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Tenley Dalstrom describes herself as an architect and director of programs that increase social, environmental, and economic justice by accelerating the global transition to a clean energy economy.
As director of the California Testbed (CalTestBed) initiative at New Energy Nexus (NEX), she works with all types of clean energy technology innovators and entrepreneurs to bring their concepts to market.
CalTestBed provides $8.8 million in testing vouchers to California clean energy entrepreneurs for third-party technology testing at more than 70 facilities across nine University of California campuses and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — aka Berkeley Lab — near UC Berkeley.
Oakland, California-based NEX administers CalTestBed.
Tenley's efforts help startups tap incredible resources — CalTestBed and others, like the American-Made Solar Prize, a multi-million-dollar U.S. Dept. of Energy competition. These programs help young companies get off the ground and enable more established ones to get products into buyers' hands.
Many entrepreneurs aren't aware of the millions of dollars available for testing at world-class labs in California and beyond, Tenley said.
CalTestBed is one of several programs championed by the California Energy Commission. The first, CalSEED, offers grants of up to $600,000 to early-stage clean energy entrepreneurs to accelerate California's clean energy goals.
"The California Energy Commission determined California entrepreneurs needed some non-dilutive startup funds. And then, it realized the next valley of death was access to world-class testing facilities. It's expensive. And sometimes, it's walled off from entrepreneurs," she said.
By streamlining testing access, CalTestBed assists entrepreneurs refine their technology prototypes to meet customer specifications while accelerating some of California's most promising clean energy technologies to market.
The program has grown from 28 testbed facilities to 73, mainly through collaboration with NEX and other entities. "We have an extraordinary breadth of equipment and facilities that are available to help de-risk clean energy technologies as they accelerate towards commercialization," Tenley said, adding that testing increases reliability and safety and lowers costs.
Eligible companies can submit applications through August 19.
The grants are open to California-based hardware or integrated hardware-software companies with ready-to-test prototypes in hand. The technologies have to fall into one of 10 categories: building technologies, energy efficiency, energy storage, grid technologies, industrial and agricultural innovation, internet of things, material-based, renewable generation, transportation or water technologies.
"I'm very excited to see the diversity of the innovations and the diversity of the innovators. I'd like to see a wide swath of people across the state interested in the program," Tenley said.
Prospective applicants have until October 6 to enter the American Made Solar Prize Round 6, which offers $4.1 million in cash prizes to competitors over three progressive contests. Tenley was involved in one of the group’s branding efforts, called “Be Revolutionary.”
Solar Prize competitors participate in three contests —Ready!, Set! and Go! — and can join an optional additional challenge to advance solar in underserved communities.
Participants who choose to incorporate that initiative into their solutions can win a new Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest and a bonus cash prize. Tenley is a JEDI Advisory Committee member.
"The American Made Solar prize is a terrific opportunity for solar companies looking to accelerate. The prize requires very little lift on the applicant's part, does not require a lot of reporting, and it's non-diluted funding," she said.
Tenley previously served as director of the Obama administration's Solar Ready Vets Program at the Solar Foundation and supported several U.S. Department of Energy initiatives, including the design and launch of the U.S. Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) women's initiative, the Smart Grid Investment Grants program, and the Quadrennial Energy Review.
She also spent more than five years in the Peace Corps.
Tenley is a passionate and well-rounded solar warrior who sang in band and participated in NCAA rowing in college. She also spent more than 15 years learning to make pottery — a feat of persistence and determination that may have set the stage for the tenacity she demonstrates today.
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
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