Latest cleantech news briefs

China Nuvo Solar acquires more IP from Photovoltaics

Lisa Sibley — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:28:33 -0400

West Palm Beach, Fla.-based startup adds to its patent portfolio with new photovoltaic IP that could reduce the cost per kilowatt hour of solar energy.

Solix Biofuels closes A round for demo facility, Asian plans

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:23:01 -0400

Fort Collins, Colo.-based startup closes $16.8M Series A round today for a demonstration facility scheduled to start operating this summer.

Has the most efficient single junction solar cell arrived?

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:09:07 -0400

Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey-based QuantaSol said its new single-junction device can achieve 28.3 percent efficiency illuminated by 500 times concentrated sun light.

Suntech secures $50M loan with IFC

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:19:25 -0400

Wuxi, China-based silicon PV manufacturer plans to use new financing for its patent-pending Pluto technology and debt refinancing requirements.

Suzlon Energy looks to lower debt, after REpower purchase

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:39:09 -0400

India-based wind company's board of directors OKs raising $1 billion to lower its growing debt from the purchase of Hamburg-based REpower Systems.

Dow, Algenol to build pilot algae-based biorefinery

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:30:42 -0400

Chemical company to also provide carbon dioxide source for new Texas biorefinery, pending funding from a US DOE grant.

Middle East water markets slowing, says report

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:56:29 -0400

Frost and Sullivan calls for technology companies to produce increasingly cost-effective water and wastewater treatment products in current market conditions.

Magma Energy heats up geothermal with $87M IPO

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:08:48 -0400

Canadian geothermal company is expected to begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on July 7 under the ticker symbol MXY.TO.

Around the world in a solar-powered plane?

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:54:50 -0400

Swiss adventurer unveils prototype of a solar-powered airplane he thinks could send the potential of renewable energies soaring to new heights.

CDC Group commits $10M to India’s agri-food sector

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:12:38 -0400

Rabo Equity Advisors' India Agri Business Fund is expected to make 10 to 15 additional investments, for $3 million to $5 million, during the next four years.

New AORA 'Power Flower' CSP station now in full bloom

Lisa Sibley — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:57:30 -0400

Yavne, Israel-based company’s new 100-kW hybrid solar thermal gas turbine flower plant makes concentrating solar power possible for the first time at a local level, claims company.

Punjab sugar mills to produce alternative power

Lisa Sibley — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:22:22 -0400

Nine sugar mills have the combined capacity to generate 150 MW of power in the Indian state of Punjab through a new government plan expected to be operational by September 2010.

China's GCL-Poly Energy makes $3.4 billion solar buy

Emma Ritch — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:46:20 -0400

Shares soar 15 percent as power company announces plans to acquire polysilcon and wafer maker Jiangsu Zhongneng Polysilicon Technology Development.

Astronergy showcases new technology at power station

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:46:27 -0400

Three-year project in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is expected to provide power to more than 50,000 customers.

Elon Musk strikes back at former Tesla CEO

Emma Ritch — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:29:55 -0400

Tesla CEO accuses Martin Eberhard of delays, design errors and miscalculations that caused the electric vehicle startup to spend $140 million to bring the Roadster to market.

Russia bucks trend with targets that increase emissions by 30 percent

Emma Ritch — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:34:00 -0400

However, Russian target would be about 15 percent less than in 1990, when emissions were caused by the booming industrial sector.

Verenium taps German firm to help with enzyme sales in Europe

Emma Ritch — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:54:08 -0400

Add Food Service agrees to distribute multiple Verenium products outside North America that could improve the efficiency and economics behind cellulosic ethanol.

Monsanto submits insect-protected soybean tech to Brazilian regulators

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:19:26 -0400

St. Louis-based agricultural products company predicts its new technology to have a $300 million to $500 million value come 2020.

Air Force contracts with Emcore for high-efficiency solar cells

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:38:04 -0400

New $5.7 million contract for Albuquerque, N.M.-based company could include an additional $3.4 million award for advanced inverted metamorphic development.

New bioplastic from Metabolix and ADM is biodegradable

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:50:39 -0400

Joint venture between bioscience company and Archer Daniels Midland produces next-gen injection molding bioplastic as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

MIT offers answers to reduce CO2 emissions from coal

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:55:10 -0400

New report out of MIT symposium suggests technology options such as efficiency retrofits to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal plants.

NF Energy scores $2 million lighting contract in China

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:22:42 -0400

Shenyang, China-based energy services company plans to provide Liaoning province with energy-efficient electrical lighting under new contract.

New Suntech testing lab gets UL stamp of approval

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:13:40 -0400

Wuxi, China-based silicon PV manufacturer opens module testing lab with backing from Underwriters Laboratories to bring its solar products to market faster.

Fuel cells: Out at GM, but in for the UK?

Emma Ritch — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:12:10 -0400

Bankrupt automaker says it's re-examining spending on fuel cell development, while a UK startup unveils new hydrogen-powered two-seater.

World's largest ethanol maker enters biomass business

Emma Ritch — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:14:15 -0400

Poet launches new division aimed at finding next-generation energy feedstocks as it begins using new type of anaerobic digester to power facilities in South Dakota.

ADB to double clean energy investments to $2 billion

Lisa Sibley — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:56:23 -0400

Manila, Philippines-based bank’s initiative aims to accelerate low carbon growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2013.

Study says ag sector shows recession resilience

Lisa Sibley — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:00:43 -0400

Future crop price increases are likely to be driven by the global economy’s expected recovery and the emerging biofuels market.

German firms lead massive North African solar project

Lisa Sibley — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:54:11 -0400

Deutsche Bank, E.ON, RWE, Siemens to finance €400 billion CSP plan that would power Europe with clean electricity from Africa.

Sainsbury's extends kinetic energy systems to UK store

Emma Ritch — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:30:57 -0400

Road plates installed by Highway Energy Systems in the parking lot of a Gloucester grocery store are expected to produce 30 kW of clean energy an hour.

A-Power lands $44M for energy alliance as stock plummets

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:40:16 -0400

Shenyang-China based company's four announcements today, including a decrease in first quarter revenue, coincide with shares dropping nearly 24 percent.

Oerlikon, DKSH team up in China, Taiwan

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:52:39 -0400

Liechtenstein-based high-tech industrial group and Switzerland branding company make plans to further expand in East Asia in the cleantech sector.

$50M solar plant comes online to power Masdar City construction

Emma Ritch — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:59:49 -0400

10 MW Abu Dhabi-based system designed by Enviromena is said to be the largest in the Middle East and North Africa.

China Sunergy partners with Italian solar manufacturer

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:15:38 -0400

China solar cell manufacturer inks 53 MW sales framework agreement with solar module manufacturer Renergies Italia.

Shree Renuka Sugars ups stake in KBK to 80 percent

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:08:28 -0400

Shares in Mumbai-based integrated manufacturing company decline nearly 6 percent as it takes an increased equity stake in Pune-based engineering company.

Geothermal energy could power Australian jobs

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:08:43 -0400

New report suggests 17,000 Australians could be working in the geothermal energy industry by 2050, and the country's Cooper Basin geological area holds promise.

Spire, Gloria Solar sever joint venture

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:19:35 -0400

Bedford, Mass.-based solar manufacturer plans to support customer base without help from Taiwan-based PV module manufacturer.

Sony launches new mercury-free button battery

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:21:25 -0400

Tokyo, Japan electronics maker's new mercury-free batteries are expected to eradicate 470 kilograms of mercury per year from its battery production.

DOE sets aside $300M for autos, solar, carbon capture

Emma Ritch — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:45:48 -0400

Funds from U.S. energy agency’s budget and stimulus funds are aimed at reducing costs, emissions, and improving the readiness of the green-collar workforce.

Latest Chinese cleantech subsidy goes to lighting

Emma Ritch — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:12:25 -0400

China plans to jump start energy-efficient lighting sector with RMB 600 million in subsidies for products from Philips, Panasonic and others.

Duke Energy taps Cisco for 3-year smart grid project

Emma Ritch — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:57:42 -0400

Announcement from third-largest U.S. utility comes weeks after networking giant officially steps into smart grid sector.

Tata Motors plans eco-car for 2012 in Thailand

Emma Ritch — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:13:40 -0400

Automaker invests $147 million in development project for mini vehicle that could qualify for incentives from the Thai government.

Researchers see spike in supercapacitor demand

Lisa Sibley — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:39:45 -0400

Lux Research firm says market interest in supercapacitors is expected to grow from $208 million in 2008 to $877 million in 2014.

Beijing meets water, waste goals from Olympics

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:22:40 -0400

Report from the United Nations shows the city’s drinking water treatment plants meet China’s new water quality standards and WHO guidelines.

Study finds hardy jatropha sucks up water

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:34:44 -0400

Netherlands university shows jatropha offers low amounts of oil production without sufficient water, calling into question its suitability for biodiesel.

ComEd picks GE, Silver Spring for smart grid pilot

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:16:26 -0400

Redwood City, Calif.-based Silver Spring Networks continues to expand in Australia, announcing new partnership with power distributors.

Four Asia PE firms hone in on cleantech-only funds

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:23:43 -0400

London-based Preqin finds Asia's first dedicated funds are assembling capital for everything from water infrastructure plants to bioethanol projects.

Trina Solar’s new warehouse to serve growing U.S. market

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:07:42 -0400

Changzhou, China-based solar manufacturer begins service this month with a new warehouse in the Port of Oakland, Calif., so it can respond to customers faster.

Sweet new source of renewable energy in India

Emma Ritch — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:39:25 -0400

New study shows that India's sugar mills produce 2 GW of biomass-based energy—equal to that of windmills—but have the potential to produce 5.1 GW through cogeneration.

Mumbai gets India's biggest biomedical waste center

Emma Ritch — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:11:42 -0400

New $2.1 million plant already treating the waste from 1,000 facilities as government cracks down on medical and electronics pollution.

New UK tech protects crops without genetic modification

Emma Ritch — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:34:03 -0400

Lancaster University and Stockbridge Technology Centre researchers find that dipping seeds in jasmonic acid primes plants' natural defenses against pests.

And the winners are? Saint-Gobain picks top EU cleantech startups

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:59:42 -0400

Leading French construction manufacturer connects victors of startup competition with potential investors and business development assistance.

PG&E harnesses 230 MW solar project from NextLight

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:28:00 -0400

Northern California utility signs third solar contract this year to produce 592 GW-hours of renewable electricity annually for its customers.

Upside of humidity: New source of water in desert?

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:09:07 -0400

German research scientists have come up with a way to extract drinking water from air humidity using renewable energy.

Mitsubishi brings next-gen EV mini to market

Lisa Sibley — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:01:51 -0400

Tokyo-based automaker beats out rivals Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor with its new i-MiEV that has a 100-mile range.

Wind developer Noble cancels IPO

Emma Ritch — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:44:16 -0400

Funds were to be used to secure turbines, but Connecticut-based Noble says it still has nearly 4 GW of projects in the pipeline in the U.S.

Horizon’s new fuel cells power stealthy aircraft

Lisa Sibley — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:26:25 -0400

Singapore company says its Aeropak system offers up to four times the endurance capability of today’s advanced lithium batteries.

Aquatech wins seawater desal project in India

Emma Ritch — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:11:36 -0400

A portion of the desalinated water is earmarked for a highly efficient 4 GW coal plant being built by a subsidiary of Tata Power.

Solargiga takes majority stake in Kinmac Solar

Lisa Sibley — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:10:41 -0400

Hong Kong's monocrystalline silicon product manufacturer launches into building-integrated photovoltaic market and forms joint venture.

Grid problems slow adoption of wind energy in Romania

Emma Ritch — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:37:19 -0400

European Wind Energy Association says government must address restricted electric grid access in order to meet 2020 goal of 24 percent of energy from renewables.

Valence, Siemens partner on lithium iron battery for boats

Emma Ritch — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:45:01 -0400

Shares of Texan company jump 14 percent upon news of partnership that follows previous deal to power hybrid double-decker buses in London.

India opens first energy biosciences center

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:53:59 -0400

Mumbai's new center focuses on lessening the country's dependence on petroleum fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

SMA folds Echelon’s technology into inverters

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:56:18 -0400

Deal with subsidiary of Germany's SMA takes LonWorks open technology to make data more accessible and reduce overall solar system costs.

Sunvim changes investment strategy from textiles to solar

Lisa Sibley — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:43:11 -0400

Shandong, China-based company launches CIGSSe thin-film solar project with help from Germany’s Johanna Solar Technology.

Yingli, Amtech partner in next-gen solar efficiency research

Lisa Sibley — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:02:45 -0400

High efficiency N-type solar cell, designed by Netherlands research center, uses Arizona company’s technologies and Yingli's cell process.

EcoPellets plans £100M wind-biomass project in Wales

Emma Ritch — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:13:53 -0400

Irish company's proposed project at Llangefni expected to power 50,000 homes using wood pellets and wind.