Source: University of New Hampshire, Hudson; Therma-Hexx LLC, Exeter, N.H.
The developer of ThermaPaver, a heat exchanger nested beneath ground- or pedestal-mounted concrete paving stones, is one of six University of New Hampshire Green Launching Pad grant recipients. The technology can transfer pavers’ solar-generated heat to a home water tank or swimming pool; in the winter, the process can be reversed to melt snow and ice. ThermaPaver can also source heat from or convey it to geothermal systems.
Therma-Hexx founder Robert Barmore told Portsmouth Herald-hosted www.seacoastonline.com that the $95,000 grant would cover the cost of UNH interns assisting in ThermaPaver engineering and intellectual property provisions, plus production start up.
University President Mark Huddleston and U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu recently announced Therma-Hexx and other second-round grant recipients in Hudson at EnerTrac, one of five inaugural Green Launching Pad-supported companies. The UNH entity is supported with $1.5 million in federal economic stimulus funds channeled through the Energy Department.
“In the Green Launching Pad, we make sure that while we create and grow successful green ventures, we focus on each of five ‘Es’—energy, economy, environment, entrepreneurship, and education—by developing and supporting interdisciplinary teams of students, faculty researchers, and entrepreneurs and connecting them with industry experts and state-level resources,” notes UNH Professor Venky Venkatachalam. — www.therma-hexx.com