Southern California Gas, a regional subsidiary of New York-listed Sempra Energy, has invested $500,000 in US-based natural gas technology products company Tecogen.
Tecogen supplies low emission gas-powered heating and air conditioning systems for industrial and commercial use and received more than $1.5m in grants from the California Energy Commission in 2009.
Hal Snyder, vice-president of customer solutions at Southern California Gas, said: "Natural gas plays a vital role in California’s sustainable and low-emission energy future. Innovative research projects and equity investments, like the one we’re making in Tecogen, advance our leadership in helping bring to market new choices in ultra-low emissions technologies like natural gas-driven cogeneration and air-conditioning systems. These systems benefit our customers and the market by helping to reduce their energy costs and carbon footprint."
In 1987, Tecogen became a spin out from Thermo Electron, now called Thermo Fisher Scientific. In 1992, Tecogen then became a division of the Thermo Power Corporation, along with three other Thermo Electron subsidiaries. In 2000 Thermo Power was sold to Thermo Electron’s original’s founders George and John Hatsopoulos. In 2008 these owners converted $3.4m in convertible debt of the company into equity.
Tecogen has about 100 investors.