GREEN SPACE: WSU grad student launching co. to develop solar water heater monitor

Thursday, November 12, 2009 | Source: metromode

David Collins, an Ann Arbor resident and Wayne State University graduate student, was struck with the entrepreneurial bug when he became curious about the amount of energy his own solar hot water heater produced. Since he was already on his way to earning his graduate certificate in alternative energy, his next step was to launch a business, Qisol, that will develop a readily-accessible affordable performance monitor for solar hot water heaters.

An idea is one thing, funding and backing another. His was one of six student companies chosen for WSU's E2 Challenge, housed at TechTown. The program supports Wayne State students in exploring the potential of their own start-up companies and preparing for outside investment.

The student groups that won the challenge received financial support and a summer-long mentoring program to develop their business idea with the help of funding from the Michigan Initiative for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

Now Collins, who is earning a graduate certificate in alternative energy technology at WSU, is well on his way to launching a business that will make heating water with solar power a more viable, efficient alternative. The program provided Collins with training in marketing, educated him on corporate structure, and provided the backing that made conversations with potential investors and customers possible.

"E2 was wonderful...When I was going out and talking with installers, utility companies, and state representatives, once I told them I had a grant they wanted to listen," says Collins. "Once they knew someone was backing me up, it carried a lot of clout."

Collins now has a prototype of his product and three electrical engineers and two web designers working for him. He submitted an application for a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the Department of Energy in September and is currently developing a second prototype. He plans to launch his business in February 2010 and graduate in April.

Source: David Collins, Qisol
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh