The Cleantech Open announced its semifinalists for their internationally renowned competition, and Fargo’s start-up business, Switch, is a semifinalist in the “Smart Power, Green Grid and Energy Storage” category. Teams from around the nation are traveling to Silicon Valley for the world’s largest cleantech accelerator. The Cleantech Open looks to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with ideas to address today’s energy, environmental and economic challenges.
Switch, an energy monitoring and automation software with a free and open interface, allows users to access and monitor energy consumption at their home or business with their computer or mobile phone. Switch provides simple yet elegant reporting tools, interactive graphs, social network sharing and integration, scheduling, automation and intelligent learning capabilities to give users a clear picture on energy consumption for the past, present and future.
“Switch is committed to providing energy consumption data and letting the consumer make the decision on how to monitor their energy,” said Jake Joraanstad, creator of the company. “Everyone’s needs are different, so homes and businesses will have the ability to remotely prioritize and monitor their energy needs according to their schedules.”
After preparation, feedback from industry leaders and educational seminars later this summer, Switch will present in front of the judging committee. Winners will be announced later this fall. Semifinalist companies compete for regional prizes that include combined cash and in-kind services worth up to $20,000, with regional winners advancing to compete at the national level for a grand prize of up to $250,000 in cash and services, and an overall prize chest of nearly $1 million.
Joraanstad is a senior from Rolla, N.D., majoring in computer engineering at NDSU. The Switch product team includes two NDSU seniors in electrical engineering, Ben Whittier and Ross Eickhoff, both from Canby, Minn. Other contributors to Switch include NDSU graduates Ryan Raguse and James Dravitz.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.
