Jun 08, 2010 - Claremont, CA - MicroMedia Filtration (MMF) was one of two companies honored for exceptional energy-saving devices at the 17th Annual TechAmerica High-Tech Innovation Awards co-sponsored by TechAmerica, the nation’s largest technology trade association, and Harvey Mudd College (HMC).

MMF received the HMC Green Engineering Award for its wastewater treatment and renewable energy technology. The award recognizes an organization that has demonstrated a commitment to the environment. According to a recent study, water reclamation, or the reuse of highly treated wastewaters, potentially can provide new supplies equal to approximately 50 percent of Southern California's water consumption.

A leader in the field of water reclamation, MMF has created an innovative three-part process: MMF Solids Separator removes suspended solids from the raw stream, then the MMF Modular Filter, a continuously cleaning media filtration system and the MMF Energy Conversion System, transform the removed fresh solids into various energy end products. The result is a modular, expandable, economical and environmentally friendly method for creating reusable water for about one-half to one-third the cost while consuming less than one fifth the electricity of conventional systems.

Richard Haskell, HMC professor of physics and a member of the selection committee for the Green Engineering Award, said, “MMF is targeting an urgent need in Southern California— sustainable water use. A typical community uses 70 percent of their water allocation for landscape irrigation, so the savings of potable water is substantial and may be sufficient to reduce the amount of imported water to zero. That would be an amazing accomplishment."

Also receiving an award at the event was Teridian, a semiconductor company. They received an Award of Merit for their computer chip which measures energy consumption data in real time, allowing consumers to educate themselves and monitor behavior and allowing data center managers to optimize their data centers for power usage where real time power consumption data is needed.

Established in 2008, the HMC Green Engineering Award is a collaborative effort between TechAmerica and HMC. A committee composed of HMC engineering students, faculty, past winners and alumni select Southern California companies that have made a significant contribution in the area of green engineering or sustainability in one of several areas:

   1. Design and production of a specific new device, system or technology that conserves energy or natural resources, reduces the production and emission of pollutants, or reduces the organization’s carbon footprint significantly below current levels
   2. Adoption and implementation of new and innovative production technologies for current products that significantly improve the environment
   3. Support for community-based initiatives to address environmental issues related to the design, production and use of electrical and electronic technologies

Last year’s award went to D-Link Systems, Inc., which was lauded for designing energy saving routers and algorithms, that have resulted in reducing clients' power consumption by up to 80 percent.

About Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College is a national leader in undergraduate education in engineering, science and mathematics, with a strong emphasis on humanities and the social sciences. The college’s mission is to produce citizens sensitive to the impact of their work on society. Sustainability is an important component of the HMC strategic vision, which is supported by the college’s comprehensive sustainability policy. Harvey Mudd College is a member of The Claremont Colleges Consortium, which also includes Claremont Graduate University, Claremont McKenna College, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Science, Pitzer College, Pomona College and Scripps College.