Cleantech Forum XVIII Washington in pictures

The investors, entrepreneurs, service providers and others at Cleantech Forum XVIII this week in Washington, D.C., were surprisingly upbeat, given the week-long sandblasting of U.S. financial markets.

Five hundred attendees (photo) »

Industry insiders were generally optimistic venture funding would still flow in the short term, but theorized that raising debt, not to mention public market exits, would not be practical in the near future (see Cleantech insiders weigh Wall Street turmoil).

Programming touched on rarely-explored issues. A panel conversation with organized labor leaders revealed great interest from unions in working with entrepreneurs and investors to foster cleantech jobs (see Labor seeks seat at the cleantech table).

In addition to expected sessions on scientific breakthroughs and latest policy developments, sessions also explored issues like the role of design in accelerating the adoption of clean technologies, with "future casting" by and discussions with best-in-class design firms Arup and IDEO.

As usual at the Cleantech Forum, a small number of companies seeking funding—filtered by a committee of investors from hundreds of submissions—took the stage to present to potential investors.

Companies included:

• Advanced Microbial Solutions - microbial additives for improved crop yields
• AgriPower - biomass-fueled waste-to-energy combined heat and power plant
• Ampulse - thin-film silicon solar
• BioReaction Industries - microbes to degrade industrial air pollutants and odors
• Close the Loop - recycling of imaging consumables (including inkjet and laser printers, copiers, etc.)
• Deluge - engine powered by hot water supplied by geothermal, waste heat or solar (see Engine that runs on heat "ready for commercialization").
• EcoSMART Technologies - pesticides derived from botanical oils
• eCycle - high efficiency, high performance brushless motor-generator
• Elcotech Technologies - electro-dewatering process for treating municipal and industrial wastewater
• FlexSys Wind Energy - adaptive trailing edge for wind turbine blades that increases efficiency and durability
• GridPlex - smart grid systems
• LPP Combustion - clean burning of conventional and alternative fuels
• Nordic Windpower - 1 MW turbine for large windfarm and small community developments
• OLEDco Solar - nanotech-based thin-film solar
• Spark Solar Australia - manufacturer of solar cells
• SunBrite Packaging - environmentally friendly food and beverage packaging
• Polyflow Corporation - process that potentially makes all forms
  of plastic recyclable. Joseph Hensel, CEO of Polyflow, was awarded the Most Promising
  Technology Award of the Forum for the company’s innovative plastic-processing and
  recycling technology.

Polyflow CEO Joseph Hensel (R) introduces his company's technology to an interested visitor (photo) »

In other awards, geothermal company Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA), received the Emerging Enterprise Award, recognizing its four decades of experience and promise in enhanced geothermal and recovered energy generation.

And global design firm Arup accepted a Cleantech Pioneer Award for its commitment to innovative and sustainable development, including intelligent designs that are energy efficient and have minimal environmental impact. Recently, Arup advised the design and construction of China’s National Stadium and Aquatic Center for the Beijing Olympics.

The U.S. Democratic party got a boost from the Cleantech Forum conference. While representatives of John McCain's presidential campaign were invited to a town hall-style debate, only the Barack Obama for President group officially participated. Democratic fundraisers took advantage of the opportunity and organized an after-hours cleantech community event at the same hotel as the Forum. See Obama cleantech policy gets free ride at Washington event.

Cleantech Group Managing Director Rafael Coven, manager of the Cleantech Index of publicly traded global cleantech companies (L), shares a moment with Josh Becker of New Cycle Capital (R), a prominent cleantech community Democratic fundraiser (photo) »

The event ended with a bang, with noted futurist and author Peter Schwartz of the Global Business Network offering edgy views and recommendations (see Peak oil "wrong," says Schwartz).

Among his bolder assertion was the suggestion that energy pricing today is backwards:

"We should not look at a cap on energy prices, but a floor that represents the real cost of energy."

Politics didn't escape him.

"[Sarah] Palin doesn't believe we have a fossil fuel problem, because, as a creationist, she doesn't believe in fossil fuel. If five thousand years ago, God created Earth, he should very well be expected to create more oil reserves when we really start to need them," he said.

And he couldn't resist calling investors and entrepreneurs on their lack of experience in energy.

"Most of you don't know what you're doing," he said. "If you've never built a power plant, if you've never run a refinery, if you've never installed solar panels yourself, if you've never worked in a lab, these are the things I worry about."

The next Cleantech Forum is Oct. 7-9, 2008 in Mumbai, India. Details here.