cleantech awards ...slice clean states awards

[chris macrae]

cleantech 2012 top 100 report is downloadable here

while not a competition as such, we note this report for 2 main reasons

1 clean energy is one the most popular student pitches

2 there seems to be quiate a gap between the large industry leaders of cleantech report and the sorts of award winners of microenergy world- we'd be interested in what questuons this raises-  one that's always on our mind is: how do microenergy solution networks keep ahead of which technology revolutions might suddenly produce a quantum leap in community-scaled economics of clean energy

The list identifies the private cleantech companies most likely to make a significant market impact over the next five to ten years. The full list of Global Cleantech 100 firms and the full report are available online for free here. To qualify for the Global Cleantech 100, companies must be independent, for-profit, cleantech companies not listed on any major stock exchange. This year, 5,117 companies were nominated from 85 countries. A 75-member expert panel, including leading investors and a wide range of corporate executives from multi-nationals such as ABB, BP, Ecolab, GE, General Motors, IBM, Intel, Johnson Controls, Procter and Gamble, and Vestas, gave input on the shortlisted 236, to get to the final list of 100 companies from 13 countries. The input of the panel is an integral component in the selection process.
Company of the Year was awarded in each of three regions to the highest-ranked company with no negative votes from the expert panel:

• Opower, developer of a software-as-a-service that utilizes customer engagement and billing analytics for utilities, won for the region of North America                               
• NovaLED, developer of energy-saving, long-life organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), won for the region of Europe & Israel
• Miartech, designer of integrated circuits for power line communication systems, utilizing power lines as a medium for transmitting information, won for the region of Asia Pacific

Other categories:

• Rising Star of the Year, given to the highest-ranked new entrant on this year's list, was awarded to Clean Power Finance, provider of power purchase (PPA) financing for solar PV installations as well as customer acquisition software for installers.
• The Continued Excellence award, given to the highest-ranked of companies that have made it onto the Global Cleantech 100 list for at least the last three consecutive years was awarded to Harvest Power, which maximizes the value of organic materials through the production of renewable energy and soils, mulches and natural fertilizers.
• Early Stage Company of the Year, given to the highest-ranked product development stage company was awarded to Siluria Technologies, developer of methane conversion technology for creating fuels and chemicals from natural gas.

Awards were also given in two investor categories:

• Google Ventures won Corporate Investor of the Year, as the corporate investor with the largest percentage of its cleantech venture portfolio in the 2012 Global Cleantech 100.
• An award was given to Bright Capital for Investor of the Year as the financial investor with the largest percentage of its cleantech venture portfolio in the 2012 Global Cleantech 100

2012 Global Cleantech notes:

• 13 countries are represented in the 2012 list. The United States is the most highly represented country with 64 companies.
• Energy Efficiency remains the hottest and growing sector within cleantech, with 22 companies on the list, up from 19 in 2011 and 15 in 2010.
• Solar's representation in the 100 falls again, down 40% from what it was in 2009.

 more details at http://www.cleanedge.com/resources/news/The-2012-Global-Cleantech-1...

[chris macrae]

Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) announced seven winners of the 2012 State Leadership in Clean Energy (SLICE) Awards, given to recognize state projects and programs that demonstrate exemplary leadership and innovation in clean energy development. This year’s winners are New York’s Clean Energy Business Incubator Program and On-Site Wind Market Development Program, both administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Connecticut’s Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority’s (CEFIA) CT Solar Lease Program; the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Commonwealth Solar Hot Water Pilot Program; the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission’s Residential Wood-Pellet Boiler Rebate Program; and two projects by the California Energy Commission: the University of California, San Diego Microgrid, and the Synchrophasor Research and Development Program.

CESA’s SLICE Awards recognize state programs that are most effectively accelerating adoption of clean energy technologies. SLICE Award winners have funded and supported innovative programs, established funds that provide critical capital investment for clean energy projects, and have collaborated effectively with industry partners, utility commissions, and local governments, all crucial ways to expand the clean energy market. CESA member organizations from across the U.S. submitted nominations for the SLICE Awards. Winners were chosen by a panel of six distinguished judges, including representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and several energy organizations. A detailed report on this year’s SLICE Award winners, including bios of the judges, is available on the CESA website: http://www.cleanenergystates.org/assets/2012-Files/CESA-SLICE-Repor.... The SLICE Awards will be presented to the winners on Oct. 22, at a special reception held during the CESA Fall Membership Meeting in Albany, N.Y., hosted by NYSERDA.

[chris macrae]

Cleantech Group and Facebook Present: Cleantech Goes Social

Cleantech Group and Facebook are excited to announce “Cleantech Goes Social,” a contest for the best use                of Facebook’s billion-person network to accelerate cleantech.

We want you to create Facebook applications and develop new   ways to use Facebook to encourage adoption of clean technologies, help individuals and companies reduce their environmental impact,              and engage the public in further dialogue surrounding key sustainability challenges.                The contest is open to cleantech companies, enterprises, non-profits, developers, individuals, students, and others.

The winner of the contest will be announced on the final day of Cleantech Forum San     Francisco  and will receive $25,000 in funding and personalized guidance from Cleantech and Facebook on how to deliver on their proposal.                The top three finalists will attend Cleantech Forum San Francisco for free and have the opportunity to pitch their App concept in front of a panel of investors and the Forum audience.

Please click here to apply or learn more about the contest.

Prizes

The top three (3) entries will be announced on Facebook, Cleantech Group’s contest webpage, and via media partners. They will also be featured at Cleantech Forum San Francisco 2013 (March 18-20), which brings together the world’s leading clean technology investors, corporate executives, and entrepreneurs. Coverage at the event will include:

• Free tickets to Cleantech San Francisco Forum 2013 for up to two (2) individuals from each of the top three (3) App teams or companies
• A pitch session with top investors during Cleantech San Francisco Forum 2013
• Free demonstration booths
• Coverage of reasonable travel and accommodation expenses for up to two (2) individuals from the top three (3) entrant teams

The overall winning team will additionally receive:

• $25,000 USD of prize money
• Personalized guidance from Cleantech Group and Facebook on how to maximize the impact of their idea

Judging Process

Submissions will be reviewed by a group of judges composed of representatives from Facebook, Cleantech Group, and Cleantech partners, including the Global Cleanweb Initiative. The equally weighted criteria used to judge entries will be the following criteria below.  In the event of a tie based on initial application of the judging criteria, the judges will compare the submissions head-to-head to determine the “better” submission according to the judging criteria, with a primary emphasis on “impact” of the submission.

• Impact
  • Does the concept address a real environmental challenge?
  • What is the magnitude of the potential environmental impact of the proposed use of Facebook?
  • How significantly would the new use of Facebook impact the submitting entity? To what extent would it help to grow the submitting entity’s customer base and accelerate adoption of any associated cleantech products?
  • How scalable is the concept? Could it be applied globally as well as regionally, and across whole economies as well as small communities?

• Innovation
  • How unique and/or creative is the idea?
  • How disruptive is the concept to current methods and business models?
  • How well does the concept leverage the connections among the billion-plus people on Facebook?

• Feasibility
  • How well-developed is the concept? Is it a fully functional App or other tool using Facebook, a completely thought-through concept with wireframes, or purely an idea?
  • Is the economic model viable and compelling?
  • Can the App, product or service realistically be developed given current technological constraints?

• Usability
  • Would the application, product or service be easy and fun to use?
  • Would it have mass appeal?
  • Does it have long-term applicability?

The group of judges will select the top three (3) entries and announce them on Monday, March 11^th, 2013. The judging process will then be opened up to include over 700 participants of Cleantech Forum San Francisco. The top three (3) entrants will present their concepts to a panel of investors in front of an audience at Cleantech Forum San Francisco 2013. After attending the investor panel, the participants will vote on their favorite.

The original group of judges from Facebook, Cleantech Group, the Global Cleanweb Initiative and our partners will use attendee votes to help determine the winner of the contest. Bill Weihl, Manager of Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Facebook, will announce the winning entry during his closing keynote at the Forum on Wednesday, March 20^th.