable electricity is a big task, and Clean Power and Penn State have been able to secure joint funding from the National Energy Technology Laboratory and Ben Franklin Technology Partners Innovation Works. The women-owned company gained momentum by developing mobile climate control systems for challenging environments, providing engineering, support and business management for companies working in transportation, mining, logging and steel manufacturing. The company also serves the robotics, rail and construction industries. Its technology protects passengers and equipment on the Tibetan railroad and critical robotic/military systems in harsh weather conditions.

Clean Power has worked with the National Robotics Engineering Center, the Lunar-X project, and Carnegie Mellon University's entries in the DARPA Grand CHallenge and Urban Challenge
In May, 2009, the company earned $55,000 through the Ben Franklin Partnership's Alternative and Clean Energy Fund to continue development of its Solid State Piezoelectric Thermacoustic engine, a device that will convert waste heat directly to electricity and have broad applications in renewable energy projects. As full-scale commercialization gets closer, the company is poised for continued growth.