Editor's note: Dive headfirst into the new week with three quick things to catch up on in Houston's energy transition.
Events not to miss
Put these Houston-area energy-related events on your calendar.
- World Geothermal Energy Day will take place at Karbach Brewery on October 17. Network with and learn more about Houston's geothermal community.
- Energy Day, Houston’s largest free family festival showcasing exhibits focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, will take place in downtown on October 19.
- Connecting the Houston energy tech and climate community, Greentown Houston's Climatetech Summit will take place at its Midtown location on October 22.
- Ally Energy's GRIT Awards will honor energy leaders and best workplaces on October 30.
- Taking place in Downtown Houston November 19 to 20, the Global Clean Hydrogen Summit will provide project developers, buyers, and financiers with the information they need to establish winning strategies for global clean hydrogen markets.
Big deal: Lilium Jet rolls out plans for pilot in Houston area
Lilium aims for the first piloted flight of the Lilium Jet to occur early in 2025. Photo via lilium.com
An aircraft that's being touted as the first fully electric jet is taking off from Hobby Airport to serve the greater Houston area.
Lilium Jet, which takes off and lands vertically, is making its United States market debut at Houston-area facilities – Houston Hobby Airport, Conroe North Houston Regional Airport, and The Woodlands Heliport Lilium. Houston-based aircraft brokerage EMCJET will house the Lilium Jet at its Galaxy FBO Houston-area facilities at the airports.
The Lilium Jet is capable of quickly connecting routes like Houston Hobby Airport to Galveston, Houston Spaceport to College Station, The Woodlands to Galveston, and others. The jet is designed for regional travel with its aerodynamic shape. The ducted electric fans prioritize efficiency and speed during forward flight. The jet’s anticipated initial operating range is roughly 110 miles. Lilium aims for the first piloted flight of the Lilium Jet to occur early in 2025. Read more.
Podcast: Houston bio-based materials founder rebrands, evolves future-focused sustainability startup
Zimri T. Hinshaw, founder and CEO of Rheom Materials, joins the Houston Innovators Podcast. Photo courtesy of Rheom
At first, Zimri T. Hinshaw just wanted to design a sustainable, vegan jacket inspired by bikers he saw in Tokyo. Now, he's running a bio-based materials company with two product lines and is ready to disrupt the fashion and automotive industries.
Hinshaw founded Rheom Materials (née Bucha Bio) in 2020, but a lot has changed since then. He moved the company from New York to Houston, built out a facility in Houston's East End Maker Hub, and rebranded to reflect the company's newest phase and extended product lines, deriving from dozens of different ingredients, including algae, seaweed, corn, other fruits and vegetables, and more.
"As a company, we pivoted our technology from growing kombucha sheets to grinding up bacteria nanocellulose from kombucha into our products and then we moved away from that entirely," Hinshaw says on the Houston Innovators Podcast. "Today, we're designing different materials that are more sustainable, and the inputs are varied." Read more.