Plain Sight Wind Energy Systems wins Cox award

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 9/29/15

“I’ve always wanted one of those big checks,” Robert Baxter Jr., a Warwick resident, joked on Monday morning.

Last Thursday night, Baxter competed in and won the Cox Business’s Get …

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Plain Sight Wind Energy Systems wins Cox award

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“I’ve always wanted one of those big checks,” Robert Baxter Jr., a Warwick resident, joked on Monday morning.

Last Thursday night, Baxter competed in and won the Cox Business’s Get Started Rhode Island competition at the Harbor Lights Marina and Country Club, winning $10,000 in cash and prizes for his organization, CBC Wind Energy Solutions.

Baxter founded CBC in 2010 as a consulting firm, but when one client was unable to implement a traditional wind turbine due to permitting and zoning issues, CBC developed a relatively “inconspicuous” system that can be installed on the rooftops of apartment complexes, commercial rooftops, shopping plazas and even have a residential system.

The Hidden in Plain Sight Wind Energy Systems are perfect for those metropolitan areas where traditional wind turbines are incompatible with the surroundings.

Over the past five years CBC has been refining and fine-tuning their prototype, working with Roger Williams University to produce their current 5-kilowatt (kW) system. Along with being smaller than a regular turbine, the system requires less wind speed to generate electricity starting at as little as five miles per hour to get the turbine spinning.

Baxter and his team have developed a “homegrown enterprise,” with the system almost completely developed and built within the state.

“There were many times where it would have been easier to work on this out of state or even out of country,” Baxter said, “but we have been very diligent about maintaining at our core that we want this in Rhode Island by Rhode Islanders and for Rhode Islanders.”

Although he sees potential for the Hidden in Plain Sight systems along the metropolitan seaboard from Washington, D.C. up to Boston, Baxter wants to know the profits are benefiting this state’s economy.

In 2013 Baxter was diagnosed with lymphoma; subsequently, his business had to slow down for him to regain health. This, however, inspired a friend to tell him about the Get Started competition. Cox Business’s Get Started Program encourages new companies to present their pitch, and out of nearly 30 organizations to apply CBC was chosen at one of the six finalists.

The final event gave the six finalists 2½ minutes for a final pitch to five panelists made up of Ken Kraft, vice president of marketing for Cox Business, Steve DeOssie, former football linebacker and co-founder of the award winning Fred & Steve’s Steakhouse, Kim Anderson, president of Ava Anderson Non Toxic, James Ledbetter, editor of Inc. magazine, and Ted Nesi, a WPRI-12 reporter. The panelist chose a winner based on the complexity of the idea, ease of implementation and the benefit to the community at large. The other finalists were, Deelish Skin, which develops organic skin care products; Movin, which buys and refurbishes furniture; Ocean State Smoked Fish Company, serving locally sourced smoked fish; Primal Digital Marketing; and XactSense, which creates accurate 3D maps with the use of drones.

This competition is a way for Cox Business to give back to the business community and Baxter believed all the finalists were “great people with great ideas,” but he was ecstatic to be chosen as the winner. When he found out he won Baxter said he was beside himself and couldn’t believe his luck.

He said, “The prize money was great, of course, but it meant a lot to receive the recognition and validation from others. They could see the benefit of our product, our ideas and the progress we’ve made. That is really rewarding.”

CBC has several “early adopters” waiting to implement the Hidden in Plain Sight system, and the cash prize will be used to “upgrade and enhance” the company’s current prototype and create a pre-production unit. CBC hopes to begin selling commercially within the next year.

For more information on CBC visit their website at www.sailcbc.com.

AWARD WINNER: Robert C. Baxter Jr. won the Cox Business Get Started competition and received $10,000 and prizes to benefit his company, CBC Wind Energy Solutions. This company has developed both a residential and industrial wind turbines fashioned for metropolitan areas where traditional turbines would be incompatible. (Warwick Beacon photo)

BIG CHECK: Baxter joked he always wanted “one of those big checks,” and now he has one to hang on his wall after winning the Cox Business Get Started Rhode Island competition. He is pictured holding his new check from last Thursday with panelist on either side of him. (Submitted photo)

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