The jagged pattern of scales on a firefly’s lantern could inspire brighter and more efficient LEDs, according to a group of scientists that developed an outlayer based on a firefly design that boosts the glow of an LED. Read more »
A young battery startup called Imprint Energy has designed a new type of battery that uses zinc and can be screen printed. It’s innovation could enable entirely new types of wearable electronics. Read more »
Who wants to make money off of solar roofs? Startup Solar Mosaic is making that possible starting Monday morning, when California and New York residents can put money into solar projects and, the company says, earn a 4.5 percent annual return. Kind of like a mutual fund. Read more »
Can bacteria that live at the bottom of the ocean provide secrets for how to boost the efficiency of solar panels? Certain bacteria can use photosynthesis to harvest 100 percent of the trace amounts of light they encounter. Read more »
Familiar with that trend the consumerization of IT, where work IT tools are increasingly distributed and controlled by employees? Well, a similar thing is happening with the decentralization of energy, and in 2012 it was driven by cheap gas, fuel cells and extreme weather. Read more »
Following one of the only successful cleantech IPOs of the year, solar installer and financier SolarCity says it will grow its solar rooftops next year to 250 MW, up from 156 MW in 2012. Can it achieve profitability at the same time? Read more »
How long will the Buffett bump last for the solar sector. This week the famed investor’s MidAmerican Energy Holding Company acquired two massive solar panel plants from SunPower. Read more »
Boom — the numbers for cleantech VC investing in 2012 are out and they ain’t pretty. A cleantech cliff of sorts has arrived and represents an end of an era. If you still want to be in the space in 2013, here’s 5 things you should avoid. Read more »
Data analytics took the energy sector by storm in 2012, and a bunch of companies launched, raised funding and grew their businesses last year. Here’s 13 energy data startups you should watch in 2013. Read more »
IDC Energy Insights makes the following predictions related to the North American utility industry in 2013: Read more »
With 9 billion people set to live on the planet by 2050, sharing — enabled by IT — will be one of the most important tools to emerge and companies that build brands now will be well positioned to capitalize on this future. Read more »
Congress approved a fiscal cliff deal on Tuesday and in it included an extension of the wind energy tax credits for wind projects built in 2013. The wind energy industry is breathing a sigh of relief and says 37,000 jobs will be saved. Read more »
On the tail end of a very difficult year for electric car company Fisker, the company reveals that its insurance claim for 338 Karmas, worth $33 million, was denied by the insurance company, and Fisker is now suing XL Insurance America in court. Read more »
Show me — that’s the common thread in the top 10 most-trafficked GigaOM cleantech stories of 2012. Exclusive photos and videos of emerging clean power and electric car technologies lead the year. (OK, we’re not so surprised by that.) Read more »
Solar panels that can be integrated right into roofs and walls could provide a bright spot in a difficult solar market over the next five years, according to a new report from Pike Research. Read more »
Tesla’s solar-powered super chargers — which can charge Model S cars in 30 minutes — have officially hit the east coast. Last week Tesla announced it had installed two fast chargers, one in Connecticut and one in Delaware. Read more »
From low silicon and solar module prices to a rising amount of solar panels installed on rooftops, these five charts show that the future of solar is brighter than ever, despite the difficult times for solar manufacturers in 2012. Read more »
The risk for Tesla isn’t its balance sheet. It’s that it’s a one product company and were it to have a supplier problem or recall, its could get caught in a cash crunch very quickly, says GigaOM Pro analyst Adam Lesser. Read more »
According to early results of PG&E’s trial with smart thermostats from Honeywell and Opower, customers really like controlling the thermostat remotely with their iPhones. Remote control could prove to be one of the first smart grid applications that is a clear benefit to consumers. Read more »
Adobe has bought up designer portfolio site Behance. The move is the latest example of how tech companies are rapidly embracing the designer community and good design. Read more »
While not all of the picks are focused on clean energy — one’s an enhanced oil recovery company — they all have early stage technology that could break through next year. Read more »
Here’s what I think have been the top 10 best, and the top 10 worst, things that have landed on the cleantech scene in 2012. Feel free to add your own in the comments. Read more »
VCs at firms like Sequoia Capital or Andreessen Horowitz might scoff at the call for attention to a positive fund value, but in the cleantech ecosystem a significant positive growth in value is pretty rare. Read more »
Despite a lot of hand wringing this year, various cleantech sectors are on the difficult path to market maturation, and not necessarily in a “crisis.” Read more »
Amidst rampant solar manufacturing bankruptcies, thin film solar startup Stion has raised a $25 million equity round, of a planned $55 million round. At the same time the company is cutting costs and laid off a small amount of workers. Read more »
Looks like Google is resurrecting supporting energy innovation out of its philanthropic arm Google.org. The search engine giant has hired on the former director of the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program, which puts small grants into early stage energy breakthroughs. Read more »
An east coast power company and a Connecticut utility have signed onto a large fuel cell project that will be built in the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut, using fuel cells from FuelCell Energy. The move is rare for a utility in the U.S. Read more »
Canadian entrepreneur Louis Michaud, who has spent years trying to commercialize his “out there” technology to harness tornadoes for power, has received a small grant from PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel’s early stage lab Breakout Labs. Read more »
At the close of the NASDAQ on Thursday evening, SolarCity ended its first day of trading up close to 50 percent, closing at $11.79. Read more »
You can count GigaOM Pro cleantech analyst Adam Lesser in the category that believes that SolarCity pricing at $8 rather than the $13 to $15 the company wanted was a major blessing. A blessing for all of cleantech. Read more »
SolarCity’s stock soared by up to 40 percent in morning trading, after being reduced significantly in recent days. It debuted at a $9.25 per share price, up from a pricing of $8 per share. Does the bellwether IPO indicate Wall Street is OK will clean energy stocks again? Read more »
While we follow how SolarCity’s stock fares on its opening debut at $8 per share, here’s some photos of the company ringing in the opening of the NASDAQ. Read more »
Venture firms have a long history of partnering with high profile former politicians, to help grease the wheels of the regulatory frameworks. Khosla Ventures says it will work with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to help its startups in emerging markets. Read more »
While the $8 per share debut price for SolarCity is well below the expected range of $13 to $15 per share days ago, the IPO is still moving forward, and was only delayed by a day. SolarCity’s stock is expected to start trading on Thursday. Read more »
By 2017, solar modules could cost below 50 cents to produce, says Lux. They are as low as 70 cents per watt now. The cost will drop partly because of manufacturing efficiencies, but also because of the efficiencies of the modules themselves. Read more »
In a new filing SolarCity says it plans to sell 11.5 million shares at $8 per share, well below its previous range of $13 – $15 per share. However the IPO seems to be still moving, and only slipped past its original deadline to price Tuesday night. Read more »
While it’s unclear why SolarCity delayed pricing and going public tomorrow, it could be because it wasn’t able to price its shares in the expected range of $13 to $15 that it wanted. Read more »
Yet another electric car startup is having trouble. Coda Automotive is laying off 50 employees — or 15 percent of staff — after a delayed launch, slow sales, and a car recall. The bad news follows Better Place layoffs, and A123 System’s bankruptcy. Read more »
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The lack of greentech hardware success stories points to a potentially missing piece of the puzzle: a Samsung-style intense focus on manufacturing. Read more »
Alternative gas station company Propel Fuels has raised $21 million to build out its green gas stations throughout California and the west coast. The company is aiming for around 75 by the end of 2013, though it’s slower growth than the company had planned. Read more »
