Where are the cleantech hot spots? Earth2Tech has the ultimate map for curious CleanTech Startup watchers. Pinpointing locales around the globe, Earth2Tech’s 101 Cleantech Startups allows you to see all the places that cleantech companies are popping up.

(from Earth2Tech) The different sectors — like solar, energy storage, biofuels and electric vehicles — are all represented by a logo, and each pin on the map has all of the vital stats for each startup (founding year, investors, technology, etc.). We admit we’ve got a bit of a Valley skew, but we’ve thrown in some of the international cleantech heavyweights as well.

Earth2Tech’s CleanTech Startup Map

Post from: EveryJoe

CleanTech Startups Map at Earth2Tech

VC investment in the solar industry has gone from a few deals in 2004 to potentially reach $1B in 2007. This phenomenal investment growth is spurring innovation and efficiency in every sector of the booming $15B solar industry. We are seeing a VC-funded entrepreneurial wave get the attention of incumbent solar vendors, private equity investors, government, and even reach the public consciousness at the consumer level.

The solar industry is fast growing at 25% per year, a trend that is expected to continue for at least the next five years, according to Greentech Media’s VC Investment in Solar: 2005-2009. The graph below gives a graphic idea of how the industry has outpowered others in its class, as well as showing how investors are balking at biofuels this year compared to last year’s buzz.

Get more on cleantech this year at Cleantech Venture Investment Hits $2.6B at Earth2Tech where “by sector, solar took the cake, with 35 solar deals worth a total of $664.6 million.” And at Green Tinge Is Attracting Seed Money to Ventures at the New York Times.

How solar is getting around:

• Tindo, the Solar-powered Bus!
• Solar Green Homes delivered by Truck!
• Solara: California’s First Solar-powered Community

Via EL

Post from: EveryJoe

Solar Leads Greentech into 2008

It’s true of most companies, whether big or small, that a web presence is a vital communication tool. But being green is more than just being virtual, down the chain web hosts require energy so where to find one that is truly green-minded?

In my own quest I’ve found some great resources that sort through the good, the green and the greenwashers looking at everything from wind-power to sustainable office strategies.

Here are my favorites:

• Plethora of Options for Green Web Hosting: The number of green web hosting options has expanded quite a bit in recent months. Which one should you choose? Well, right now it appears that the primary discriminator is the method by which they power their operation… at TreeHugger
• Nine Wind-Powered Web Hosts: If you’re concerned about the environment and looking for a Web host, you’ll find there’s a growing number of “green” hosting companies in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere. Following are nine Web hosts that reduce their impact on the environment with wind-powered energy or wind-energy offsets… at Suite101
• More Wind and Solar-powered Web Hosting: there are many more hosting providers that are powered by wind or solar (either directly from solar panels and wind turbines, or by buying clean energy credits from the utility company). If you have a website, or are thinking of creating one, please consider green hosting. Have a look at the companies… at TreeHugger

And a nice summary of how to avoid the ‘greenwash’ web hosts:

• Green Web Hosting: When one thinks of the web hosting industry, the word “environmentalism” or “greenie” is not usually the first thing that comes to mind. Since electricity needed to run servers and the cooling servers need uses up a lot of energy, many would think that the web hosting industry is environmentally unfriendly. That would indeed be the case if not for this new revelation that some companies are picking up. This new revelation is known as “green hosting”. Before you jump on the bandwagon and sing the praises of this new hosting strategy that not only serves your webhosting needs but is also good for the environment, there are a few facts that you should know.

Post from: EveryJoe

Behind the Website: Green Web Hosts

For starters there’s the job market. In Top 10 Cleantech Jobs, Earth2Tech has put together a list of ten jobs that are emerging and will shape the future of cleantech. The list of course includes specific jobs related to the energy and green building industries, among others, but is more varied and diverse than you’d think.

And then there’s Van Jones, an activist working to combine solutions to social inequality and environmental destruction. Mr. Jones founded the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, which promotes alternatives to violence and incarceration. The City of Oakland has adopted the Ella Baker Center’s “Green Jobs Corps” proposal, and Van is pushing to create the first-ever Green Enterprise Zone in Oakland.

Van Jones on the Green-Collar Solution

The green economy has the power to deliver new sources of work, wealth and health to low-income people—while honoring the Earth. If you can do that, you just wiped out a whole bunch of problems. We can make what is good for poor black kids good for the polar bears and good for the country.

Then there’s the green revolution of Wal-Mart. Likely the most notorious bottom line watching company that springs to mind – granted with either a bitter distaste or a surrendering affection. Wal-Mart’s recent Live Better Sustainability Summit and sustainable initiatives have sent a green ripple out from the mega-retailer that has reached down the supply chain to surprise even the harshest of critics.

Wal-Mart is aggressively investing approximately $500 million annually in technologies and innovation to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, develop a 20% more efficient prototype and increase fleet efficiency by 25 percent in the next 3 years, doubling efficiency in the next 10 years.

Let’s face it, if Wal-Mart is willing to invest this much in sustainability there is a pay-off to going green.

More:

• Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Summit: Greenwashing it was not at TreeHugger
• Van Jones will be at the Bioneers 2007 Conference this weekend.

Post from: EveryJoe

Green is Good Business