Posted by on January 23rd, 2008
Did you know that air and sunlight can be worth $4.7 million? Of course, it’s not the raw goodies themselves but what you do with them. And Nanoptek has worked out how to do something very, very clever with them - producing hydrogen directly from water using sunlight and its proprietary photocatalyst.
It’s been enough to convince the VCs to find their chequebooks and Nanoptek has announced $4.7 million in funding from The Quercus Trust, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and private investors.
With all that lovely loot, Nanoptek is going to finish up the development of its field-deployable Solar Hydrogen Generator, develop pilot manufacturing capability, and install the first pilot plant for producing carbon-free hydrogen.
Greenbang would of course flee to an island in the Pacific and spank the lot on champagne, but thankfully no one has yet handed over that kind of cash to her.
Most hydrogen today is produced by steam methane reformation (SMR) of natural gas feedstock. In addition to consuming natural gas, the SMR process releases carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Some hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water, but this too results in carbon dioxide production unless the electricity used is from wind or solar.
Nanoptek’s Solar Hydrogen Generator (SHG) produces hydrogen directly from water using only sunlight and its proprietary photocatalyst in a process known as photoelectrochemical (PEC) water dissociation, or photolysis. No carbon dioxide is produced. Nanoptek has improved the PEC process by developing a titania photocatalyst that absorbs significantly more sunlight than normal titania. Nanoptek’s patent pending technology achieves this with nano-structures that stress the titania. [….]
Nanoptek expects to sell the carbon-free locally produced hydrogen to customers with high value industrial applications, and plans to also make it available for applications including transportation, backup power, “green” electricity for municipalities, and off-grid off-pipe power generation.
Posted by Greenbang on January 22nd, 2008
Carbon, carbon, carbon. That’s all that’s being talked about…Anyone would think it’s important.
Well Spain certainly thinks so - the Spanish government is giving €25m to the Green Carbon Fund - part of the Multilateral Carbon Credit Fund (MCCF) sponsored by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Well big deal - that’s a lot of money, but where’s it going?
It’s all a bit wordy this next bit - but if you can be bothered to read on - here’s what’s happening:
The MCCF consists of the Project Carbon Fund, and the Green Carbon Fund. The Project Carbon Fund has commitments of EUR 150 million from six countries and six companies, including a EUR 35 million contribution from Spain. The Green Carbon Fund is dedicated to Green Investment Schemes (GIS) and as of today has commitments from Spain and Ireland totalling EUR 40 million.
The Green Carbon Fund under the umbrella of the MCCF is in a unique position to facilitate and structure the government-government trade in Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) under Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol. The selling country will agree to use the revenue from the sale of AAUs to support investments in climate-friendly projects, called “green” projects, beneficial for the environment and specifically oriented to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG). The MCCF aims to facilitating the “greening” of the AAU sale proceeds through co-financing underlying projects with the EBRD and EIB.
The EBRD, owned by 61 countries and two intergovernmental institutions, aims to foster the transition from centrally planned to market economies in countries from central Europe to central Asia.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union’s long-term lending bank, promoting European objectives. Established in 1957, it operates within the 27 EU Members States and in more than 130 countries outside the EU. One of the EIB’s priority objectives is the protection and improvement of the environment, which accounted for 38% of EIB loans within the EU-27 in 2007.
Posted by on January 22nd, 2008
Biofuels: a bit like Santa, always giving for free and being nice, or a bit like Satan, doing bad stuff? No, it’s not a Trivial Pursuit question, but a question that’s pondered by all of those wondering where to lay their green tech bet.
The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has made up its collective mind, and opted more for the beard, tail and trident option.
It’s put out a report on the whole issue and here’s a summary of it’s findings.
1. Biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport—but most first generation biofuels have a detrimental impact on the environment overall. In addition, most biofuels are often not an effective use of bioenergy resources, in terms either of cutting greenhouse gas emissions or value-for-money. The Government must ensure that its biofuels policy balances greenhouse gas emission cuts with wider environmental impacts, so that biofuels are only used where they contribute to sustainable emissions reductions.
2. The Government and EU’s neglect of biomass and other more effective policies to reduce emissions in favour of biofuels is misguided. The current policy and support framework must be changed to ensure that sustainable bioenergy resources maximise their potential to generate energy for the lowest possible greenhouse gas emissions. In general biofuels produced from conventional crops should no longer receive support from the Government. Instead the Government should concentrate on the development of more efficient biofuel technologies that might have a sustainable role in the future.
3. The EU Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas, recently admitted that the Commission did not foresee all the problems that EU biofuels policy would cause. He indicated that certification would be used to address the negative impacts of biofuels. This is not good enough. The Government should seek to ensure that EU policy changes to reflect the concerns raised in this report. This means implementing a moratorium on current targets until technology improves, robust mechanisms to prevent damaging land use change are developed, and international sustainability standards are agreed. Only then might biofuels have a role to play. In the meantime, other more effective ways of cutting emissions from road transport should be pursued. It will take considerable courage for the Government and EU to admit that the current policy arrangements for biofuels are inappropriate. The policy realignments that are required will be a test of the Government’s commitment to moving the UK towards a sustainable low carbon economy/
If a slice of the report is not enough and you want to gorge on report-pie, you can do so here.
Posted by on January 22nd, 2008
If you’re a fan of Andrew Lang, or even if you’re not, you might have heard the quote: He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts — for support rather than for illumination. Greenbang is happy to be the lamppost to your drunk man with some stats from The Cleantech Group:
Venture capital investment in cleantech for 2007 hit new highs as deals in North America and Europe totaled $5.18 billion, according to data released today.[...]
The report counted 172 deals in energy generation in 2007, totaling $2.75 billion invested into the sector. North American companies continue to receive the lion’s share of cleantech venture investing, with North American-based companies receiving over 3x the investment of European-based companies.
Posted by on January 22nd, 2008
There’s gold in them Thar Technologies. Or funding at least, with a $1.9 million National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Advanced Technology Program (all names used in this blog post are entirely non-fictional) grant going to the company this week.
Thar will use the cash to develop its green biodiesel technology tech with high pressure processing, known as supercritical fluid technology (it says here).
Despite biodiesel production increasing in recent years, inefficient, pollution-prone processes using hexane, an EPA-designated hazardous air pollutant, to extract oil from oilseeds inhibit biodiesel from becoming a serious alternative to conventional diesel fuel. Thar will replace hexane with high pressure carbon dioxide.
Dr. Lalit Chordia, CEO of Thar, said “Thar’s green technology requires less energy per unit of production and integrates several post-extraction steps into one continuous, efficient process. Cost-effective biodiesel for mass production is finally on the horizon.”
Successful development of the technology will profitably produce biodiesel directly oilseed feedstock while reducing energy consumption and eliminating environmental hazards and the need for production subsidies. The by-products of this technology also have a higher value, making the process very competitive and efficient.
Posted by on January 22nd, 2008
Aussie research outfit CSIRO is not much of an innovator on the naming front. It’s latest invention is called the UltraBattery. So far, so blah.
But what it lacks in exciting nameness, it makes up for with green tech coolness.
“Previous tests show the UltraBattery has a life cycle that is at least four times longer and produces 50 per cent more power than conventional battery systems. It’s also about 70 per cent cheaper than the batteries currently used in hybrid electric vehicles,” David Lamb, who leads low emissions transport research with the Energy Transformed National Research Flagship said. [...]
By marrying a conventional fuel-powered engine with a battery to drive an electric motor, HEVs achieve the dual environmental benefit of reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption.
The UltraBattery also has the ability to provide and absorb charge rapidly during vehicle acceleration and braking, making it particularly suitable for HEVs, which rely on the electric motor to meet peak power needs during acceleration and can recapture energy normally wasted through braking to recharge the battery.
The battery has now passed the 100,000 miles mark on a test vehicle. Zing!
Posted by on January 22nd, 2008
You know that unenviable feeling when it’s the guy you don’t like in the office’s birthday and the envelope for donations comes around, and you want to spit in it but instead you drop in a fiver so you don’t look bad?
Greenbang is wondering if that’s just how the likes of Dell, Hewlett Packard, L’Oreal, PepsiCo, and Reckitt Benckiser feel at the moment after signing up to assess the carbon emissions resulting from their supply chains.
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a collaboration of over 315 institutional investors, including Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Allianz and HSBC, with assets under management of more than $41 trillion, will be helping them with their enquiries after all the companies signed up to the Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration.
CDP is working with these global companies and their suppliers to create a single standardized approach to provide key climate change information throughout their supply chains.
Each member of the Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration has selected up to 50 suppliers to work with them and to respond to the CDP pilot information request in the first quarter of 2008. The results of the pilot will refine the process in preparation for the roll out and will help customers and suppliers to work together to develop strategies to reduce their carbon footprints. Some members will work with suppliers at national level, others will work internationally.
The project will be rolled out in May 2008, and CDP is inviting more companies to join the Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration. This will broaden both the geographical and sectoral scope – and potentially bring tens of thousands of new suppliers into the CDP process and extend disclosure globally. A report will be produced on the findings.
Paul Dickinson, CEO of CDP commented: “The Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration is a key step towards a unified business approach to climate change. By bringing together the purchasing authority of some of the largest companies in the world, CDP will encourage suppliers to measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions. This will enable large companies to work towards managing their total carbon footprint, as the first step to reducing the total carbon footprint is to measure its size.”
Posted by Greenbang on January 21st, 2008
This is a huge campaign to get everyone in the UK to switch to eco-freindly light bulbs. They reckon if people use all 4.5 million free lightbulbs, given out today with the tabloid paper, the Sun - it could save 350,000 tonnes of CO2.
It’s being run by Southern Electric, The Sun newspaper, and the guys at Cool NRG, who are orchestrating it.
Posted by Greenbang on January 21st, 2008
Greenbang’s been a fan of Shai Agassi since he stepped down at software company SAP to do something good for the world.
Saying that - he’s so far turned down all interview requests because he’s just too important.
Nevertheless, this is his latest venture -Renault-Nissan and his organisation, Project Better Place, are preparing to launch a mass marketed electric vehicle.
This is all taking place in Israel - in response to the Israeli State’s challenge to the auto industry and its supply chain to migrate the country’s transportation infrastructure to renewable sources of energy.
The Israeli government will provide tax incentives to customers, Renault will supply the electric vehicles, and Project Better Place would construct and operate an Electric Recharge Grid across the entire country. Electric vehicles will be available for customers in 2011.
100% electric vehicles: Renault’s vehicles will run on pure electricity for all functions. The objective of zero emissions will be achieved, while at the same time offering driving performances similar to a 1.6 liter gasoline engine. Renault’s electric vehicles will be equipped with lithium-ion batteries, ensuring greater driving range and longevity.
Innovative business model: For the first time in the electric vehicle business, ownership of the car is separated from the requirement to own a battery. Consumers will buy and own their car and subscribe to energy, including the use of the battery, on a basis of kilometers driven. This model is similar to the way mobile phones are sold, with an initial purchase and a monthly subscription for the mobility service.
Competitive cost of ownership: The Israeli government recently extended a tax incentive on the purchase of any zero-emissions vehicle until 2019, making them more affordable. Combined with the lower cost of electricity as opposed to fuel-based energy, and the vehicle’s lifetime guarantee, the total cost of ownership for the customer will be significantly lower than that of a fuel-based car over the life cycle of the vehicle.
Electric Recharge Grid infrastructure: California-based Project Better Place plans to deploy a massive network of battery charging spots. Driving range will no longer be an obstacle, because customers will be able to plug their cars into charging units in any of the 500,000 charging spots in Israel. An on-board computer system will indicate to the driver the remaining power supply and the nearest charging spot. Nissan, through its joint venture with NEC, has created a battery pack that meets the requirements of the electric vehicle and will mass-produce it. Renault is working on development of exchangeable batteries for continuous mobility. The entire framework will go through a series of tests starting this year.
Perfect first mass market: In Israel, where 90% of car owners drive less than 70 kilometers per day, and all major urban centers are less than 150 kilometers apart, electric vehicles would be the ideal means of transportation and could therefore cover most of the population’s transportation needs.
Along with Project Better Place, this is the first illustration of the Alliance’s commitment to mass-market zero-emission vehicles all over the world.
Posted by on January 21st, 2008
Greenbang wonders if all VCs are the same star sign. If they are, this month’s forecast might read something like this:
“You will see vast amounts of cash travel through your fingers and if you haven’t already, you’ll consider opening up a green fund shortly. You’ll find your squash game a bit disappointing.”
Having a green fund on your books is the VC equivalent of car makers making a hybrid vehicle: everyone’s at it. The Times sums up all the fuss nicely:
Within the past couple of months F&C introduced its Global Climate Opportunities fund and HSBC unveiled its Climate Change Fund. Virgin Money is starting a fund this month and Allianz’s Global EcoTrends Fund will be up and running next month. Schroders launched a climate change fund in September and Jupiter’s Ecology fund is more than 20 years old [...]
So what will the new funds focus on? The F&C fund concentrates on mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. It will invest in areas such as alternative energy, energy efficiency and technology to reduce emissions. Terry Coles, co-manager of the fund, says: “We have a stake in Sun-Tech Power Holdings, a Chinese manufacturer of solar cells. It combines two of the key things we are looking for: competitive costs and a position in a fast-growing industry. It can build huge single solar panels which can be made into roofs.
Interestingly, the article goes on to say that garden centres are looking tasty as acquisitions as big retailers think they could be the way to flog green consumer tech.
