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Quarterly Wrap-ups

Green IT Q1: Cleantech Breaking Out — and Bracing for Hard Times

Summary:

Is the greentech industry headed for a breakout year or is it retrenching for hard times to come? The first three months of 2011 provided evidence that could support both assertions, with a big rise in venture capital investment and a big drop-off in global energy financing. Solar power remained the largest green technology sector in terms of venture capital investment, while in the world of electric vehicles, GM’s Chevy Volt hybrid and Nissan’s all-electric Leaf — the first two mainstream plug-in vehicles — hit the showroom floors in significant numbers. Meanwhile the smart grid sector’s relative dearth of VC investment was more than made up for by the massive round of acquisitions. Companies mentioned in this report include NRG Energy, Microsoft, Silver Spring Networks, Tesla and BrightSource Energy. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial.

  1. Table of Contents
  2. About Jeff St. John
  3. About GigaOM Pro
  4. Executive Summary
  5. Renewable and Alternative Energy
    1. Solar Power – Photovoltaic
    2. Solar Power – Concentrating Photovoltaic
    3. Solar Power – Manufacturing and Materials
    4. Solar Power – Thermal Solar
    5. Solar Power Development
    6. Wind Power
    7. Fuel Cells
    8. Nuclear Power
  6. Green Vehicles and Transportation
    1. Electric Cars and Plug-In Hybrids
    2. Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
    3. Vehicle Connectivity
    4. Internal Combustion Engine Technology
    5. Car Sharing
  7. Batteries and Energy Storage
    1. Vehicle Batteries and Energy Storage Systems
    2. Grid Energy Storage
  8. Smart Grid
    1. Smart Meters
    2. Home Energy Management – Gadget-Heavy vs. Hands-Off Approaches
    3. Home Energy Management – Startups and Giants Contend
    4. Smart Appliances
    5. Telcos in the Home Energy Space
    6. Smart Grid Networks
    7. Demand Response
    8. Widescale Grid Management, “Smart Cities” and Cloud Computing
  9. Energy Efficiency
    1. Green Building
    2. Smart Buildings
    3. Smart Lighting and LEDs
  10. Green IT
    1. Data Center Efficiency — Facilities, Hardware and Convergence
    2. Data Center Efficiency — Cloud Computing, Virtualization and Convergence
    3. Power Conversion and Integration
    4. Thermoelectric Technology
  11. Finance and Investment
  12. Key Takeaways
  13. Further Reading