Next Generation Clothes Dryer
[Apr 26, 2010 10:51 AM]
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC — Porticos, Inc. has been invited to submit a research proposal to the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology. The research supports Porticos’ Next Generation Clothes Dryer initiative, the goal of which is to develop a residential clothes dryer that consumes less than half the energy of a conventional dryer. Earlier in 2010 Porticos, along with 580 other companies, sent a short whitepaper to the NCBST outlining the proposed research and benefits. A small number of participants were then invited to submit full research proposals to the North Carolina Green Business Fund (NCGBF). Porticos is proud to be one of those finalists.
The Next Generation Clothes Dryer program is intended to leapfrog the status-quo in clothes dryers. Based on Department of Energy calculations, the new technology could save 283 Trillion BTUs of energy; more than the total energy consumption of some states. The avoided carbon emissions exceed 4.4 million metric tons.
“The clothes dryer is one of the most energy-intensive appliances in the home,” explained Kevin Carpenter, Chief Engineer at Porticos. “Yet this is the only major appliance that isn’t covered by Energy Star program. Why? Because there is no energy-efficient alternative. We are going to change that.”
Greg Patterson, the President of Porticos, continued “Twenty years ago, front-loading washers were a niche product because they were new and expensive. Now they represent half of all sales. That’s a good model for us. Make something that genuinely works well and uses less energy, and the market will embrace it.” Porticos plans to prove the concept with progressively more complex and compact prototypes, culminating in an appliance that can be field-tested in a local home.
Partner and investor opportunities are available. Please call Greg Paterson at 919-468-0033 x153 to learn more.
About Porticos — Porticos, Inc. is a mechanical engineering and product development company located in Research Triangle Park, NC. Established in 2003, Porticos continues to produce innovative and effective solutions for its clients and the markets they serve. Porticos, Inc. provides mechanical design, analysis, research and development services to clients including Dell, Motorola, Raytheon, Emerson, and many others. For more information on how Porticos “turns good ideas into great products,” please visit www.porticos.net.
