Applied Materials is a capital equipment producer that services a number of manufacturing industries, including semiconductor, TFT LCD display, solar (thin film and crystalline), and glass. There are four primary groups of Applied Materials – Energy and Environmental Solutions, Display, Silicon Systems Group, and Service. Because of its industry, Applied Materials has been extremely involved in the clean technology sector, especially within the branches of renewable energy and energy efficient.

1 ) World’s Most Advanced Solar Research and Development Center. In 2009, Applied Materials opened the most advanced solar research and customer demonstration facility in the city of Xi’an in China. Known as the Applied Materials’ Solar Technology Center, this non-government solar energy research facility is comprised of a number of laboratories and offices over 400,000 square feet. It contains a full Applied SunFab thin film manufacturing line and a full crystalline silicon pilot process. Customers from all around the world can walk along the building with the technologists to learn all about what is available.

2 ) Applied Materials Launches New Solar Tools to Meet Increased Demand. In August of 2011, Applied Materials unveiled a brand new set of equipment to enables customers to lower their production costs and increase cell efficiency. Known as Baccini Pegaso, it covers all equipment used for screen printing metal lines that serve as the necessary highways to conduct and transport electrons out of the cells.

3 ) Applied Materials Expands their Taiwanese Solar Manufacturing Business. In March of 2010, Applied Materials opened a new Tainan Manufacturing Center in Tainan, Taiwan. This manufacturing plant will create flat panel displays as well as thin film solar photovoltaics. This is one of Applied Material’s biggest investments in the Asian continent and puts Taiwan on the map for solar equipment technology manufacturing.

4 ) Applied Materials Partners with IIT Bombay for CLEAN Lab. In April of 2011 Applied Materials partnered with IIT Bombay, a high rated university in India, to create the Chemistry Laboratory for Energy and Nanoelectronics, or CLEAN on the IIT Bombay campus. The laboratory includes the research and development of brand new materials that may be potentially used in a number of electric and renewable energy-focused applications, including next generation solar cell development. “Our goal is to serve as a catalyst for developing the critical technology needed to solve the many challenges of next-generation electronic and solar device manufacturing. Applied Materials has grown to become IIT Bombay’s most important industry collaborator in terms of the scale of research collaboration,” said IIT Bombay Professor, Devang Khakhar.

5 ) Applied Materials Demonstrates New Solar Cell Screen Printer. In September of 2011, Applied Materials released the details of a new platform for screen printing solar photovoltaic cells. “Efficiency is ultra-important. The challenge our customers have today is that we’ve reached a point where efficiency and cost reduction must happen simultaneously because the balance of system cost is becoming a larger fraction, sometimes even larger, than the cost of the modules themselves,” said Applied Material’s Dr. Mark Pinto.

6 ) Applied Materials Takes Unused Space and Turns it into a Solar Energy Solution. Applied Materials worked with SunPower to create solar power systems that offered two megawatts of energy to Applied Materials’ Sunnyvale, California corporate facilities. “This is another exciting milestone in the adoption of solar power in California,” said Mike Splinter, president and chief executive officer of Applied Materials. “More companies are realizing the wisdom of integrating solar as a non-intrusive, clean, silent form of energy generation into our businesses and communities. We’ve converted our parking lots to power plants and we encourage others to join us in making solar power a meaningful part of the energy supply.”

7 ) Applied Materials Received 2009 Environmental Protection Agency Green Power Leadership Award. In 2009, Applied Materials received the Green Power Leadership Award which is awarded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This award recognizes the leading purchasers of green power in the country for their continued contribution and commitment to assisting in the development and the advancement of the green power market. “Purchasing and generating green power are important elements of our long term commitment to business and global sustainability,” said senior director for Applied Materials’ Environmental Health and Safety and head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, Bruce Klafter. “Through our solar installations we are demonstrating the ease of integrating clean energy into existing business campuses and proving that solar power is a sound business decision, in addition to being an important choice in combating climate change.”

8 ) Applied Materials Demonstrates Leadership in Clean Energy. IN 2007 Applied Materials expanded an agreement to buy 8,220,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy a year from solar and wind generation sources throughout the state of California rather than getting energy from nonrenewable sources of energy. This amount equals roughly 12 percent of all the energy consumed in the Santa Clara facilities. This consumption will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over five percent. This will make Applied Materials one of the leading purchasers of renewable energy in Silicon Valley. This purchase was done as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Fortune 500 Green Power Challenge. “We are committed to demonstrating practical environmental leadership in industry and the conservation of natural resources,” said Mike Splinter, president and CEO of Applied Materials. “We challenge other companies to join us in purchasing renewable power as we believe heightened demand will lower cost and increase availability for both business and consumer use.”

9 ) Applied Materials Received 2007 Environmental Leadership Award for Energy Efficiency Product Design. In June of 2007, Applied Materials received the Business Environmental Award from Acterra for its demonstration of environmental leadership. The award is known as the “Susanne Wilson Award for Pollution Prevention/Resources Conservation: Special Project” and Applied Materials won it for its design program for energy efficient semiconductor equipment. The award is commonly given to companies that seek to improve production or operation processes that reduce the consumption of resources and decrease pollution generation.

10 ) Applied Materials Partners with DuPont for Solar Cell Efficiency. In 2009, Applied Materials Partnered with product manufacturing company DuPont to collaborate on the advancement of multiple printing technology that would increase the efficiency of crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells. This would make photovoltaic power much more cost effective when compared to other available forms of energy.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com

Related posts:

• China is World Leader In Clean-Tech Investments, Report Says
• VIDEO: Innovative Water Technologies From Israel
• Green Tech Job Hunt: Track the Trends
• Glass Window Solar Power Closer to Reality
• IBM Improves Solar Efficiency with Low-Cost Materials

On Energy.gov, we’ve been showcasing a series of stories about innovations from our National Laboratories that have been successfully commercialized – and how they impact Americans’ lives. During 2010 alone, our National Laboratories engaged in more than 13,500 technology transfer transactions – from licensing lab-developed technologies to using lab resources to drive industry innovation and commercial success.

But to ensure American leadership in emerging energy technologies, we must address the financial and deployment obstacles facing renewable energy.

On Thursday, October 20th, at 2:00 p.m. EDT, please join Richard Kauffman, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, for a live discussion about the challenges and opportunities of renewable energy innovation and deployment.

Kauffman recently joined the Energy Department from the private sector, where he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Good Energies, a global investor in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Regarded as one of the country’s leading experts on private sector investment in clean energy, Kauffman is looking forward to working with the business community to break down financial obstacles that stand in the way of deploying clean technologies.

You can submit your question sand ideas about renewable innovation and deployment to Richard Kauffman in advance of the event through email, Twitter or Facebook, by:
•     Sending an email to newmedia@hq.doe.gov;
•     Tweeting your question to @energy with the hashtag #energymatters; or
•     Leaving a question for Kauffman at Facebook.com/energygov.

You’ll also be able to send him questions live during the event using the above methods or by visiting Energy.gov.

The United States can transform our energy future, but we must address market obstacles facing new technologies. We hope to see you online on Energy.gov this Thursday at 2:00 p.m. EDT to discuss what can be done.

Cross-posted from Energy.gov

photo: jurvetson

Related posts:

• Ford Decides To Pull Back The Reins On Electric Vehicle Investment
• China is World Leader In Clean-Tech Investments, Report Says
• Two Recommended Green Tech Events in San Francisco
• J-REC Conference: Jewish Clean Tech & Green Energy Leaders To Meet
• Top 6 Tips for Clean Tech Events and Renewable Energy Conferences

China leads the world in total investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, although as a percentage of overall economic activity Denmark ranks first in clean-tech spending, according to a report by the conservation group WWF.

The report says that China is currently investing $65 billion a year in clean tech, with renewable energy spending growing at 77 percent a year since 2008. The U.S. spends $45 billion a year on clean technologies, with those investments growing by 28 percent a year since 2008.

But Denmark, which spends $9.4 billion a year on renewable energy and energy efficiency, is the world leader when clean-tech investment is taken as a percentage of gross domestic product; Denmark’s clean-tech investments equal 3.1 percent of GDP.

Using that measure, China ranks second, spending 1.4 percent of GDP on clean tech. The U.S. ranks 17th, with clean-tech investments accounting for 0.3 percent of GDP, according to the report, which gathered data on 38 countries.

Measuring clean-tech spending as a percentage of GDP, the remaining countries in the top five are Germany, Brazil, and Denmark.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

Related posts:

• China Named Leader in Green Energy Investing
• U.S. Loses Ground In Clean-Energy Investments
• Confidence Picks Up in Clean Tech Funding: Report
• China Surges Ahead in Clean Energy Investment, Study Says
• U.S.-China Green Tech Summit — A Conference Not to be Missed

Will the political change in Washington spell doom for meaningful progress in clean tech? That’s the question being asked by many since the mid-term election swept a Republican majority into power in the House of Representatives.  With deficit reduction as the rallying cry of the legions that have taken half of Capitol Hill, the survival prospects for clean energy legislation heading into next year seem remote. Make no mistake; Americans have given their consent to a new group of politicians, many of whom still doubt the reality of climate change and have announced their eagerness to reverse course on the major legislative initiatives that have emerged from the Obama White House.

Signaling a drive to use the lame duck Congress to try to preserve the administration’s clean tech plans from the budgetary axe, Vice President Joe Biden last week underscored White House support for a program of federal grants set to expire at the end of the year.

“We have to continue to invest in clean energy, so we’re also calling on Congress to extend a program that has been really successful,” Biden said.

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), the Section 1603 Treasury Grant Program has been praised by sustainable energy developers for providing readily available infrastructure grants of up to 30 percent of project costs. Originally offering tax credits as a method of attracting financing, the program was altered to supply direct grants to further stimulate demand for investors.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) , the program has supplied critical financing for more than 1,100 solar energy systems in 42 states, including 97 solar thermal installations.  Responsible for the creation of thousands of jobs in construction and installation, 1603 has helped to bring 1,000 megawatts of solar-electric capacity online this year, enough power for up to 220,000 homes, the SEIA said.

The 1603 program has been enthusiastically endorsed by the key players in the solar industry.  Testifying before U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works early this year, Robert Gillette, Chief Executive Officer of solar powerhouse First Solar, warned about the consequences of allowing the program to expire “just as it is critically needed to bring projects on line and attract investors for new development projects. It is vital that the grant program be extended though December 31, 2012 in the upcoming Jobs Bill.”

The program has been especially beneficial to wind power projects, which received more than 80 percent of the nearly $2.6 billion in Section 1603 grants that had been disbursed by the first quarter of this year.  The possibility of the demise of a key channel of support for windpower is a matter of grave concern to the industry, which already experienced a 71 percent decline in installations from last year.

Referring to a study by the U.S. Partnership for Renewable Energy Finance, the SEIA cautioned that a refusal to extend the 1603 program could result in a 56% decline in the renewable energy sector as a whole.

“The renewable energy industry is facing a crisis, a market cliff at the end of the year, requiring urgent action,” said Michael Eckhart, President, American Council on Renewable Energy. “The impact of the financial crisis goes on, and if not addressed, the situation risks losing thousands of jobs that were just created.”

Now waddling toward the precipice, the lame duck will be gone before we know it. Perhaps it is time for the climate constituency to rethink its tactics; perhaps it is time to mobilize.

Related posts:

• Green Job Training: U.S. government holding five grant competitions
• Congress: Start The Energy Revolution Without Me
• Talking to Electric Vehicles
• Stimulus Update: Next Generation Electric Vehicles Funds Released
• Energy Programs Brace for Deep Spending Cuts After Debt Deal

The oil and gas interests that are behind Proposition 23 on the November 2nd ballot in California are faltering in the polls. That’s good news for the clean tech sector, but a less well-known ballot measure, Proposition 26, could still help pull the rug out from under California’s efforts to create markets for clean energy and clean transportation systems.

Just as vested special interests protecting the status quo thwarted efforts to pass any meaningful regulations on carbon and/or to promote renewable energy at the federal level this year, Tea Party activists (working with sympathetic apologists for the fossil fuel industry) are trying to roll back California’s climate change regulations through the much maligned ballot initiative process.

The irony is that Silicon Valley and Hollywood are outspending the out-of-state oil companies behind Proposition 23, which would, in effect, undo AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requiring the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 25 percent by 2025. (Since 40 percent of California’s climate change gases are linked to the transportation sector, this ballot measure could have a crippling impact on emerging markets for plug-in electric vehicles.)

Prop 23 would suspend the nation’s most aggressive climate change law until unemployment (currently standing at above 12 percent) drops to 5.5 percent for four consecutive quarters. That low of a level of unemployment has only occurred three times over the last four decades.

Recent reports on campaign spending show that Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), which was a prime mover behind AB 32, has pumped $250,000 into the “No on Prop 23” campaign. Another notable financial supporter of this effort to protect environmental regulation is Gordon Moore, the legendary co-founder of Intel, who has contributed $1 million to the same effort.

The prime funding sources behind Prop 23 are Tesoro and Valero, both oil companies hailing from Texas, and the infamous billionaires Charles and David Koch, who own oil refineries in Alaska, Texas and Minnesota. At present, the pro Prop 23 interests are being outspent at a rate of 3-to-1, $30 versus $10 million. Despite the economic doldrums facing the nation and state, recent polls show that 48 percent of voters oppose Prop 23, while only 37 percent support it (with the rest still undecided.)

Of course, the battle might not be over on November 2nd. Attorneys general from Alabama, Nebraska, North Dakota and Texas claim they will go to the court if voters reject the measure, basing their legal arguments on the Constitution’s interstate commerce clause. In lawsuits where states are the opposing litigants, the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction. That means a trial would need to take place at the Supreme Court.

While the clean tech sector may be crowing about their seemingly successful effort to beat back Prop 23, Proposition 26 has largely been under the public’s radar. The outcome of this ballot measure is less certain. It would reclassify environmental impact fees as taxes and then require a 2/3 vote in the California Legislature (rather than a simple majority) to impose them.

The two-thirds voting requirement for passing a state budget has mired the state in an annual fiscal crisis due to gridlock between majority Democrats and the minority Republicans. Environmentalists and their clean tech allies fear passage of Prop 26 could cripple efforts to levy fees to implement the variety of programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Interestingly enough, the prime funders behind Prop 26 are California oil companies that have all dissociated themselves from Prop 23. Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Occidental Petroleum have all ponied up on behalf of Prop. 23. Chevron is the largest single contributor at $3.7 million. In this campaign, proponents have been outspending the opponents at a more than 2-to-1 ratio, with over $16 million versus less than $6 million.

Peter Asmus is an analyst at Pike Research specializing in renewable energy. Article appearing courtesy Matter Network.

Related posts:

• Could Efforts to Save California’s Climate Change Law be a Model for National Policy?
• J-REC Conference: Jewish Clean Tech & Green Energy Leaders To Meet
• Clean Tech Event: Smart Grid Bilateral Trade and Investment Opportunities
• China is World Leader In Clean-Tech Investments, Report Says
• U.S.-China Green Tech Summit — A Conference Not to be Missed

While national climate change legislation was imploding this past summer, it looked like climate advocates were poised to also suffer another, even more disheartening defeat: the suspension of the most important state-level climate change law in the United States. A coalition of out-of-state oil companies and oil industry supporters had succeeded in qualifying Proposition 23 on the California ballot. If passed, this controversial ballot proposal would suspend California’s Global Warming and Solutions Act of 2006 indefinitely.

In tough economic times, and with industry groups working to convince California combating climate change kills jobs, it seemed almost hopeless to believe the climate law stood a chance. But then something very interesting happened. A coalition of clean tech companies, mainstream environmental organizations, and less well-known grassroots activist groups banded together to defeat Prop 23. And though the final outcome is still far from certain, it has become clear Prop 23 faces a tough fight. If the ballot initiative is defeated this November, climate advocates could walk away with a new model for successful coalition-building around climate change.

Contrary to expectations that the fossil fuel industries supporting Prop 23 would quickly out-fundraise opponents, by Thursday the No on 23 campaign had raised nearly twice as much money as Prop 23 supporters. That doesn’t necessarily mean the trend will continue; rich oil companies could mobilize quickly and dump millions into the campaign during the final weeks before Election Day. But so far the pro-climate opposition has shown itself more than capable of competing.

Some big donations have come from environmental groups like the Sierra Club, but many are from California-based green tech companies and venture capitalists who see suspension of the state’s climate change law as a threat to jobs in their industries. Last week Vinod Khosla, one of California’s most famous green entrepreneurs, donated $1.04 million to help defeat Prop 23. Other companies giving large amounts include Google, Bloom, and Sempra Energy. Instead of becoming a jobs-versus-environment issue, as oil companies hoped it would, this fight has become a contest between the old fossil fuel-powered economy, and a new economy which thrives on innovation and clean energy.

Yet lest Californians come to see this as simply two big industries squaring off, the No on 23 campaign also has its grassroots element. Environmental organizations, labor unions, and health groups that rely on grassroots support are some of the most outspoken critics of Prop 23. Lesser-known groups with little funding but lots of people power are also joining the fray. Various student groups on college campuses are mobilizing their peers to vote against Prop 23 this November. Meanwhile the Rainforest Action Network shut down Chevron gas stations around San Francisco last week, criticizing the oil giant for environmental crimes the include failing to stand up for California’s climate change law.

The effect of all this has been striking: everyone from big venture capitalists to student groups seems to be rallying against Prop 23 and in support of California’s climate law. Compare this to the fight over national climate legislation earlier this year, when environmental groups were in disagreement as to whether the bill was even good enough to support. A little-discussed factor in the demise of national climate legislation is that the bill being offered was so compromised many activists were unwilling to spend their time pushing for it.

To actually pass national climate change legislation, we need a bill good enough that it will bring left-wing environmental groups together with major clean tech companies to present a united front strong enough to overcome Big Oil. It’s just this kind of coalition that has sprung up in California to defend the 2006 Global Warming and Solutions Act. The lesson from California seems to be the key to passing a climate bill won’t be found in further compromise and a collapse of ambition. Rather, to build the kind of coalition needed to pass major legislation, lawmakers and activists need to think big.

Article by Nick Engelfried, appearing courtesy Justmeans.

Related posts:

• National Irresponsibility in Energy Policy — It’s Contagious
• Schwarzenegger Announces New Climate Change Alliance
• States Ignoring Link Between Transportation and Climate
• Congress: Start The Energy Revolution Without Me
• Looking for Climate Change Leadership? Try Mexico City

It’s a truism that sequels rarely live up to classics. If, like me, you’re a fan of the original Wall Street movie, you probably approached Money Never Sleeps with at least a degree of skepticism. Yet the film debuted at #1 over the weekend, grossing more than $19 million. Regardless of your take on the flick’s quality, its context within the current social and economic climate is fitting – enhancing the public appeal.

The first Wall Street movie concluded with protagonist, Gordon Gekko, going to jail for spearheading insider trading schemes.  Gekko’s notorious proclamation that “Greed is Good” became a mantra in business circles, and lightning rod for critics of capitalism run amok. In today’s post-subprime mortgage era, financial rules have been reset and many suggest the arrival of a humbler and more sustainable “New Normal.” Deservingly, greed without guidelines has been thrown under the bus.  

Money Never Sleeps begins with Gekko emerging from the slammer, repentant and eager to share his newfound wisdom. He encounters a young, ambitious trader – the kind Gekko used to chew up and spit out – and the two develop a working relationship. Much of the rest of the movie is typical Hollywood fare: good, evil, revenge, love, loss and triumph. But one underlying detail signals the Wall Street of 2010, rather than 1987, when the first Wall Street film was released and green finance was barely on the mainstream radar. Gekko’s new confidant, Jake Moore, has a penchant for investing in renewable energy. This subplot is a sign of the times, as global clean tech venture investment for the 1^st half of 2010 reached a record high of $4.04 billion.

From Wall Street the movie to Wall Street the institution, the Green Wave is amplifying. We observe greening in almost every facet of society: the advancement of clean technologies, the evolution of recycling, the proliferation of alternative energy, the maturity of socially responsible investing, the emergence of sustainable apparel and the growth of organic foods. If consumers demand it, and governments facilitate it, then investors will fund it, and businesses will provide it.

As an ode to the enlightened Gordon Gekko and, more importantly, a call to action for all the real Gordon Gekkos that make our world turn, I offer the following contemporary twist on his most famous words:

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that Green, for lack of a better word, is good. Green is right, Green works. Green clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Green, in all of its forms; Green for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind. And Green, you mark my words, will save that malfunctioning corporation called The World. Thank you very much. 

- Green Gordon Gekko

Article by Ashok Kamal, Co-Founder of Bennu, which is a socially responsible product development and marketing company that completes the recycling loop.

Related posts:

• Summer Reading for Green Building
• Bringing Green Manufacturing Back Home
• Clean Tech = Pajamas once in a while
• Manufacturing Our Nation’s Clean Energy Future
• GE Pumps $23 Million Into SolarEdge

Last week was an eventful one in venture capital clean tech funding, especially for California-based Solaria, Solazyme and Calisolar. Here’s a closer look at each of them, and what to look out for in the near future.

Solaria

HQ: Fremont, CA

Employees: 60

Designer, manufacturer and marketer of silicon PV modules Solaria Corporation raised $65 million in round D financing, including $10 million in a growth loan facility. Solaria markets its products to solar system integrators, project developers and electric utilities and its “secret sauce” is a technology that essentially halves the requirement for silicon, still the most expensive ingredient in solar cells. Future didn’t always look this bright for the California-based company with operations in Germany and India – after a promising start in 2008, the recession forced it to go dark for over a year, and to scrap its first-generation technology due to falling panel prices. But now, led by an experienced team, including Dan Shugar, co-founder of Powerlight, acquired by SunPower in 2007, and backed by capital from CMEA Capital and DBL Investors, Adams Street Partners, Cycad Group, and Western Technologies Inc (WTI), Solaria looks like it crossed the valley of death unscathed. It remains to be seen if they can scale up accordingly.

Solazyme

HQ: South San Francisco

Employees: 100.

On Thursday, Solazyme, leading producer of renewable oil and bioproducts from microalgae, announced that Unilever and Sir Richard Branson joined its Series D financing round as a strategic investors. Solazyme is not exactly a new entrant: they’ve been around for about seven years and have also experienced a slow ramp-up, but were majorly boosted by an $8.5 million contract they won last year to supply the Navy with 20,000 gallons of algae fuel for testing and certification that could be used in Navy ships. The South San Francisco-based company has developed biotechnology that “tricks” algae into producing oil that can be used to run automobiles, as Solazyme has been demonstrating for over a year.  The strategic partnership with Unilever is good news for Solazyme for several different reasons: the former boats a large product portfolio and enables Solazyme to gain access to new markets backed by a recognizable name. Relationships and brand names are all blowing favorable winds into Solazyme’s sails. The hope is that the products will prove popular not only with eco-conscious consumers, but with the wider masses, as well. After all, that’s the sign of true success. Solazyme’s total series D financing: $52 milion.

Calisolar

HQ: Sunnyvale, CA

Employees: 300, but growing fast

Also last week, vertically integrated solar cell manufacturer Calisolar announced that it raised $10 million in new funding, from one unnamed investor, on the footsteps of an earlier announcement in July, of a $15 million round. While this may not seem like a lot, especially compared with the two previous companies, the bigger picture is more telling: Calisolar has had a busy year, between the February acquisition of Canada-based 6N Silicon Inc., with the intention of expanding silicon purification operations there, and the appointment in August of Sandra Beach Lin as the new CEO. Beach Lin has held positions with aluminum giant Alcoa and Honeywell International, among others, and brings along a decent portfolio of relationships and experience. Calisolar has now raised about $196 million in capital since its inception in 2006, mainly from backers such as Advanced Technology Ventures, Globespan Capital Partners and Hudson Clean Energy Partners. It didn’t hurt that the company also benefited from a $51.6 million tax credit via the federal stimulus package. What next? Calisolar is poised to profit tremendously from its technology that uses “dirty” (metallurgical grade) silicon for solar cells. “Dirty” (recycled) silicon is substantially less expensive than electronic grade silicon, which gives them a good leg up over competitors, in terms of pricing.

Related posts:

• Green Technology Job Hunt: Succeed With Clear Goals
• China is World Leader In Clean-Tech Investments, Report Says
• Green Building, Water, Energy, Clean Tech: Where Are We Going?
• U.S.-China Green Tech Summit — A Conference Not to be Missed
• Home-Grown Wind Power Takes Root

Israel, a global cleantech powerhouse, is now attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in cleantech investment every year.

The country gets more from its soil, water, air, and sunlight than most other nations on earth.

Why has such a small country been able to position itself a world leader in cleantech?

The answer, I believe, is a combination of many factors: its history, attitude of the people, ingenuity, and challenges to survival.

According to my research, the following are major highlights of Israel’s cleantech leadership to date in 2010:

1. Israel is the Silicon Valley of water. Relative to its small size, Israel has devoted more resources to the development of waste water treatment and reclamation than any other country in the world. Seventy percent of its waste water is recycled, three times the figure of number two: Spain. Israel is the birthplace and world leader in drip irrigation, which has literally turned deserts into farmlands. The Israeli firm Netafim, a $500 million high-tech drip-irrigation giant, is a world leader in smart irrigation technology and has been credited with starting the drip irrigation revolution. Israel Newtech, which promotes Israeli clean energy and water technologies, has identified hundreds of water companies. It’s estimated that Israel’s water industry was valued at $1.4 billion in 2008 and could reach $2.5 billion by 2011.

The sector is supported by early stage private and government investment programs, such as the Kinrot incubator, 11 investments to date) and the Office of the Chief Scientist (several million dollars in early stage R&D grants), as well as large industrial players such as IDE Technologies, a global leader in water desalination and Mekorot, the country’s innovative technology-oriented water carrier.

2. Brain trust. Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to population in the world. Within its small borders is an enormous concentration of PhDs and engineers, bolstered in large part by the large immigration from the former Soviet Union. This concentration of minds in a relatively small geographical space creates a country-wide incubator where ideas are constantly tested in the coffee shops of Tel-Aviv and the hallways of universities. Israelis also benefit from compulsory military service, where early exposure to high-pressure environments develop team building and leadership skills and a focus on technology-oriented innovation, which has a direct correlation with the needs of the cleantech sector.

3, Necessity as the mother of innovation. Due to its location and terrain, Israel is a country that has had extremely limited natural resources since its inception. Israelis have therefore become experts at getting the most out of limited natural resources. Confronting adversity has trained Israelis to think outside of the box. “Israel is poor in natural resources and rich in brain capital. Clean energy bridges that gap. What Israel lacks in the ground it makes up with its people,” says David Anthony from 21 Ventures.

4. Leveragability of tech expertise to cleantech. As Glen Schwaber, Partner at Israel Cleantech Ventures, wrote in his article The Quest for Smarts, “Israel’s tech sector has flourished through the creation of core technology competencies that are world leading. These include, but are not limited to digital printing, semiconductors, power electronics, optics and software. Over the last two decades, multiple billions of VC dollars have poured into Israeli companies in these sectors, market leaders have emerged, and many of the world’s largest multinationals have bought companies and set up shop in Israel as a result. Israel’s ability to compete globally in cleantech markets will depend largely on our success in leveraging all this know-how … Israeli excellence in advanced optics and systems has spawned a number of very interesting utility scale solar companies.”

5. Capital. Just about every major US VC firm in Silicon Valley, from Battery Ventures to Greylock to USVP to Sequoia Capital, is prospecting across Israel for cleantech investments. All told, at least 40 venture funds, several of them American, manage more than $10 billion in Israel, with an increasing share of their allocations devoted to cleantech companies. We are also seeing strong players driving alliances between US VCs and Israel cleantech ecosystem with organizations like CICC and its Cleantech Initiative, which is acting as a conduit and catalyst for US Israeli technology transfer. The Initiative is to feature 10 leading-edge cleantech companies from Israel in Silicon Valley next week.

6. The Better Place factor. Better Place is Israel’s best known cleantech company, and it recently raised a further $350 million (see Better Place deal bested by Airtricity). Founded by Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi, the company is developing electric vehicle battery swapping infrastructure. Israel was the first country to sign on with Better Place, Since then, Denmark, San Francisco, Canada, Australia and Hawaii have also begun working with the firm. Better Place accomplished significant milestones in 2009, including debuting the a first compatible EV in partnership with Renault at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

7. The sun shines brightly over Israel. The solar radiation Israel receives is a driver of solar thermal companies. Siemens bought Israeli solar thermal pioneer Solel for $418 million, while BrightSource Energy has raised more than $160 million from investors, including U.S.-based VantagePoint Venture Partners, Google, BP’s investment arm, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan Chase. Other notable solar thermal companies include Heliofocus, ZenithSolar, and AORA.

8 Kibbutz Pioneers. The foundation of Israel’s cleantech industry was laid with the beginning of the kibbutz (collective communities) movement at the start of the 20th century (see Israel’s cleantech kibbutzim pioneers). At that time, the land was mostly semi-arid, with a scarcity of water and pockmarked by mosquito infested swamps, so principles of sustainability and self-sufficiency were adopted from the outset so as to “make the desert bloom”.

9. Home grown Israeli VC community. Israel has a vibrant local VC community which includes Israel Cleantech Ventures, AquaAgro and Terra Ventures—three firms dedicated to investing in Israel’s cleantech sector. Having a vibrant local VC community also draws foreign money.

10. Momentum. Israel is fast becoming the cleantech incubator to the world. In proportion to its population, it now has the largest number of startup companies than any other country in the world except the U.S., with 3,500 companies, mostly in hi-tech. Exciting new cleantech startups to keep an eye on, in our opinion, that haven’t been mentioned already include Bio Pure Technology, BioPetroClean, CellEra, Emefcy, Enstorage, Greenlet Technologies, GreenRoad, GreenSun Energy, IQ Wind, Linum, Panoramic Power, Phoebus Energy, SolarEdge, Takadu, Technospin, Transalgae and Variable Wind Solutions.

As Al Gore stated in a recent visit, “the people of Israel can lead the way to renewable energy. With its unique geographical position, and cleantech know how, Israel is a natural leader in the field.”

Cleantech could well become Israel’s biggest export market. Other countries should take note.

Article by Shawn Lesser originally appeared at Cleantech Group. Shawn Lesser is the president and founder of Atlanta-based Sustainable World Capital, which is focused on fund-raising for private equity cleantech/sustainable funds, as well as private cleantech companies and M&A.

photo: Johnk85

Related posts:

• Israel Conference: Clean Tech VCs & CEOs Meet in California
• Shai Agassi named to Time 100 list of world’s most influential people
• China is World Leader In Clean-Tech Investments, Report Says
• Four Trade Secrets Israeli Clean Tech Entrepreneurs Can’t Live Without
• Coming Attractions: CleanTechies Events Highlights

Texas-based Xtreme Power is one of the leaders of the energy storage world, designing and manufacturing large-scale solid-state energy storage and power management systems called Dynamic Power Resources for solar and wind power applications.

CEO Carlos Coe talked with CleanTechies about developments in the energy storage field.

CleanTechies:   You have two energy storage projects in Hawaii.

Carlos Coe:  The first project is on the island of Maui and it’s affiliated with the wind farm that’s on that island. And that project is a 1.5 megawatt project in size going on a 30 megawatt wind farm.  So that project was put into service the middle part of last year and has been in service since then and has done very, very well.

CleanTechies:  Any glitches?

Coe:  I think in any kind of power project, you have some normal construction kinds of things. But overall, I’d say the project has been very successful. And we are currently working on a 15 megawatt unit that will go with a 30 megawatt wind farm to go on the island of Oahu.

CleanTechies: It seems it’s finally time for the large megawatt projects to start arriving.

Coe: Yeah. So everything we’re doing probably from this point forward are basically all large projects, like either wind or solar, and then the other category we’re working on are projects that are tied primarily to a utility associated with grid support functions.

CleanTechies: Where do you see everything heading over the next year to two?

Coe:  I see the rapid adoption of these kind of technologies and we see our project size and scope continuing to increase. One of the things that’s unique about the projects we’re current engaged in and the ones we see in the future are that they are basically requiring us to do multiple functions at the same time.

CleanTechies: Are you seeing a lot more interest in storage than last year?

Coe:  Yes. And I think that in addition to those funded projects, we see a lot of what I call straight commercial projects, projects that are being done for commercial merit only and not being supported by some kind of grants or loan projects.

CleanTechies: You worked for Whirlpool and Ford.  What’s your take on home installations and vehicles selling back to the grid?

Coe:  I think that we’re going to be very much involved in the infrastructure development required to do this. What we mean by that is that if everybody buys electric vehicles and goes home and plugs it in to charge it up, it’ll collapse the grid. There’s not enough power on the grid to support everybody charging their cars at the same time. So we’re going to represent potentially an infrastructure project to allow, for example, stationary batteries to charge batteries in vehicles. And we see that as being another potentially large market for us.

CleanTechies: Do you think everything will be led by batteries?  Or will thermal or compressed air play a role?

Coe:  I think there’s a play for all these types of technologies. We have very close relationships with our friends in the thermal storage arena, particularly affiliated with air conditioning type systems. And there’s a close association between what they do and what we do and the fact that, in some cases, we’re collaborating on projects. Because in some cases those projects make a lot of sense that there’s some thermal storage involved in it, and along with what I call direct energy storage, like what we provide.

CleanTechies: Is there a “storage central” for the developing industry in the United States?

Coe:   Actually, it’s kind of interesting. You know California has a bill before the legislature to pass, just like they passed a (Renewable Portfolio Standard) for wind and solar. They’re talking about passing an RPS standard that would include a storage requirement. So small changes like that can actually move the market around. But we actually see the market for storage pretty universally across the board. The demand for it outside the United States might be even stronger than it is within the United States.

photo: Hawaiian Sea

Related posts:

• Energy Storage on the Grid in the New Year
• Hawaii Celebrates Alternative Energy Achievement
• Hawaii Solar Power Community Celebrates Favorable Ruling
• 2010: The Year of Compressed Air Energy Storage?
• The Storage Act: Putting Energy Storage on a Level Playing Field