(2/16/2012) In 2011, cleantech companies around the globe raised $9.13 billion of venture capital across 727 rounds, a strong statement from investors and cleantech entrepreneurs. The 4Q total also finished strong at $2.21 billion, capping a second half shadowed by Solyndra et al’s downfall and economic uncertainties around the globe.

Get the full, in-depth analysis of all the investment trends with the 4Q/FY 2011 Investment Monitor Report. Then, dive into the data with the Data Pack. Use it to search for deals by sector, geography, or stage, and create your own tables, reports, and graphs based on the latest data.

(11/17/2011) Total VC investments in cleantech during 3Q11 totaled $2.14 billion, a 6% increase from last quarter and 18% from 3Q 2010. The 193 deals in this quarter was also the most in a quarter so far this year, topping 173 in 1Q and 178 in 2Q. Get the full, in-depth analysis of all the investment trends with the 3Q11 Investment Monitor Report. Then, dive into the data with the Data Pack. Use it to search for deals by sector, geography, or stage, and create your own tables, reports, and graphs based on the latest data.

(8/18/2011) Cleantech venture investment in 2Q 2011 was down 30% from 1Q11, at $1.96 billion across 171 deals, but exits remain strong with 11 IPOs (totaling $1.99 billion) and 86 M&A transactions (totaling a disclosed $13.0 billion) this quarter. Get the full, in-depth analysis of all the investment trends with the 2Q11 Investment Monitor Report. Then, dive into the data with the Data Pack. Use it to search for deals by sector, geography, or stage, and create your own tables, reports, and graphs based on the latest data.

(4/14/2011) Cleantech venture investment in 1Q 2011 totaled $2.69 billion, up 58 percent compared to the previous quarter ($1.70 billion) and up 37 percent higher than the same period a year ago ($1.96 billion). Get the full, in-depth analysis of all the investment trends with the 1Q11 Investment Monitor Report. Then, dive into the data with the Data Pack. Use it to search for deals by sector, geography, or stage, and create your own tables, reports, and graphs based on the latest data.

(2/17/2011) After the first annual decline in cleantech venture funding seen in 2009, 2010 represented a return to growth. Dive into the details with this Investment Monitor and accompanying data pack.

(11/18/2010) Global clean technology investments on course, despite a decline in 3Q10. Dive into the details with this Investment Monitor and accompanying data pack.

(8/19/2010) Venture investment maintained its momentum in 2Q10, hitting a new high since the beginning of the financial crisis. Dive into the details with this investment monitor.

(5/14/2010) In the first quarter of 2010, global cleantech venture investment totaled $2.1 billion across 189 deals. Dive into the details with this investment monitor.

(2/19/2010) The Cleantech Group's comprehensive analysis of cleantech investment in 2009. 76 pages of data, trends and takeaways. For clients.

(11/12/2009) Details of global venture's second consecutive quarterly increase in cleantech, underscoring its new status as a leading venture investment theme worldwide. 59 pages of data and analysis.

(8/13/2009) Venture investment rebounded in 2Q09, reflecting stabilizing economic conditions, improved availability of credit, a rebounding public equities market and worldwide government stimulus funding. 59 pages of data and analysis.

(5/18/2009) Cleantech investment is undergoing a period of transition. Key capital markets providing financing to the industry have pulled back in light of ongoing global macroeconomic, credit and liquidity issues. 64 pages of data and analysis.

(2/24/2009) 2008 represented another record year for cleantech venture investing; however, a slowdown in fourth quarter investments reflects the breadth of the global economic crisis.

(12/11/2008) Cleantech venture capital investing totaled $2.6 billion in 3Q08—an all-time high, surpassing the previous high of $2.2 billion in 2Q08. The number of investments also hit an all-time high in 3Q08, totaling 158.

(10/6/2008) Sectors receiving the most attention from investors this quarter were thin film solar PV, concentrated solar thermal, and algae companies, receiving a total of 118 new funding rounds.

(5/5/2008) Cleantech Group's quarterly investment monitor publication, tracking and characterizing cleantech investment activity in the first quarter of 2008.

(1/27/2012) Financing remains the biggest obstacle to unlocking a potential $100B+ annual market opportunity for building energy efficiency. These webinar slides will address the barriers, specific drivers that are demanding innovative financing solutions (e.g., shifts in accounting rules) and our view on the future of energy efficiency financing. You can access the full webinar replay at: www.cleantech.com/wp-content/uploads/Cleantech_Group_Exploring_Innovation_in_Energy_Efficiency_Financing.wmv

(12/6/2011) This is a special sneak peek at investments in Q4. While we are still actively tracking Q4 deals, this presentation includes some preliminary trends and hot stories for Q411.

(10/17/2011) Collated by combining proprietary Cleantech Group research data, with over 6,000 nominations and specific input from an expert panel, the Global Cleantech 100 companies represent the most innovative and promising ideas in cleantech – the companies that are best positioned to solve tomorrow’s clean technology challenges.

(9/27/2011) This short research note, produced in collaboration with Sustainable Development Capital Ltd (SDCL), summarizes a discussion conducted earlier this year between a variety of LPs about the key issues facing cleantech and sustainability markets – specifically within the venture capital, private equity and infrastructure sectors.

(8/31/2011) Cleantech Group conducted over 100 interviews with executives from some of the biggest utilities, ISO’s, IPP’s and other bodies within the electric power sector, other energy storage industry experts, and vendors. The slides from our interactive webinar present what we’ve learned and our perspectives on the future of energy storage.

(7/25/2011) This report expands on the main themes at the forefront of the Ontario Global Water Leaderships Summit discussions: why certain geographies are leading the way in water innovation; how corporations such as GE and Veolia are getting involved; and how some water innovators are challenging conventional water systems.
Companies profiled in this report include Emefcy, Enbala Power Networks, HydroPoint Data Systems, Puralytics, and Voltea.

(7/25/2011) This report is intended to provide clarity amongst the hype and money pouring into energy storage in recent years. Specifically, we seek to help readers understand what explains the stark distinction between those who refer to energy storage as cleantech's “holy grail,” and customers, who have been skeptical – at best – about storage adoption. It provides an overview of the sector, including market sizing and key technologies, details vendor and customer challenges, and segments the market.

(6/4/2011) Cleantech activity in Central and Eastern Europe is on the rise. The countries of this region are at a point where their Western counterparts were a decade ago, with similar drivers and opportunities.

(5/17/2011) India faces a formidable challenge in meeting the energy demands of its vast population and in providing clean energy at competitive prices. The adoption of energy efficiency technologies has therefore become of paramount importance. Across all sectors of the Indian economy, improving energy efficiency is regarded as a more economical and practical strategy for creating a sustainable economy than by purely increasing its energy supply. This research note explores the sectors where energy efficiency opportunities lie in India as well as the Government’s policy surrounding energy efficiency.

(4/24/2011) Asia plays an important role driving LED adoption. Traditionally, the region has been stereotyped as a low-cost manufacturing powerhouse but this report demonstrates the region's evolution into a technology innovator in lighting. In addition, the report provides case-studies of three Asia-based LED lighting businesses driving this transformation.

(3/30/2011) Lighting is a 100+ year old industry dominated by large incumbents who are almost as old as the industry itself. But Cleantech Group believes the next decade will be a time of unprecedented, radical change in the industry both on the “hardware” (materials, chips, packages and lamps) and “software” (control systems and services) side. This report outlines the key trends driving the industry’s transformation, provides a framework to differentiate between vendors, and presents a lifetime cost or total cost of ownership model that measures competing lighting types.

(3/4/2011) China is poised to become one of the most significant markets globally for electric vehicles (EV) over the next decade. Therefore, the question on every Western EV executive’s mind is whether and how this market is accessible. In this report, the Cleantech Group provides a case study-based synopsis on how five VC-backed Western EV companies are developing a strategy to access China’s market. In particular we compare and contrast their China-based partnerships and investments, as well as relevant internal human resources in order to learn what it takes to succeed in China’s vast and growing EV industry.

(1/26/2011) In an environment in which capital efficient investment opportunities are on the rise, the relative lack of smart water investments speaks volumes about the perceived barriers to entry in the water utilities market. For many venture capitalists, the mere mention of „munis. by entrepreneurs will result in immediate concern regarding the penetration of this notoriously challenging customer base.

(1/25/2011) The list of companies pursuing home energy management offerings is long and growing longer every week (as is the number of analyst reports claiming to offer insight into these companies!). The roster of firms developing products for consumers is diverse and includes global technology titans (e.g. Microsoft, Google, Intel, and Cisco), hardware manufacturers (e.g. GE, Motorola, and LG), and well-capitalized, venture-backed companies (e.g. Silver Spring Networks, OPower, Control4, eMeter, and Tendril). The home energy management market is being targeted by utilities, demand response aggregators, telecommunications providers, consumer electronics retailers, as well as a variety of ancillary service providers. This report segments the Home Energy Management market into a clear value chain.

(12/20/2010) Both government and private sector support of an electric smart grid has rightly brought attention to an analogous intelligent network for water. Still, the infrastructure and challenges associated with water services warrant distinct market and technology analysis. This is especially important as water managers look towards innovative technology and management approaches to scarce and often compromised water resources.

(12/10/2010) The establishment of ChiNext was a significant development for the global cleantech innovation industry. Launched just over a year ago, it has already proved that it can mobilize large amounts of investment capital in high-growth cleantech companies in China. It is also seen as one of the most important milestones in the nation’s independent cleantech strategy based on scientific development. At a global level, ChiNext has completely turned the balance of power of global cleantech IPOs on its head - in the year since its launch, 43% of all cleantech IPOs globally occurred on the new exchange. Whilst this has fervently grabbed the attention of the Western cleantech community, the majority of Western investors understand very little about the exchange and the companies listed on it. This research note takes a look under the hood of ChiNext to investigate: 1) the cleantech companies listed on the exchange; 2) the listing and post-listing performance of the cleantech companies; 3) their financial backers; and 4) how it fares in the global cleantech IPO landscape.

(12/9/2010) Available VC funding (including early-stage, follow-on and growth capital) for cleantech companies could be tens of billions of dollars short of the projected capital requirements over the next five years. The amount of capital being raised globally by venture funds has contracted sharply over the past two years, while the pool of cleantech companies requiring funding is growing. Modeling various scenarios suggests that available funds could be $27 billion to $35 billion short of what cleantech companies would be expected to raise over this period, based on historic indicators. This could have profound consequences for the commercialization and scaling of products and services that arise from cleantech innovation. Opportunities are likely to present themselves for investors with capital to invest, while companies may find it increasingly difficult to access the funding they require through the traditional VC route.

(12/8/2010) This Energy Efficiency Research Note looks at the challenges facing moving disparate building automation systems (BAS) to a common IP platform, focusing on what's missing in driving adoption.

(12/8/2010) With a lot of anger directed at United States politicians of all stripes lately, it’s quite rare for anyone to admit they learned something in Washington, D.C. But count the 500+ attendees of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Sandia National Labs-sponsored energy storage event from November 2 – 4 among the lucky few who were taught something in Washington. For those Cleantech Group subscribers who couldn’t attend the event in person, this note provides a brief overview of our key learnings from this cutting edge event.

(11/24/2010) Airlines are attracted to the use of biofuels as a drop-in substitute for traditional aircraft fuel as they come under increasing pressure to curb consumption from rising oil prices and government regulation. Jet fuels represent a steadily-growing, $150 billion global market, creating potentially vast opportunities for entrepreneurs who can develop lower cost and lower carbon jet fuel alternatives.

This briefing provides an overview of various jet biofuel technologies, the key driving forces and challenges to development, details of companies along the supply chain, and profiles of several leading private biofuel companies developing jet fuels.

(11/10/2010) In a continuing effort to chart the direction of energy storage markets, this note will lay out the basics around the market for ancillary services: what it is, how big an opportunity we believe it to be, and what players are selling into these markets. We will likely explore this market in greater depth in upcoming briefs, but given the increasing interest from many of our subscribers in storage applications, this note will begin laying out our framework.

(11/10/2010) Cleantech Group believes more real estate institutional investors will seek out partnerships like the Good Energies / TIAA-CREF Green Building Technology Partnership. Already, we are seeing non-traditional clean energy investors participate in energy efficiency programs, like KKR’s Green Portfolio Program, developed in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund. It is likely energy efficiency financing will remain a significant roadblock for the private sector in the near-term. However, the continued de-risking of technology through energy efficiency adoption by “enlightened” Read more: www.cleantech.com investors like TIAA-CREF and KKR will continue to drive the costs down for new technologies. These lower costs will shorten investment paybacks and demonstrate clear operating cost reduction, which will ultimately lead to more financing opportunities.

(11/10/2010) Transportation venture investment in 3Q 2010 led all other categories in cleantech, totaling $208 M across 17 deals – the highest count on record. The top venture transactions include a mix of familiar names as well as newer ones, evidencing the breadth of the transportation segment, propelling historically minor categories such as car sharing into prominence and highlighting the growing influence of Asia.

(11/10/2010) A total of $166 million has now been raised in venture dollars through the first three quarters of 2010, just $15 million short of the record total raised in 2007 – 2010 is likely to mark a new high for VC investment in the water sector. Still, the allocation of innovation capital for water technologies has been anemic in comparison to the water market opportunity and far lags the dollars that have flowed into energy generation and energy efficiency technologies. The gap illustrates the tremendous opportunity, but a continuing hesitancy from investors to tackle the large resource requirements and high barriers to entry of the water market. While venture activity remains low, global equipment vendors continue to opportunistically expand. Q3 2010 M&A transactions outpaced venture activity with 13 strategic deals, continuing a slow, quiet consolidation of the water technology market.

(11/10/2010) If you looked only at venture investment in smart grid companies this quarter, you might think that things were beginning to cool off in the sector. This assumption would be very wrong. In fact, given the pace of acquisitions, product announcements, strategic partnerships, and contract awards, it could be easily said that things are just beginning to heat up. 3Q10 may be remembered as the quarter that the sector’s global, corporate giants truly woke up and began a serious assault on the smart grid market.

(10/22/2010) The market for clean energy products and services has continued to grow even through the national economic downturn. Every state has adopted some form of clean energy or climate policy designed to encourage new companies to locate in their states or to incentivize deployment of clean energy products, with California leading the way. In this free report, we look at the top states gaining market share in attracting clean energy businesses and discuss the dynamics in maintaining growth in market share.

(10/13/2010) The Global Cleantech 100 is an annual list published by the Cleantech Group on the most promising 100 private companies developing the cleantech solutions of tomorrow. The report is carefully constructed synthesizing existing cleantech lists, historical investment data, as well as the opinions of a prestigious and diverse judging panel.

This report covers the following:
The 100 top innovators in cleantech today, trends in the 2010 list, analysis by region and sector, funding and investor data, and the Lust and Marmite lists: the companies with the most admiration and the ones that divided the panel.

(9/27/2010) More than 90 percent of waste plastic winds up in landfills. But this is expected to change as the waste-to-energy and nascent waste plastics-to-fuel/energy market specifically is poised to take off in the next 12 to 24 months, especially in the U.S. With governments trying to manage land use issues and oil and energy prices predicted to rise, regulation is driving this largely underserved "blue ocean" market. And everyone from large corporations and oil refiners to venture capitalists and entrepreneurs want a piece of the pie.

This executive brief highlights innovative companies in the space that are taking a hybrid approach with new and existing technologies, as they target or approach commercial-scale production levels

(9/24/2010) The Smart Grid vendor ecosystem is an increasingly interdependent web of companies. Vendors of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) products (meters, communication units, and related software) have emerged as leaders in establishing cross-industry partnerships. Investments in AMI infrastructure have catalyzed new working relationships throughout the industry. There is strong ""coopetition"" playing out in the market between vertically integrated vendors and product specialists. Market dynamics are being reshaped by the entrance of new technologies and new companies. This results in vendor cooperation on some projects and competition on others.

Acquisitions and consolidation are increasing and will continue to shape the landscape in the coming years. Large, established, global companies are expanding product portfolios to stretch across smart grid categories with the goal of providing end-to-end solutions to utilities and other large customers. $2.75B will be spent in 2010 on smart grid products in the core industry sub-sectors of Advanced Metering, Demand Response, and Distribution Grid Management.

Commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy, this report is available to the public

(9/23/2010) The internal combustion engine (ICE) is by common consent a mature technology, having first been introduced over a century ago.  While much recent commercial and research focus and public attention have been directed toward electric vehicles, the ICE is the benchmark propulsion technology and will remain so for decades to come, representing a steadily-growing, global market of greater than $300 billion.  Recently, new technologies are finding their way into traditional internal combustion powerplants, promising dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions characteristics without compromising performance.  This briefing provides an overview of ICE fundamentals, explores key issues and driving forces for development, and profiles several leading private companies.

(9/17/2010) The lighting solutions of tomorrow are about more than efficient bulbs. Advanced IT and networking technology is integrating every aspect of a building’s electricity use, including lighting, which accounts for 25% of energy use in commercial buildings. This report highlights lighting’s role in the integrated smart building, and shows how market leaders are adopting new lighting control systems as they aim to minimize their exposure to increasing energy prices. It also profiles some of the top startups in the lighting control sector, and explains the various business models and technological differences among them. Finally, it presents opportunities for partnering, licensing, and investing in the rapidly growing lighting controls sector.

(8/31/2010) China's national government is addressing, through investment and regulation, unprecedented levels of water pollution in the wake of the migration of 18 million individuals annually from rural to urban areas lacking necessary water infrastructure. Stringent municipal wastewater discharge standards in combination with increased industrial reuse requirements are presenting a tremendous opportunity for membrane technology and system providers. This brief provides an overview of key membrane players for industrial reuse and municipal wastewater treatment applications. It aims to provide investors, technology providers and corporations with an introductory look at the membrane opportunity in China's wastewater market.

(8/13/2010) Market opportunities to meet growing electricity needs, especially in the U.S., lie in the productive use of latent and waste heat, such as in new and existing cogeneration processes. Large industrials--companies that work with thin margins and are typically energy intensive--are the most likely place where this is poised to take off.

This introductory briefing uncovers hurdles the sector is facing, lessons that can be learned from the past, and highlights public and private companies in the space enabling its progress.

(7/29/2010) The global market for all industrial and basic chemicals will be worth an estimated $2.8 trillion by 2014, and over time much of this demand will be met by chemicals produced from renewable sources (‘renewable chemicals’). As the drivers for adopting more sustainable chemicals strengthen and increasing numbers of innovative startups begin to reach commercialization, interest in the sector is now beginning to take off. For example, a total of $361 million in venture capital funding has been raised globally in the first half of 2010 by renewable chemical companies; a sum that already exceeds the amount invested during the whole of 2009.

The report uncovers the key trends, investors and companies; and highlights more than 30 start-ups, six of which are profiled in more detail.

(7/23/2010) Commercial and residential buildings consume an average of 70% of global electricity and 40% of primary energy. As such , buildings represent an enormous potential market for energy efficiency technologies. What do you need to know about where this market is going?

This briefing is part of our series of insights on the energy efficiency sector. It tracks recent trends in market demand, government action and technological innovation that are impacting impact energy efficiency vendors, customers and investors, and it provides a look at where the market is headed.

(7/16/2010) Smart irrigation is part of a broader effort to improve water productivity, which by some estimates will require $50 billion to $60 billion in investment annually over the next two decades. At the intersection of information communications technologies (ICT) and water we see early signals of a noticeable rise in innovation activity that addresses demand-side water management. Five commercially available smart irrigation companies profiled in this brief are enabling corporations, farmers, commercial buildings owners and homeowners to eliminate waste and save on costs with unprecedented visibility and control over their water use. This briefing is part of our series of insights on smarter water. Its purpose is to shine a light on smart irrigation, a solution that we believe represents a tremendous opportunity in water conservation, energy savings and reduced environmental impact.

(6/18/2010) China has already transformed its reputation from a country with little concern for the environment to being the world’s largest cleantech manufacturing hub. We are now seeing the start of a major, new shift: from ‘Made in China’ to ‘Created in China.’ China is emerging as a source of cleantech innovation and valuable IP, the implications of which the rest of the world should not underestimate.

This report provides a synopsis of the startups, research institutions and corporations developing cleantech innovations in China. It also provides insight into the investors that are likely to finance them and the government policies that are increasingly focusing on ramping up home-grown cleantech innovation. The question is no longer whether a China strategy should be adopted for cleantech innovation, but rather how it should be adopted.

(6/18/2010) Cleantech is increasingly core to corporate competitiveness, with global markets for cleantech products and services predicted to reach $3.6 trillion by 2020. Much of corporate value creation and destruction over the coming decade will depend on how cleantech innovation is understood and used. Corporations need startups to source innovation: startups need corporations to scale innovation. Such partnerships are in vogue, and on the rise.

The rise of the corporation in cleantech innovation is one of the key trends to keep an eye on during the 2010s. This briefing explores, marking the beginning of a new Cleantech Group research program to more closely track and interpret the activities of the corporation in cleantech innovation.

(6/15/2010) The winning venture backed water companies in 2009 are increasingly emphasizing solutions that help reduce customers’ water and energy use. Meanwhile, early-stage deals in resource management technologies focused on improving water treatment and distribution efficiency increased despite a drop in investment dollars.

(5/18/2010) Couldn’t attend the Cleantech Forum XXVII in Paris? Or couldn’t attend all the sessions? Here’s a summary of what took place, and the biggest takeaways. For clients.

(4/23/2010) The best cleantech IP portfolio development and protection strategies in China aren’t always intuitive. Learn insights and recommendations regarding cleantech IP in China.

(3/24/2010) Energy efficiency is one of the fastest growing investment categories. Companies raised $1 billion in 2009, up 39% from 2008.  Efficiency already ranks third in terms of venture outlays and is poised to overtake solar in 2010. Commercial buildings represent a prime efficiency improvement target. The building sector in the U.S. and much of Europe accounts for about 40% of energy consumption and over 70% of electricity use, about half of that coming from commercial buildings.

The movement to benchmark, track, and manage energy consumption is fueling innovation in information and communications technology (ICT) to run these high performing smart buildings, integrate building system silos, and provide unprecedented levels of visibility and control. For many, these tools will marry the external smart grid with the internal management of demand, supply and storage (the microgrid), propelling buildings past ""net zero"" and turning energy into an asset for building owners and investors.

But while technology is providing new levels of energy usage visibility and control, competitors and financing dynamics in the market are shifting. Learn where opportunities are now to be found in the building efficiency value chain.

(3/5/2010) Couldn’t attend last week’s Cleantech Forum XXVI in San Francisco? Or couldn’t attend all the sessions? Here’s a 15-page summary of what took place, and the biggest takeaways. For clients.

(2/23/2010) There is a significant but limited window for foreign investors and companies to capitalize on the massive opportunities in South Korea’s cleantech market.

Korea is unique among Asian markets for its combination of a wealthy consumer base, open markets, manufacturing prowess and protection of intellectual property rights. It has a reputation for developing and manufacturing advanced technologies, and the country is now determined to play a significant role in the cleantech sector. Given its track record, Korea’s goals for global market share of LEDs and electric vehicles merit attention.

Investors and project developers can take advantage of tax breaks and subsidized loans planned under the government’s five-year, $84 billion spending plan to promote green growth. The government is removing regulations that previously inhibited domestic venture capital, foreign investment, renewable energy, and electric vehicle adoption. Korea is also actively recruiting foreign cleantech specialists to help advance its technology goals.

Korea’s labs, universities and startups are the source of innovative technologies in LEDs, energy storage, fuel cells, nuclear and transportation. Foreign service providers and investors can break into this market by first partnering with local organzations, and then helping the country overcome language and cultural barriers that have kept its technologies off the global radar.

Those seeking cleantech opportunities in or with Korea are advised to act quickly. The country is starting to catch the attention of international investors, corporations and service providers. Soon, early entrants will be best placed to reap rewards. We believe the next 18 months represent the largest window of opportunity for those getting involved with Korea in cleantech.

(1/29/2010) Will rare earth and lithium availability thwart cleantech growth? A large number of metals critical to clean technologies are mined from the ground. Will they always be available? And inexpensively?

(11/18/2009) Continuing an annual tradition, the Cleantech Group presents market and technology predictions of what to expect in the year ahead, informed by data and feedback worldwide. A report for clients.

(11/12/2009) Demand for food will soon reach unprecedented levels. What technologies are being developed to meet the challenge, and who is funding them? The Cleantech Group provides a synopsis of agricultural market drivers, the investment and competitive landscape and an analysis of why investment will need to increase.

This report outlines the dynamics of the agriculture market and introduces its three key clean technology categories, as defined by the Cleantech Group, of land management, crop treatment and aquaculture. It also offers insight into why investment and government involvement will have to increase, and which ‘smart money’ investors are already readying themselves to profit from this transition.

(10/29/2009) What will disappointing global climate talks in Copenhagen this December mean to cleantech? The politics to date, and why cleantech will still benefit if COP15 falls flat.

(8/14/2009) E-readers are currently a niche technology with a little more than 1 million units sold to-date, resulting in little impact thus far—positive or negative—on the environment. But with sales quickly accelerating to a projected 14.4 million in 2012, it’s essential to examine the environmental impact of e-reader devices, both in terms of the emissions they could produce and the emissions they could prevent.

After an analysis of a number of studies on the publishing and e-reader industries, Cleantech Group has found that, on average, the carbon emitted in the lifecycle of a Kindle is fully offset after the first year of use. Any additional years of use result in net carbon savings, equivalent to an average of 168 kg of CO2 per year (the emissions produced in the manufacture and distribution of 22.5 books). There are additional savings in toxic emissions from publishing and water usage that we haven’t quantified.

Multiplied by millions of units and increased sales of e-books, this study finds that e-readers stand to have a staggering impact on improving the sustainability and environmental impact on one of the world’s most polluting industries: the publishing of books, newspapers and magazines.

(4/29/2009) While Europe pioneered clean technologies, other regions are now challenging that position. This 48-page report synthesizes the perspective of dozens experts on the future of cleantech in Europe. By Cleantech Group and Real Deals.

(3/26/2009) Many members have expressed an interest in learning more about the details of the economic stimulus bill that was recently signed into law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). NVCA’s public policy team has compiled this preliminary guide on the energy provisions in the ARRA.

(2/10/2009) A report reviewing current thinking on key issues in aspects of clean technology development in China, and global trends and China's impact on clean technology developments in the world. By Cleantech Group and Deloitte.

(11/13/2008) Long a secondary player in the solar industry at large, the global concentrated solar thermal (CST) sector is now primed for rapid growth. As discussed in Cleantech Group’s Concentrating Solar Thermal Technology and Innovation Report, CST developers pursuing a wide range of technologies and commercial strategies will be given ample opportunity to prove their individual merit in coming years. 

The Cleantech Group is currently tracking 13.7 GW of future CST projects globally, 11 GW of which have specific target completion dates (all between 2008 and 2016). As the estimated total commercial capacity online today is only 483 MW, this looming explosion in CST growth has helped attract $745 million from venture capital (VC) firms and a minimum of $1.35 billion in dedicated project financing thus far. A combined price tag of $28.6 billion has been attached to 5.4 GW of these projects, with the costs of the remaining 8.3 GW yet to be announced.

(10/30/2008) More than $745 million has been invested into concentrated solar thermal in 2008 through early October, over five times the amount invested in 2007. Why? The Cleantech Group profiles the sector.

(6/25/2008) A comprehensive look at cleantech venture capital & private equity investing in China. A primer on Chinese cleantech investment dynamics. A must-read for any investor considering putting money to work in the cleantech category in China.

(4/7/2008) An inaugural study of the emerging India cleantech market by the Cleantech Group. A thorough overview of one of the greatest business opportunities of our time, cleantech, in one of the great developing economies of our time: India.