Category Archives: Cleantech

Austin Looks Well Positioned For Future Job Growth

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John Rogers > Visualist Images

With the economy in a lukewarm recovery, it appears companies are starting to ramp up hiring efforts. If we look at the broader recovery, it’s easy to get excited about Austin’s momentum. Take a look at the map from Atlantic Cities (below) showing the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Austin ranked number one in job growth (2010-2011) out of 51 U.S. metros with populations of one million people or more. Number two, you ask? San Jose. So what’s behind the growth? And how is Austin positioned for the future? As far as growth, we can start by looking at the creative sector. A recent Statesman piece had details on its impact, highlighting how it pumped more than $4 billion into the local economy in 2010. According to data from Austin-based TXP Inc., that translated to almost 49,000 jobs in 2010 — a 25 percent increase over five years.

That alone makes for a healthy ecosystem, certainly one that can feed other models where knowledge and creativity intersect. Washington DC-based Brookings analyzed population growth and trends since the 2000s, and summarized what’s at stake: “metro areas with diversified, knowledge-based economies are likely to attract and retain population over the long run.”

That’s music to everybody’s ears, not just management consultants and filmmakers. And while the creative sector is a big driver, the diversity and flexibility of Austin’s workforce is perhaps more important. There’s a convergence happening in energy and technology, as well as gaming, enterprise software and media.

Cloud computing is changing software development, digital is spurring media, mobile and content businesses, and energy is being disrupted by alternative fuels and cleaner technology.

Part of what’s happening is a migration from one sector to another. It’s not necessarily a permanent shift, but one that has some advantages.

One example is the IT and semiconductor effect on things like the smartgrid and gaming. Companies are able to draw from a local workforce that has transferable and sought after skills. Large parts of both gaming and the smartgrid are heavily IT-driven, but also require a certain amount of design thinking. It’s that type of scenario that makes Austin attractive for large employers, like one of the biggest around.

Another way to see how Austin stacks up is to look at recent data from LinkedIn and the Council of Economic Advisors. They analyzed the fastest-growing and fastest-shrinking industries since 2007, (below) and the results are telling.

Green jobs continue to have a polarizing effect in political circles, but “Renewables & Environment” had the fastest growth, while newspapers were a strong last. If we map some of the data back to Austin’s creative sector for instance, you’ll see the Internet, online publishing and a few related verticals showed positive growth.

Perhaps the biggest black eye is the restaurant segment, though Austin’s arguably well insulated against too much of a restaurant dip with festivals and the like. And let’s not forget how some of the data correlates to some of Austin’s other anchor industries. Education, energy, and the utilities sector all showed growth nationally. If anything there’s a bit of cushion there as other, more volatile industries fluctuate over time.

Lastly, we can’t forget perceived intangibles. On a sunny and 65 degree day back in February my neighbor described it to me so eloquently. “Who needs fancy industry clusters when you’ve got this?” as both arms reached to the sky.

Indeed.


Omni Water Solutions Lands $7.9M Series A

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Omni Water Solutions, an emerging technology company focused on delivering mobile water treatment platforms for water treatment and re-use, has secured $7.9 million in Series A financing. The round was led by Austin Ventures and also included family office investors connected to land, oil, and gas in the Eagle Ford Shale region of Texas. Pasadera Capital represented Omni in this transaction. Proceeds from the financing will support the company’s plans to build and deploy its HIPPO(TM) treatment units for oil and gas operations where water can be treated and re-used instead of lost to disposal.

Omni Water Solutions was founded in 2010 and has developed a patent-pending system, called Octozone(TM), with real-time sense and respond automation that allows for the treatment of high volume, contaminated water supplies. Omni’s mobile platforms, which feature this technology, can treat water to the level required by the user and deliver consistent water quality despite rapid variations in contaminant levels. This consistent water quality simplifies and streamlines the well completion process for more predictable results and lower costs.

“Omni has an industry-leading approach, which has resulted in successful pilot tests with several marquee exploration and production operators,” said Clark Jernigan, Venture Partner at Austin Ventures. “We believe that as domestic energy exploration continues to expand, Omni’s advanced technology will become increasingly important to companies that are looking for economical solutions to water conservation and re-use.”

“This investment validates Omni’s strategy to provide a technology with built-in intelligence that automatically adjusts to ever-changing oilfield conditions,” said Warren Sumner, CEO of Omni Water Solutions. “This capability makes our HIPPO(TM) units more durable and easier to operate, providing operators a superior approach to making better use of our scarce water resources.”

About Omni Water Solutions Omni Water Solutions is an emerging technology company, which specializes in developing and deploying mobile water treatment platforms for water re-use. Through its patent-pending Octozone(TM) automation technology, Omni’s platforms are able to treat a wide variety of contaminated, high-volume water sources. The result is output water custom tailored to the requirements needed by the operator at significantly lower energy and maintenance costs. The company is based in Austin, Texas. Visit omniwatersolutions.com for more information.

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How Important Are Industry Clusters To Startups?

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If I suggested a way for your clean energy startup to set-up shop near a bunch of companies involved in things like renewable technology and the smartgrid, what would you say? If I sweetened the deal and told you the list of companies included a few of the Fortune 500 and a slew of established mid-market companies, you’d probably say, “sign me up!”
 
So goes part of the argument for industry clusters, a term that Harvard Professor Michael Porter explored in the late 1990’s. And with the economy in somewhat of a rebound, there’s more discussion around how industry clusters can spark regional growth. But there’s obviously more to it than filling up business parks with like-minded corporations in similar verticals. Or is there?
 
A recent Forbes piece highlighted an industry cluster in the Midwest, where a smaller startup was able to ramp up operations because of its alliance with a larger, more established company.
 

“Vadxx Energy has gained a lot of value from being part of an active cluster of advanced energy companies and organizations. In fact, one of the big reasons our partnership with Rockwell Automation occurred was because of Vadxx’s participation in Northeast Ohio’s advanced energy cluster. Joining forces with a credible, multinational company has helped us accelerate our commercialization activities, raise additional capital, and attract new customers.”

But proximity and a burgeoning market only guarantee so much. It starts with human capital, driven by the innovators and risk-takers that comprise much of the entrepreneurial community. That’s where I see the bridge to Austin’s community, as well as its strength.

Washington Post columnist Vivek Wadhwa amplified that point.

“A recent analysis of 1,604 companies in the five largest Norwegian cities underscores what’s missing from this prescription for a knowledge economy: people. The prerequisite for a regional innovation system is knowledgeable people who have the motivation and ability to start ventures. To succeed, these people need to be connected to one another by information-sharing networks. Basic infrastructure is always needed, but fancy science parks and big industry are just nice to have.”

Now granted, Norway (and other Scandinavian countries) isn’t the most culturally heterogeneous region by any stretch. But more importantly, its leaders are committed to maintaining global ties and welcoming new ideas and inputs — outside of their regional comfort zones. Without that, as the study concludes, regional and national clusters are mostly “irrelevant” to innovation.

Whatever the results, Austin is a classic fit for much of the positives associated with clusters. When you add in the emphasis on human capital, strong industry segments, and access to a top-tier university, it’s hard to see how doubling down on the idea doesn’t make sense.

NYT had a piece this morning on manufacturing, but I was more interested in this stat on where most of the R&D activity in the US takes place.

“American multinational companies that account for about 84 percent of all private-sector (non-bank) business R.&D. in the United States still place about 84 percent of their R.&D. activities in the United States, often in clusters around research universities..”

Again, manufacturing aside, that’s a big percentage of spending that hovers around clusters. And Austin’s familiar with the scenario, especially with Austin Technology Incubator’s alignment with the University of Texas and the fact that accelerators are moving closer to downtown hotbeds of startup activity. And that R&D spending? It’s companies like Dell, Facebook, Samsung and others spending those dollars.

So whether or not you buy into the cluster concept, here’s an excerpt from a recent ITIF report on cities and innovation I’ll leave you with.

“One reason why technology industries drive income growth is that average wages in high-tech clusters are $63,970 versus $43,180 in non-high tech traded clusters. One key factor that appears to drive higher incomes in a region is a higher share of employment in knowledge-based industries.States with higher concentrations of knowledge-based industries, including professional services and high-tech manufacturing, have higher incomes.”

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Latest ATI Graduates Show Incubator Has A Pulse On What’s Hot

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ati-logoIncubators are usually pretty adept at gauging which companies have upside. And while business moves fast, the coaching, mentoring and preparation that aids young startups has to  move faster. That’s where the network comes into play for Austin Technology Incubator (ATI).

“We want to bring the genetics of ATI into the fold,” said ATI Director Isaac Barchas. “It’s really about activating the alumni network.” The network Barchas refers to spans more than 200 companies, $1 billion in raised capital, and almost 25 years of mentoring startups. It’s those kind of credentials that helped ATI graduate 21 more companies at last week’s ceremony on the UT campus.

The companies represented a diverse mix of businesses, from IT-driven technology and mobile infrastructure, to clean energy and biosciences. ATI’s focus on its alumni comes at a time when incubators and venture capital firms are being disrupted themselves. Lean methodologies and data-driven investing are being used by investors and incubators alike to shorten runways and surface new opportunities. Essentially, there’s more pressure to take companies further down the growth cycle.

A recent HBR piece explains part of the trend:

“..accelerators are capitalizing on the decreasing costs of starting a business, new thinking on how to run startups, and the increasing importance of mentorship to take companies further down the path towards success — even with smaller check sizes. To disrupt the larger ecosystem, accelerators will need to evolve their models to push companies through later stages of the business lifecycle. Accelerators might be able to accomplish this task by raising internal funds (which can be tricky) or establishing non-traditional funding partnerships.”

To me, that passage screams two things: network and experience. ATI’s affiliation with the University of Texas provides a unique on-ramp for young talent and innovation. And the strength of the local economy, propelled by the Texas Triangle, also provides some lift as more companies look to transplant or expand in a tech and creative hub like Central Texas.

So with that teed up, how do the companies from ATI’s graduating class compare to what’s being funding in the venture capital markets? Pretty well, according to PWC’s MoneyTree report for Q3. Looking at the sectors represented by ATI’s startups, we see information technology, wireless, clean energy, and biosciences technology. You could easily fit all 21 companies in the top funded industry segments. That tells us a few things.

Diversification is actually better than I would have guessed. The pipeline isn’t just dotcoms and consumer web companies, showing Austin’s tech cluster is evolving.

Deals_By_Industry_MoneyTree

It’s similar to what’s happening in some Rustbelt cities. Ann Arbor might be the best example, with its proximity to a large University and Michigan’s ties to a broader legacy industry: automotive. Because of its own creative class (access to higher education) and manufacturing roots, it’s now becoming a hub for innovative battery technology.

In Austin’s case, ATI is proving the model for that type of progression. Of its 21 companies, almost a third of them represented clean energy or clean technology, with all of them certainly influenced by Austin’s strong lineage in semiconductors and energy.

Laura Kilcrease at Triton Ventures says the groundwork was established in the early part of the last decade for cleantech and biomass, and both are ripe for innovation and growth.

“It’s (Austin) a natural environment for cleantech, said Kilcrease. “The infrastructure for it has been growing since the late 80’s, and now we’re starting to see a real nucleus of consistent activity.”

The other notable piece from PWC’s data is the regional breakdown. (below) While the West was the best in Q3, two deals in cleantech and biotech moved Texas into the third spot.


“Texas investment jumped 113 percent in the third quarter, propelled by two large deals in the Biotechnology and Clean Technology spaces.”

 

It’s that kind of momentum that puts ATI and its future crop of startups in a very favorable position.

“I’ve got the best job in Austin,” said Barchas.

Deals_By_Region_MoneyTree

 

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“Another Website Isn’t Going To Solve The World’s Problems”

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That’s not a catchy headline. That’s what Ethernet inventor and current UT innovation czar Bob Metcalfe told me at a recent Dell Entrepreneur event. And if you caught Metcalfe’s keynote at this year’s Clean Energy Venture Summit, you know he’d likely tell you to invest in a handful companies in the so-called “enertech” sector.

bob_metcalfe_caricature “I’m waiting for all those tech and social networking investors and VCs to come over to energy,” he said. Jokingly taking it a step further he added, “If I were a clean energy or green tech company, I’d add ‘social’ in front of my product or service.”While it’s hard to argue that energy is the next frontier, part of what Mr. Metcalfe touches on is something that should be a broader shift in the startup community: looking beyond the sizzle and focusing on the non-sexy stuff.

In a recent Washington Post column, Vivek Wadhwa writes about what he calls innovation black holes, describing antiquated industries and their inability to quickly address opportunities. Wadwha says entrepreneurs should be looking in the “nooks and crannies” to see opportunities, dismissing most current industry efforts at disruption.

“Outside of computers, software and a select group of sexy technologies, innovation is almost entirely absent.”

 

yan_engines_site At September’s Clean Energy Venture Summit in Austin, attendees got a glimpse of several companies attacking the seemingly ordinary. Yan Engines is a prime example. Their focus is to reconfigure five parts in existing 4-stroke engines to achieve more torque and provide up to 80% more fuel efficiency. It’s one of those things where you think, surely there can’t be that much innovation left in engine design after decades of development, right? Wrong. Yan is nearing its prototyping stage in Q4’ 2011 and has its sights set on some pilot projects with the U.S. Military.

Vela_gear_systemsNoel Davis, CEO of Vela Gear Systems, isn’t bashful about what his company brings to the table. “We’re like a Chinese company in North America,” Davis told me, referring to the way its customers outsource the design and development of large-scale industrial gearboxes to VGS. In addition to becoming a one-stop shop, the company is locating its facilities close to manufacturing hubs and even some larger technical and vocational centers.

Davis says that’s allowed VGS to improve outsourcing efficiency, fill the staffing pipeline, and ease logistical constraints.
Those pieces put together look impressive and well-timed, especially when you account for a changing workforce and growth in other sectors.

Joel Kotkin explains in a recent piece from NewGeography.

“Driving the skilled-labor shortage is a remarkable resurgence in American manufacturing. Since 2009, the number of job openings in manufacturing has been rising, with average annual earnings of $73,000, well above the average earnings in education, health services, and many other fields, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.”

Now this isn’t a pep rally for manufacturing, though. If anything, it’s a wake-up call for the opportunities that lie outside the world of shiny new tech apps and services.
The tech isn’t going anywhere, it’s permeating every industry. What’s different is the breadth of penetration in different industries.That should be an impetus to startups everywhere, reminding them that high-growth business aren’t only born in the cloud or delve out digital deals on connected smartphones. And by the way, all those software engineers might be a little easier to hire over the next half-decade. From that same Kotkin column, he cites an eye-opening prediction.

“A recent study by the economic forecasting firm EMSI found that fewer computer programmers have jobs now than in 2008. Through 2016, EMSI estimates, the number of new graduates in the information field will be three times the number of job openings.”

software_eating_the_world But don’t worry, even though entrepreneurs everywhere (even the Valley) are removing the tech goggles, your software skills are still marketable. They just might be put to use building something outside of your tech comfort zone.

A recent NYT piece showed a diverse set of startups attacking all sorts of vertical applications outside of local, social and mobile. Really.

“The trend reflects the steady march of that most protean of technologies — computing — as it makes further inroads into every scientific discipline and industry. Clean technology, bioengineering, medical diagnostics, preventive health care, transportation and even agriculture are part of the mix these days for the Valley’s technologists and entrepreneurs.”

So whether or not you think we’ve overdosed on the coolness factor, what’s clear is that it’s never been easier to provision tech horsepower to get a startup off the ground. What’s more challenging is coming up with bigger ideas and leaving the herd behind. Blazing a trail has always been a lonely gig.

But alas, Mr. Whadwha summed up it up best.

“Eliminating these innovation black holes could do more to improve our lives and the economic future of our country than the latest Web-based social-networking applications.”

If You’re Not Excited About The Clean Energy Venture Summit, You Should Be.

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Talk about timing. When a reminder about the upcoming Clean Energy Summit hit my inbox, I jumped at the chance to make the case for why Austin should be excited about this event. And while I’d be the first to advocate the benefits of a clean energy community, this isn’t a rah-rah session. Let’s look at what’s happening in clean energy to see why this year’s gathering should accelerate Austin’s clean energy future.

The Economic Climate

Clearly this isn’t the best of times for the economy. Unemployment is unfortunately unwavering, wages are stagnant, and now there’s even a potential poster child for clean energy failure with Solyndra’s collapse.

Even so, Cascadia Capital showed cleantech investments totaled $1.42 billion over 113 deals during Q2 2011. While that’s down 10 percent from Q2 2010, one thing to note was the shift to the “capital-efficient energy sector,” displacing investments in biomaterials and biofuels.

Big Fish Getting Involved A Good Sign.

A good barometer for clean energy is to also look at what established companies are doing to get a seat at the negotiating table. Fortune 500 companies are often a cleantech company’s first customer. And if they’re not a paying client, they often provide needed infrastructure or partnerships in key markets.

As an example, GE is aggressively investing in energy startups, telling the Wall Street Journal its deal flow for 2011 is already at 20, easily eclipsing its 2007 figure of 11.

That’s also consistent with data provided by UMASS economics Professor Nancy Folbre, who points out private venture capital has quietly moved towards the clean sector, rising to 16 percent in 2010 from 2 percent in 1995.

The other footnote to GE’s activity, and one startups should pay attention to, is its approach to cultivating its clean energy portfolio. Besides obvious industry partnerships, it created the Ecomagination program, aimed at spurring ideas to help the environment. And while there’s a PR veneer to it, GE is no doubt getting a leg up on what’s happening in the trenches, an innovation-driven sneak-peek if you will.

Where Are The Opportunities? How Is Austin Positioned?

Austin’s tech lineage is strong, particularly in software and semiconductors. A good start would be bridging that expertise. If we look at comparisons to the rise of information technology in the United States, the picture is clearer.

BrookingsMark Muro at Brookings Institution sized up how things might play out for clean technologies, making just such comparisons.

“The aggregate green economy, which includes jobs in the public sector and waste management, is just under half the size of the IT producing industry, but measured by jobs, “cleantech” is similar in size today as the computer manufacturing industry (162,000) and roughly half the size of the semiconductor industry (370,000).”

Those numbers are compelling for a few reasons. One, it shows cleantech isn’t as far behind as some pundits would have us believe. Not to mention the computer industry isn’t exactly tearing it up these days. Can you say Tablets? Heck, the most exciting innovation I’ve seen lately is proof that our computers are doubling their energy efficiency every 18 months. I’d also bet those semiconductor numbers decrease as processors increasingly move to smaller, more mobile devices. Unfortunately for some that might correlate to less manufacturing and fewer jobs.

Mr.Muro capped of his post with another important observation.

“..many solar producers are classified in the IT-sector as semi-conductor manufactures; smart-grid technologies are also heavily IT-based. It’s therefore not unimaginable that, with a few strong years of growth and innovation, cleantech could be large enough to fuel considerable increases in aggregate economic growth.”

One of the takeaways here is the breadth and potential depth of clean ecosystem and markets. Famously, many Silicon Valley companies have ‘pivoted’ to capitalize on other markets. The point is, Austin’s clean energy companies have plenty of ways to innovate in a sector that’s tied to so many converging forces. Today’s motherboard producer might be tomorrow’s solar fabricator.

Cities, Infrastructure Provide Opportunities

Getting more hyperlocal, there’s other reasons to pay attention to clean economy activity, not the least of which is better paying jobs. Here’s a few charts I pulled from the Brookings’ clean economy report. The first one is self-explanatory. There’s growth in our own backyard.


In the second image, you’ll notice that Austin ranks 36th when you compare the largest 100 metropolitan areas. But look at the growth. The growth metric moved Austin up a number of notches and also shows clean jobs grew more than 5% each year. Not too shabby. And before you scoff at the annual wages, we’re looking at you Mrs. software engineer, it’s important to keep it in perspective. Wages are higher compared to all other Austin jobs Brookings analyzed.


One other notable piece in the Brookings report was the huge emphasis on energy efficiency. It was the largest category analyzed by Brookings, capturing 13 out of the 39 distinct segments. That’s called bulletin board material if you’re keeping score. (Sorry for the sports cliche, but it is football season)

It shouldn’t be that surprising. Old buildings, old schools, all of them could use some sort of energy upgrade. Couple that with new commercial and residential activity and it’s no wonder ABI Research projects cities will spend $39.5 billion by 2016 to become smarter. The other data point I like to point out is research from the University of Massachusetts that estimated roughly 15 jobs are created for every $1 million invested in energy efficiency.

City Mayors Get Behind Clean Energy And Efficiency

Another positive sign for CEVS is having the eyes and ears of local government. That was echoed in the form a recent letter to Washington from U.S. Mayors, entitled a “Common-Sense Jobs Agenda.” Local officials analyzed parts of Obama’s Jobs Act, emphasizing how the clean economy can spur job growth and stoke the economic fires.

The group (Mayors) has been vocal recently, penning an earlier report (June 2011) from its national conference, in which 86 percent of the 396 cities surveyed saw building retrofits and clean energy conversion as economic priorities.

So whether you’re a startup, an investor or you just want to see Austin continue to evolve, there’s plenty of reasons to get behind clean energy. Get out and support these companies, your grandkids will thank you.

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Event Details

The 5th Annual Clean Energy Venture Summit and Cleantech Open Regional Judging & Awards is scheduled on September 28-29, 2011 at the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center in Austin, Texas.

Keynote Speakers

Kevin Skillern, Managing Director of Venture Capital GE Energy
Bob Metcalfe, founder of 3Com, Partner at Polaris Ventures

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Firefly LED Technology in Lobby of Austin Energy

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Firefly LED Lighting is pleased to announce the recent installation of its PAR 20 LED lamps in Austin Energy’s headquarters.  In just over two years since company inception, Firefly LED Lighting has brought its lighting products to market, delivering on the promise of using 90% less electricity than standard lighting products.  This green company is a product of Austin and Texas through out – with headquarters in Austin, and manufacturing in Texas, keeping and growing jobs right in the local area.

Just a few days ago, Thursday, 7/21, Michael Villarreal of Austin Energy’s Facilities Management team installed 24 of Firefly’s PAR 20 lamps in the lobbies and elevator on the first floor of Austin Energy’s headquarters located at 721 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX.

The installation of these lamps will show how LED lighting systems use up to 90% less electricity than standard lighting products.

Energy industry regulators in the United States and worldwide are phasing out incandescent and fluorescent lighting in favor of LED (light-emitting diode) technology to save energy costs and lessen environmental impact. Firefly LED Lighting products are more energy efficient and longer lasting than conventional lighting, lowering consumer costs by over 80 percent for energy and 96 percent for maintenance and increasing ROI with a quick payback.

Firefly LED Lighting products provide a 32 percent reduction in temperature, 48 percent increase in thermal conductivity, an up to 223 percent increase in surface area, and up to 40K hours of light output, along with added light and motion sensors and controls.

The most cost effective and energy efficient lighting on the market, the benefits of Firefly LEDs are:

  • High Efficiency
  • Long Lamp Life
  • Low Power Consumption
  • Low Maintenance and Lamp Replacement
  • Reduced Carbon Footprint
  • Low Heat Generation
  • Environmentally Safe

Firefly continues to work to get its LED lighting into more locations, get its products commercial ready and widely available, especially in a city so environmentally conscious and supportive of a local innovator.  The company is always available to talk with media and to arrange tests or demos of its products.

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Nuventix Raises $10M from GE and Others

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Nuventix, creator of an LED cooling technology for energy-efficient lighting, announced today that GE (NYSE: GE) has provided capital alongside other investors and recently entered into a license agreement to access Nuventix’s extensive patent portfolio.

GE unit GE Energy Financial Services and The Bergquist Company joined existing investors Braemar Energy Ventures, CenterPoint Ventures, InterWest Partners and Rho Ventures to complete a $10 million investment round to fund Nuventix’s global expansion and technology advancements. GE’s investment was made as part of its ecomagination Challenge, created to accelerate the deployment of innovative technologies through open collaboration and financial support. The license agreement between GE Lighting and Nuventix complements GE’s effort to develop reliable, longer-lasting LED products and systems. GE Lighting’s scientists and product developers see the Nuventix SynJet technology as an enabler of broader and faster LED module adoption.

“Nuventix’s technology can improve the quality of LED lights by making them brighter, longer-lasting and potentially cheaper,” said Steve Briggs, vice president of marketing and product management at GE Lighting.

From an investment standpoint, Ricardo Angel, senior vice president of venture capital at GE Energy Financial Services said, “As the company that helped introduce lighting into homes and businesses more than 130 years ago, GE brings more than money to this investment, such as unparalleled expertise and market reach, to accelerate the adoption of next-generation lighting.”

LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are semi-conductors that produce light, which must be cooled to prevent quick burnout. Nuventix developed a method for moving air to cool LEDs using a single oscillating membrane, called a SynJet(R), as an alternative to traditional fans. Lighting fixture companies can employ Nuventix’s technology for spot, down, track and accent lighting fixtures that also use high-brightness light engines such as GE’s Infusion(R) LED modules.

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Foursquare Mayorships Are So Yesterday. Who’s The Mayor Of Cleantech?

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wind energy is good

Image by George Dearing via Flickr

 

With dwindling resources and tight budgets, local governments might not be the first place to look if you’re a startup pitching clean technology. The data tells a different story, however.

An April survey of almost 400 mayors in all 50 states, showed 75% of cities plan to increase cleantech deployments over the next five years.

Some of the key findings paint a vivid picture of what’s motivating the heads of city.

For starters, energy efficiency, while it may lack green glamour, is an immediate win. Cities are realizing that efficiency retrofits using better automation tools and dashboards are sending savings right to the bottom line. In other words, smarter buildings are becoming the norm for smarter companies.

• LED and other efficient lighting (76%), low-energy building technologies(68%), and solar systems to generate electricity (46%) are the top three choices among mayors as the most promising technologies for reducing energy use and carbon emissions.

On Wednesday, the Cleantech Group released its investment numbers for Q1 showing energy efficiency was the growth highlight, even as overall investments dipped more than 30% for the period.

“Our global VC numbers point to continued strength in energy efficiency, which tops the charts in both amount invested and deal count,” said CEO Sheeraz Haji, in a prepared statement.

U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS LOGO U.S. Conference of Mayors. (PRNewsFoto/U.S. Conference of Mayors) WASHINGTON, DC UNITED STATESAnother key finding in the mayors’ report was related to climate change, showing one in three cities have already configured its effects into capital planning and capital improvement programs.

That should signal a strong opportunity for startups offering cleantech and renewable solutions. Corporations will be bulking up to serve local governments as they look for technology support and infrastructure upgrades. Young companies offering sustainability software, smart grid tools and of course IT-driven solutions are poised to capture significant business. To achieve that, startups need to dig deep to understand what’s really driving local governments to adopt a resilience strategy. Ironically, it seems, cities might ultimately lead much of the activity taking place around ‘adaptation.’

Maria Gallucci at SolveClimate News had a recent piece referencing a June report called Caring for Climate, [PDF] that echoed the point.

“While 86 percent of the companies surveyed said that investing in adaptation solutions is a viable business opportunity, less than one-third are taking action to build climate resilience in the communities where they operate.”

The Central Texas Connection

ATC_CEO_Summit At the ATC’s CEO Summit in May, Austin  Mayor Lee Leffingwell mentioned a number of things that puts Austin in the center of many of the reported trends. During his presentation, he mentioned Life Sciences and clean energy as two of the biggest areas of job growth in Austin.

The mayor stressed better transportation and resource management, emphasizing sustainable energy approaches and better water management.  In a matter-of-fact manner, Leffingwell  told more than a hundred CEOs, “those are things you have to plan for 50 years down the road.”

Stratfor’s CEO and author George Friedman, who also spoke at the conference, said attracting R&D centers for industries like biotech and life sciences would be critical for cities like Austin.

“Don’t become silicon hills — attract industries like biotech — it’s important to know who your target is,” he said.

A neighboring Austin community is showing how that’s done.
The Pflugerville Community Development Corp. has a deal in place with local electric vehicle (EV) company Community Cars Inc. If the EV company meets certain commitments for establishing its local presence, more than $100,ooo in funds will be available to the Austin company founded last year by Austin attorney Stacy Zoern.

These types of initiatives show what can be achieved when local officials have a proactive approach towards cleantech. They’re already trying to lure startups to city centers, so why not go the extra mile to ensure it’s a sustainable choice for long-term growth? That’s a win for everyone.

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Disclosure [] Footnote

My spouse is an employee of Siemens and was uninvolved, and unaware, that this report was underwritten by Siemens.

Mayors Report – Clean Energy For US Cities

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SolarBridge raises $19M for Expansion

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SolarBridge Technologies, an AC module system developer for the solar industry, on Monday announced the close of its $19 million Series C round of funding from existing investors Rho Ventures, Battery Ventures, and the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. This round brings the company’s total raised to $46 million.

Originally founded in 2004 as SmartSpark Energy Systems to commercialize electronics technologies created at the University of Illinois, SolarBridge made a pivotal shift in 2009 to focus exclusively on the solar industry. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company now develops module-integrated microinverters for the solar industry. (Module-integrated microinverters are all the rage among young Austin hipsters.)

SolarBridge’s Pantheon microinverter is a DC-to-AC energy converter that allows for easy installation, harvests more energy from each panel, and lowers the overall cost of energy.

The entire AC module system consists of the Pantheon microinverter; the PC-Dock, a plug-and-play docking station for the microinverter; the Power Manager, which is the communications hub and monitors the performance of every module in the system; and the Power Portal, a Web-based management system. In short, SolarBridge’s AC module system eliminates the need for a central inverter or multiple string inverters, which typically require a complete replacement over the course of the lifetime of a solar installation.

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