The following SMART 100 profile and the information it contains is a duplication of content submitted by the applicant during the entry process. As a function of entry, applicants were required to declare that all details are factually correct, do not infringe on another’s intellectual property and are not unlawful, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, obscene, or otherwise objectionable. Some profiles have been edited for reasons of space and clarity. More about the SMART 100.

This innovation initially came to life when…

The inventor, Henk Van Harselaar, is Dutch born, came to Australia at 18 and has been a trainee pastry chef, car salesman, property developer in Hervey Bay and a pilot. The Aurora System had its genesis, in the great Australian tradition, under Henk’s house and on his kitchen table. Henk is an incorrigable tinkerer and has invented a few other things along the way. The spark for the germ of the idea occurred in Henk’s mind 20 years ago when he saw pictures of 15th-century windmills and initial prototypes looked very very different.

WHAT & HOW

The purpose of this innovation is to…

…provide an extremely low cost, renewable energy source of electricity using existing infrastructure installations. The Aurora System is a patented, highly inventive energy generation system that can be integrated into almost any existing air ventilation system to generate Green Power.

It does this by…

…using already available air flow within existing ventilation systems (such as air conditioning, extraction, purification, ventilation etc) as its input driving force and providing electricity as an output by introducing a secondary fan that drives a generator. A small unit produces 50/60 Hertz and 1340 watts. Voltage is in the 240v range. Three phase units will increase capacity to 5000/6000 watts.

PURPOSE & BENEFITS

This innovation improves on what came before because…

…it is completely new and utterly counterintuitive in a vital detail. Global patent searches have revealed no competing technology. The Aurora System is like a wind farm in a pipe. It generates significant electrical output without compromising performance of the system it is placed into and without loading or interfering with the operation of existing engines which drive that infrastructure.

Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…

…a massive reduction in power consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and the ability to sell significant quatities of electricity back into the grid. The Aurora System provides a source of electricity that can substantially supplement or replace traditional energy supplies.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

In the past, this problem was solved by…

…other alternative power supplies like solar electricity generation, which is expensive to install and inefficient. No one before has presented, let alone fully developed and patented, anything like the Aurora System with the ability to generate significant quantities of electricity from pre-existing air conditioning, extraction and ventilation systems and do that without interfering with the infrastructure’s performance, power consumption or running cost.

Its predecessors/competitors include…

Aurora Electric has a number of patents and patent applications (which the Company has been advised have no barriers to being granted) covering the Aurora System. That requires the technology to be new and novel. “Competitors” use completely different technology.

TARGET MARKET

It is made for…

…anyone that is a sucker or a blowhard! The Aurora System has far reaching applications in residential, commercial, industrial, manufacturing, roads, rail and tunnel infrastructure, and mining locations. Any installation that is driving or drawing air through ductwork. Think about highrise buildings all over the world, Chinese manufacturers and heavy industry with air quality issues pumping huge quantities of filtered air through their facilities and huge ventilation systems globally in underground mines. We anticipate that the initial market entry point will be commercial air conditioning systems (standardised installation requirements and mechanicals, substantial services and support infrastructure) and Australian underground mining operations.

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

It is available for sale through…

We have significant interest and enquiry for licensing and sale of the technology from existing parties providing related or synergistic services and equipment in various idustries. We anticipate executing a licensing or sale strategy on an industry or application basis.

Our marketing strategy is to…

…let others with better and more specific skills and operations in relevant markets (application/use and geographical) do the marketing and distribution. There is another entirely different business opportunity in having sales and installation done on a rental model or having it stapled to maintenance contracts which can then be sold off on a territory basis. Lots of options are available.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS INNOVATION

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To check out the Anthill SMART 100 Readers’ Choice winner for 2010, click here.