The steady waves of consolidation within the smart energy sector produced a major deal last week with Eaton’s planned $11.8 billion acquisition of Cooper Industries, one of the largest to date. If anyone thinks energy management or the broader clean technology market is fading, think again. (more…)

What a week!

At the start of the year we forecasted that one of the big trends in 2012 would be the return of the private equity markets to the fuel cell and hydrogen industry. In fact, this trend has been far larger and is now having an impact on the entire cleantech sector. (more…)

This is a question that many of us who follow the clean energy industry may have asked ourselves: which one represents more value for money, wind or solar power? Surely they are both alternative energy types that we should embrace in order to break ourselves from our oil addiction. (more…)

The standard solar cell uses silicon oxide, which is expensive and environmentally toxic. One of the promising alternatives is the so-called “Grätzel cell”, a cheaper, cleaner alternative based on more abundant titanium oxide. However, they don’t last long because this type of dye-sensitized cell uses an electrolyte made (more…)

AT&T is a well known American multinational telecommunications corporation and second largest mobile telephony and fixed telephony provider in the United States. Its headquarters are in Dallas, Texas and it is the largest non-oil related company in the state as well as the largest headquarters. Forbes magazine, in 2011, listed AT&T as the fourteenth largest (more…)

Why isn’t technology solving our energy problems? As venture capitalist Elton Sherwin discovered, you have to get people to buy the technology first.

Sherwin invested in energy efficiency devices that had huge potential, only to see them flounder in the market. That’s why he got involved with Washington, DC-based Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), (more…)

Who among us has not eagerly described the smart meter to a non-energy person only to be greeted by a blank stare, or worse the retort: “Why would I want to track my electricity costs all day?”

You try to explain the profound applications: smart appliances that talk to the power grid, consumer (more…)

Why do some states avoid creating policies that encourage consumers and businesses to save energy? What’s the psychology of the laggards?

A new report by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy sheds some insight as it examines the states that consistently fall behind in (more…)

Talk to any financial adviser, and they’ll tell you diversity within your portfolio is important for long-term growth and sustainability. Diversity helps you adapt to changing markets and weather short-term storms to achieve your goals.

The same can be said about energy. Diversity is a (more…)

While Rhode Island, known as the Plantation State or the Ocean State, is one of the smallest states in the United States, it still looks to pack a punch when it comes to renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is listed as having some of the best potential for water power and offshore wind farms because of its proximity to the ocean. As well, it is known for having a very (more…)