By SVM | Published:
January 12, 2010
EnOcean GmbH, recently announced successful completion of a new round of financing. The company will devote eight million Euro in new funding to leveraging the development of energy-autonomous wireless technology and expanding its international market presence. Two new capital providers – SET Venture Partners and the Kathrein group – join existing investors to finance future growth.
EnOcean GmbH, the originator of patented self-powered wireless technology, manufactures and markets maintenance-free wireless sensor solutions for use in buildings and industrial installations. EnOcean products are based on a combination of miniaturized energy converters, ultra-low-power electronic circuitry and reliable wireless. There are already wireless components in use in more than 100,000 buildings. EnOcean GmbH is a promoter of the EnOcean Alliance, a federation of leading companies from the world’s building sector that has set itself the aim of creating innovative solutions for sustainable building.
”This new financing backs up our strong growth curve. The extra funds give us ample financial means to intensify our sales activities in Europe, North America and Asia. Plus, we’re of course investing in further development of our highly promising platform technology”, says EnOcean’s CFO Uwe Thumm.
Read more at: http://www.enocean.com/en/enocean_financing_2009/
By SVM | Published:
January 11, 2010
Viridity Software is a company to watch in 2010. The company recently revealed its roadmap to deliver the industry’s first application driven approach for data center energy management and asset optimization. Its unique methodology will be focused around tracing energy consumption through the application and IT equipment layer, performing a thorough analysis of the findings, and then generating an in-depth actionable report that includes comprehensive visual modeling.
In conjunction with the company launch, Viridity Software also introduced its Greenhouse Program, designed to allow an exclusive set of end user customers early access to its software in order to test, evaluate, and offer feedback as to the future direction of its feature and functionality set.
By SVM | Published:
January 8, 2010
The first week of 2010 saw some major funds being invested in greentech startups!
Wind turbine maker Nordic Windpower, biofuel maker Solix Biofuels, and PC energy management firm Verdiem, all filed fund raising documents immediately after the holiday weekend. Smart thermostat maker EcoFactor also filed fundraising documents later in the week. Together the four companies have raised close to $25 million and plan to raise collectively a total of over $50 million.
Read the complete article at: http://earth2tech.com/2010/01/05/greentech-startups-kick-off-2010-with-fund-raising-rush/
By SVM | Published:
January 8, 2010
Happy New Year! If companies make good on their promises for 2010, it could be a very good year for the cleantech industry.
Cleantech Group LLC has collected information from high-profile clean technology vendors, which range from small startups to billion-dollar corporations, and put together a list of 10 of the most interesting developments to watch for in 2010.
Read the list at: http://cleantech.com/news/5447/top-10-cleantech-promises-2010
By SVM | Published:
January 8, 2010
The Department of Veteran Affairs has awarded more than $7.8 million in solar power contracts to SunWize Commercial Power Systems, the nationwide commercial installation division of SunWize Technologies, Inc.
According to SunWize officials, the contracts consist of 10 solar hospital projects to be installed in locations across the country. The diverse set of rooftop and carport systems vary in size from under 50 kW to more than 400 kW, and are located on VA facilities from the East Coast to the South Pacific.
Read more at: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20100105005481&newsLang=en
By SVM | Published:
August 18, 2009
Second Wind, a Massachusetts-based wind energy company, is making it easier for businesses, consumers and utilities to capture wind data for the purpose of maximizing the ROI in wind turbines. Based on an innovative approach to using sodar (sonic detection and ranging), Second Wind provides a solution that sidesteps the burdens and costs associated with conventional means (erecting tall towers) while providing significant acoustic and performance advantages over the previous generations of sodar. Second Wind solutions provide a “virtual met mast up to 200m in height” by emitting and then interpreting the feedback from harmless audible ‘chirps’. This provides useful data including wind speed, wind direction and vertical wind speed – all important factors for evaluating the optimal placement of wind turbines.
Second Wind’s wind resource assessment solutions are now used in over 40 countries worldwide, including Antarctica and the Sahara. Its’ products are particularly advantageous because they work under most weather conditions and locations; can be set up easily by one person and do not need to be attended; are safe and have minimal impact on the landscape; include built-in synchronized time and location stamping; and provide the same data as a tower bristling with sensors.
By SVM | Published:
August 14, 2009
SageQuest, a GPS fleet tracking and solution provider based in Solon, Ohio, has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of how its solution reduces environmental impact in addition to reducing costs and improving productivity .
The campaign includes a new carbon footprint report available inside its “Mobile Control” product, along with a new whitepaper resource to help customers and prospects make the case for a green initiative and get one off the ground.
SageQuest found via a recent survey, that 57 percent of their customers either had a green initiative in place or were planning on implementing one. More business opportunities or requiring or preferring vendors to have green initiatives in place or are in the process of putting them in place officials said.
Read the full story at http://green.tmcnet.com/topics/green/articles/62152-sagequest-helps-fleets-go-green.htm
By SVM | Published:
July 31, 2009
Residents in Florida — the fourth most populous state in America – are finding themselves in the midst of an energy crisis. With the demand for energy quickly outpacing the capacity to create it, researchers at Florida Atlantic University are turning to an alternative source – the ocean.
Scientists say the energy within the Gulf Stream’s currents could propel Florida out of its potential energy crisis, powering three to seven homes — or supplying the state with one-third of its electricity. Click here to learn more.
The idea of harnessing the ocean’s power for energy has become increasingly popular. To date, a number of organizations are working on technologies related to marine renewable energy.
Such companies include:
By SVM | Published:
July 24, 2009
It’s well known that the race is on to create viable sources of alternative-energy and a serious player in this sphere is the U.S. military.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) – the Defense Dept. agency that helped invent the Internet – is setting its sights on cleantech by trying to change how both the military and civilian worlds consume and produce energy. DARPA is devoting an estimated $100 million of its $3 billion annual budget to alternative energy.
In addition to spurring the development of palm-size fuel cells, DARPA has contracted with companies to miniaturize solar cells that would supplant the need for generators. It now wants to develop inexpensive diesel and jet fuel from algae that could be produced in the battle zone. All three programs aim to accelerate the production of new products by private companies, from whom the military could buy.
Read more are http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_31/b4141032537895_page_2.htm
By SVM | Published:
July 17, 2009
This month, GreenTechMedia highlighted obsolete greentech concepts that are making a go of it…again.
In this really cool list, GreenTechMedia features sixteen ideas that are centuries old, but are experiencing a re-birth in today’s green technology startups. The old-school concepts include:
1. Mashed Earth (www.integrityblock.com)
2. Solar-Thermal Water Heaters (www.mondial-energy.com )
3. Solar Lighting (www.sunlight-direct.com )
4. The Opposed Piston/Opposed Cylinder Engine (www.achatespower.com , www.ecomotors.com)
5. “Swirly” Water / Natural Water Flow (www.watreco.com , www.parc.com )
6. Dung (www.microgy.com)
7. Ambient Cooling (www.mkd-arc.com )
8. Electric Cars (www.teslamotors.com , www.think.no )
9. Biodiesel
10. Hemp
11. Zinc Batteries (www.powergenix.com , www.zpowerbattery.com , www.poweraircorp.com )
12. Plasma Lights (www.luxim.com )
13. Tidal Power
14. Thin Clients (www.wyse.com )
15. Geothermal Cooling
16. Tribal Warfare, Malaria, Limited Life Spans
Read the details (and witty commentary here) http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/sixteen-ancient-technologies-reborn-5485/