Next 500 is a San Diego-based media website which “takes you inside the most innovative and captivating companies set to one day emerge as Fortune 500 powerhouses”.  Several of Next 500’s high quality videos feature companies listed in CleanTECH San Diego company database.  Each of the engaging videos run about five minutes.  The host is Beck Bamberger of BAM Communications.  Take a click to view the flicks.

Solatube

ZuumCraft

Portable Farms LLC

D&K Engineering

Elliptigo

EcoATM

DriveCam

The CleanTECH San Diego Showcase presents Solar Power – The Path to Profitability on Monday, June 14th at the La Jolla Marriott.  Keynote speaker, Daniel Gross is one of the founding Partners of Hudson Clean Energy, a private equity fund with over $1 billion in assets under management focusing on renewable energy and clean technology.  Following Mr. Gross’ remarks will be a panel discussion featuring Dr. Burkhard von Spreckelsen, CEO of Valliant Solar Systems, Scott Sporrer, general manager of Siliken Renewable Energy and Joe Budano, CEO of Energy Innovations.

CleanTECH San Diego’s database of cleantech companies include 47 solar innovators and 129 solar facilitators. 

The networking hour before the CleanTECH San Diego Showcase is a unique opportunity to get face to face with the captains of industry, futurists, venture capitalists and propeller heads who play in the clean tech space.  All you need to do is register and show up with a fistful of business cards.  Click here to make your reservation.

On Wednesday I participated in the latest CleanTECH San Diego SCRUB session.  SCRUB is an opportunity for early stage clean tech companies to present their business plans to a panel of CleanTECH San Diego members.  Four local emerging clean tech ventures made their case to two dozen CleanTECH San Diego members representing a mix of venture capitalists, engineers, marketing specialists, intellectual property attorneys as well as local leaders from industry, research and government.  The objective of SCRUB is to provide feedback and assistance to take each company to the next stage. 

This week’s SCRUB showcased four distinctly different clean tech businesses.  350 Green intends to provide developmental infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations.  Butler Sun Solutions has developed a solar assisted hot water system, featuring “do-it-yourself” installation options.  Home Town Farms plans a vertical organic urban farming model that has the capacity to reduce water and energy consumption.  WaterSmart Systems provides resources to water utilities to help optimize water conservation.

In January the SCRUB featured Shrink NanoSolar, Eco ReBox, and Vari-Ro Technologies.  In the past six quarterly SCRUB sessions CleanTECH San Diego has provided advice, introductions and critical evaluations to 21 future clean tech stars.  If you have a clean tech enterprise that would benefit from a good SCRUB you should forward your business summary to Shaina Brown at shainab@cleantechsandiego.org

Coal is cheap.  Coal mine disasters are not.  In West Virginia on April 5th, the worst U.S. coal mining accident in 40 years came at the cost of 29 lives.  Fifteen days later the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig exploded and caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico.  Eleven lives were lost.  Oil rig disasters are not cheap.  In fact, lives are lost in the process of us enjoying most every economic aspect of our lives whether it is the construction of a high-rise or trucking toys to Wal-Mart. This is a dramatic way of saying that the all-in cost of every economic event is greater than the financial cost paid directly by the user. 

The cost paid by the user plus the externalized costs equals the all-in cost.  If you were to ask the residents of the Montcoal, WV, the all-in cost of coal is about $50 per ton plus the loss of their husbands, sons and fathers.  For a Louisiana shrimper the all-in cost of oil is $80 per barrel plus the loss of his income for years. 

There are externalized costs associated with every source of energy whether it is coal or solar, wind or oil, nuclear or cow dung.  The only universal reducer of externalized costs is “to consume less energy” either through energy efficiency or frugality.  As a society we will be better able to make rational decisions about energy production and use if we have a clearer vision of the externalized costs associated with the various sources of energy.

I am at odds with the climate change deniers and with the strict environmentalists.  However, I would no more attempt to change them than I would try to persuade a Red Sox fan or a Yankees fan to switch allegiance to their rival.  It just isn’t going to happen.  What the Bostonian and New Yorker have in common is their love of the game.  What I share with the climate change deniers and the strict environmentalists is a belief that there are consequences to our choices of energy sources.  Clearer information about the externalized costs of all the energy options will bring all parties closer together. 

To climate change deniers I say that it is not inconsistent for them to maintain their skepticism while at the same time embrace those changes which will encourage the shift away from fossil fuels.  Let’s give everyone the information to make decisions on an apples-to-apples (more…)

Under the leadership of CleanTECH San Diego, nine local governmental bodies have received bonding authority for over $154 million of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs).  Announced by the Treasury Department today, the allocation is 19% of the $800 million awarded for the entire country.  This over-sized allocation is the result of a substantial collaborative effort which included several San Diego companies, non-profits and even a team of four UCSD students.    

All of the applications submitted from San Diego were for solar energy.  The largest total award in the U.S. went to the San Diego Unified School District which received an allocation for $74 million bonds for 111 projects.  The financial benefit to the School District is the indirect subsidy provided by the IRS which greatly reduces the interest expense.  “These bonds function as tax credit bonds which allow investors to receive federal tax credits in lieu of the payment of a portion of the interest on the bond.  For CREBs, the federal tax credits will cover 70 percent of the interest on the bonds”.  

The local winners were City of Chula Vista, City of Lemon Grove, Fallbrook Public Utility District, UC San Diego, San Diego State, San Diego Unified School District, San Dieguito Union High School, City of Santee and Santee School District.  Click here for the national list.

Today’s good news really amounts to a knock on the door to opportunity.  In the months ahead each award winner will have the real work of issuing bonds and implementing the solar projects.