Continue reading Martin Wolf: Green energy will require a green tax code

Martin Wolf: Green energy will require a green tax code originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Venture capital investment in clean technology grew 10% from the second quarter to the third this year. According to a report by the Cleantech Group and Deloitte, 134 companies received investments of $1.59 billion - up from $1.2 billion in the second quarter. The sector's upward trajectory continues, with last quarter marking the second in a row of double-digit growth. In the first quarter of 2009, venture capital investment in cleantech companies hit a low of $1 billion.

The strong third quarter has made the cleantech sector the largest in the venture capital business, according to the Cleantech Group, pulling ahead of biotech. Twenty-seven percent of venture capital funds invested in the second quarter of 2009 went to cleantech companies - up from 3% at the beginning of 2004.

Continue reading Cleantech VC funding up in Q3

Cleantech VC funding up in Q3 originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Geothermal energy, or heat from the earth, is largely non-polluting, and is renewable and reliable," says Ashley Winters and John Parke.

In Stephen Leeb's The Complete Investor, they look at a trio of plays on geothermal energy: Chevron (NYSE: CVX), Calpine (NYSE: CPN), and Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA).

"Throughout the globe, heat is continually produced in a layer far below the earth's crust. Large power plants can capture and use this steam to provide electricity on a fairly large scale.

"In Iceland, by some estimates, 50% of all energy needs are met through an alternative energy source that has been known for a long time.

"Geothermal is used in many other places as well. The largest system in operation is in California just north of San Francisco, in an area known as the Geysers.

"Efforts are also underway to use geothermal heat via 'hot dry rock' technology. Rocks are broken up by pumping water through them at high pressure; water is then pumped through the broken rocks so that it can be heated by the earth's energy.

Continue reading Triple play on geothermal energy: Portfolio heat

Triple play on geothermal energy: Portfolio heat originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While the long-term, prospects of biotech are strong, it's not an easy business in light of the high capital costs and FDA compliance. The biotech industry is therefore making some changes by applying the concepts to new categories, such as energy.

Take a look at Range Fuels. The company has technologies that convert biomass (which includes waste materials and non-food sources) into fuel-grade ethanol. A key is that the process converts all the biomass into fuel (which means that there is less energy expended). The upshot is cellulosic fuel that is renewable and green.

Range Fuels is targeting a huge market opportunity. To get there, it has raised more than $100 million in a Series B round. The investors include Passport Capital, BlueMountain, Khosla Ventures, Leaf Clean Energy Company and PCG Clean Energy & Technology Fund.

What's more, the valuation on the deal was healthy. According to the Private Equity Data Center, the post-money valuation on Range Fuels was about $276 million and the transaction had fairly "investor-friendly" terms.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates MergerBook.com.

Biotech turns to energy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dell's corporate headquarters now powered by green energy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Xethanol Corp.: A winner through legislation? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Aleo Solar (Other OTC: AEORF) has negotiated a distribution deal with German thin-film solar module manufacturer Johanna Solar Technology. The five year agreement gives Aleo distribution rights for up to 80% of Johanna's thin-film solar modules. Aleo is widely recognized and well established in the manufacturing and marketing of solar technology.

Jeroen Haberland, executive director of Johanna Solar Technology, indicates confidence in Aleo Solar's marketing capabilities as the two companies set the stage for debut of Johanna's thin-film technology at the 22nd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference in Italy this September. Haberland stated, "We are glad to have in Aleo Solar a long-established company on our side."

Aleo Solar has been growing steadily in both Germany and Spain with indications being that the company is proving itself by stepping outside the boundaries of their subsidized German environment. This gives credence to the idea that solar technologies are forcefully coming into their own age and that solar energy will continue to develop as a workable and profitable energy provision solution. Just this past May, Aleo announced the opening of a new production facility near Barcelona Spain by its subsidiary, Aleo Solar España. In 2006, Aleo was responsible for providing and assisting in the installation of 64 megawatts of solar electrical generation capacity in Spain.

Green energy play: Aleo Solar originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.