This news is classified in: Sustainable Energy Storage Climate Change
Dec 14, 2021
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Israel’s Ministry of Energy (MoE) along with the Israel Innovation Authority today announced the six clean energy projects selected to receive $5.48 million in government funding through the Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Energy program. The projects, conducted by the U.S. and an Israeli partner, will accelerate technology innovation on advanced vehicle technologies, batteries, energy efficiency measures, energy storage, and the water-energy nexus. The announcement comes on the heels of the international climate conference, COP26, where the U.S. and DOE highlighted efforts to transform ambition into implementation in the final week.
“Through the long-standing and successful BIRD Energy program with our Israeli partners, we are supporting the innovation in renewable energy and energy efficiency needed to tackle the global climate emergency,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The projects announced today will help us overcome barriers to scaling up carbon-free technology and supercharge the rapidly growing international clean energy economy.”
Israel’s Minister of Energy, Karine Elharrar, said: “Innovation and cross-border cooperation are critical in the global fight against climate change. I am pleased to continue this collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy under the BIRD Foundation, which combines significant investment in groundbreaking innovation with joint efforts between companies from the two countries who are working together to combat the climate crisis. The companies that were awarded this year exemplify superior research and development capabilities in the area of clean energy technologies and their success will not only contribute to the fruitful cooperation between the United States and Israel but the entire planet.”
Mr. Dror Bin, the CEO of, Israel Innovation Authority, said: “Technological innovations are a force multiplier in dealing with various pressing challenges. We consider the combination of innovation and global collaboration as a key in finding out-of-the-box solutions to the most significant challenge humanity faces – the Global Climate emergency. BIRD Energy is a platform designed to implement applied collaborations in this field and connect both countries' needs and capabilities. These days, this activity is all the more important as the Climate Challenge gains top priority on the overall global agenda.”
Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, Executive Director of the BIRD Foundation, said: “The BIRD Energy program brings together U.S. and Israel companies for the joint development of innovative solutions and the accelerated adoption of cleaner energy sources, which is a global imperative. We thank the BIRD Energy program stakeholders for their continued leadership and support.”
BIRD Energy launched in 2009 through the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, has funded sixty (60) cooperative Israel-U.S. clean energy projects for a total government investment of approximately $47.5 million and approximately $62 million in funds matched by the private sector.
Established by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, BIRD Energy supports research and development that benefits both the United States and Israel, with a focus on commercializing sustainable energy technologies that improve economic competitiveness, create jobs, and increase energy security.
Over the last seven years, four BIRD Energy projects have reached the commercialization stage, including a self-powered wireless sensor for monitoring energy use in buildings, a new enzyme to produce biodiesel, a utility-scale solar concentrated photovoltaic system that employs a new active cooling module, and a new system to facilitate wind speed and power output forecasting for wind generation.
The total value of the projects announced today is $12.7 million, including $7.2 million in cost-share funding. The six approved projects are:
Projects that qualify for BIRD Energy funding must include one U.S. and one Israeli company, or a company from one of the countries paired with a university or research institution from the other. The partners must present a project that involves innovation in the area of energy and is of mutual interest to both countries. BIRD Energy has a rigorous review process and selects the most technologically meritorious projects along with those that are most likely to commercialize and bring about significant impact. Qualified projects must contribute at least 50% to project costs and commit to repayments if the project leads to commercial success.
