Please enjoy the Q&A with FluxTeq’s Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Rande Cherry. FluxTeq is located at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center.
Tell us about FluxTeq.
FluxTeq, formed in 2015 through a grant from the National Science Foundation at Virginia Tech, is one of the leading manufacturers of low-cost heat flux sensors and thermal instrumentation.
Heat flux sensors are a valuable thermal instrument that can directly measure the amount of heat loss or gain moving through a surface. Energy consultants need these sensors to provide actual in-situ measurements that can be used to determine the performance of a building’s thermal insulation and monitoring energy loss throughout a building. The sensors can be integrated into HVAC control systems to increase overall energy efficiency of a building. FluxTeq is currently working on developing other new, innovative and inexpensive instrumentation systems that utilize our low-cost sensors that will allow the company to expand to new markets.
What are some recent company achievements or news you would like to share?
- The FluxTeq team is a 2016 recipient of $20,000 from the Davidson Venture Fund (Co-Founder Chris Cirenza is a 2013 alumnus) that will provide investment capital to help their business to continue to grow.
- The team participated in the National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps program, which prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the laboratory and broadens the impact of select, NSF-funded, basic-research projects. This program provided them with the resources to develop the business model that FluxTeq utilizes today.
- FluxTeq successfully won a large sub-contract with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to manufacture heat flux sensors that will be used throughout their building testing facilities.
- FluxTeq won United Technologies Research Center and Oak Ridge National Lab’s call for innovation competition to develop an inexpensive thermal flow measurement system (commonly referred to as a BTU meter). Both organizations are discussing possibly partnering with FluxTeq to realize the valuable end user product based on this idea.
What exciting projects are you working on?
FluxTeq is working on developing other systems that utilize their low-cost sensors that will allow the company to expand to new markets. One of these systems is a low-cost energy flow measurement system commonly called a BTU meter. These BTU meters are used by commercial building owners to meter the amount of energy that each of their tenants use so that they can be billed appropriately. BTU meters can also be integrated in HVAC control systems to optimize performance and ultimately increase the energy efficiency of buildings. FluxTeq is also working to develop systems that can be utilized by a variety of markets including wearable technologies and medical diagnostics.
Developing an R-value measurement system that can be used by building energy consultants to evaluate the performance of thermal insulation and other building materials.
Why did you choose the VTCRC for your office location?
“Since we founded the company based on a grant that we received through Virginia Tech it was the next logical location for us to move to and become independent of the university. One of FluxTeq’s co-founders, Dr. Tom Diller, is a professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech, so we maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with the university,” said Rande Cherry (pictured right) with Chris Cirenza, Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer.
FluxTeq LLC
www.fluxteq.com
info@FluxTeq.com
1800 Kraft Drive, Suite 109, Blacksburg, VA 24060
Phone: 703-498-7272