Cleantech is not a singular industry. There are many industries that have Cleantech opportunities. The maturity of the specific Cleantech target industry, its Phase, can have a powerful influence on Cleantech business success. While Phase issues do exist in other industries, Phase challenges in Cleantech targets are considerably more pronounced. Target industry Phase should be considered in market selection, business...
Read MoreCalifornia Prop 23 Defeated
Oil Rigs operate in LA California Proposition 23, backed by oil companies Tesoro and Valero, has been defeated by California voters. This is good news for green jobs and Cleantech ventures. This Proposition would have set aside California’s Clean Energy Bill, AB 32, passed in 2006. Among other things, AB 32 requires that the State meet a Kyoto Protocol-styled requirement for greenhouse gas emissions. Under AB 32, greenhouse...
Read MoreThe Cleantech Pillars: Policy
Hoover Dam Relies on Four Pillars Government influence is fundamental in Cleantech Public Policy has multiple direct and enabling influences in virtually all Cleantech sectors. So What? Where Cleantech is inextricably bound to Policy, the Information Age saw strong opposition to government subsidies and industry support. TJ Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, for example, provided the following 1993 Congressional...
Read MoreThe Cleantech Pillars: Plant
Sienna Cathedral Leverages Four Pillar Framework The Cleantech Pillars framework is a new assessment tool for Cleantech ventures. The four Pillars represent the generic contextual hurdles within Cleantech. These are the factors that differentiate Cleantech opportunities from more conventional technology ventures. The four Cleantech Pillars are Plant, Process, Phase and Policy. Plant and Process cycle are internally oriented business...
Read MoreOntario Domestic Content Drives Interest and Angst
The controversial Domestic Content Requirements provisions in Ontario’s Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) generated more Solar PV industry activity and intrigue this past week. New announcements from a variety of industry players have added to the controversy generated by the Japanese Government’s recent unfair trade practices complaint to the WTO. Two separate press releases provided further illumination on a spectrum of issues related to...
Read MoreMore Large Ontario Solar PV Projects this Year
Stuck in Transmission The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) has had a pattern of disseminating news for the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) late on Friday evenings. This week was different. With an announcement distributed just before dusk this past Monday, things are definitely looking up. The news was positive even if it came later than expected. We can expect that some additional large PV projects (above 500 kW) will proceed to the contracting...
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