September 15, 2011

The price of progress: Some companies fail

Greenough Communications president Phil Greenough: Whatever headlines emerge from the news that former solar industry darling Solyndra is shuttering its offices and filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the truth about Solyndra is simple: companies do not always succeed in business.

September 8, 2011

Is your cleantech business prepared to weather a perfect storm?

Flagship Ventures' Jim Matheson: Even more so than the weather, the system model predicting the future of our global economy is massively complex, and right now most predictions point to continued stormy skies ahead. I offer an emergency preparedness checklist – modified from the few I read preparing for Hurricane Irene – for startups who are trying to weather this perfect storm of inaction.

September 1, 2011

The case for a Massachusetts investment tax credit for angel investments

Stevens Capital Advisors' Bic Stevens: Massachusetts has been blessed with outstanding universities, leading high-tech firms, experienced venture capitalists, and history of innovation. Given this, why should we consider an investment tax credit for angel investments? The answer lies in Tom Friedman's book title "Hot, Flat and Crowded."

August 25, 2011

Why cleantech cannot wait for Washington

Historically, companies that invest in bold new ideas during lean economic times lead the way during a recovery,and startups typically play an oversized role in growing our economy. Yet, there is one key aspect that too many companies overlook, says Tom Pincince of Digital Lumens.

August 18, 2011

Boston networks solutions: driving demand for clean energy

Boston is nationally renowned as a leading “green” city, recently ranked the 5th most sustainable city in the U.S. by the Economist Intelligence Unit. Under Mayor Menino’s leadership, Boston has solidified its position as a hub of innovation in energy policy and program development, from our comprehensive climate action strategy to the 1st in the nation green building zoning, as well as new cutting edge clean energy programs emanating from City Hall.

August 12, 2011

Connecticut takes the lead in clean energy

Conn. DEP Commissioner Dan Esty: Connecticut recently adopted comprehensive clean energy legislation that has pushed this state into a position of national leadership. This legislation provides the foundation for expanded energy efficiency and renewable power – while reducing bills for Connecticut ratepayers.

August 4, 2011

Good licensing practices for entrepreneurs are critical to U.S. economy

Bandgap Engineering CTO Marcie Black: Since the Bayh-Dole act of 1980, licensing of technology from government labs and universities has been very successful in allowing companies to commercialize a new idea. As an entrepreneur, however, I have to ask myself, "Can we do it better?"

August 3, 2011

State of clean energy investing gets mixed results

Members of the MHT/New England Clean Energy Council's Energy Leaders Forum look at the state of clean energy investing and find the current state to be a mixed bag.

July 28, 2011

Energy legislation: One step at a time

Kathrin Winkler, VP of corporate sustainability, EMC: While we need a comprehensive national clean energy policy, starting with energy use at the individual level not only can reduce consumption on a personal level, but can facilitate a wider conversation about how we use energy, and foster ideas and innovation that could lead to more efficient energy use on a wider and more commercial scale.

July 21, 2011

Cleantech industry gets jolt of energy from student interns

Green Economy's Kevin Doyle: A new initiative launched this year by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Opportunity, offers an important look at the value of student internships in attracting talent to the clean energy sector. Having monitored the program’s progress, a few things are clear to me.

July 14, 2011

Why cleantech can't afford to ignore Washington, D.C.

NECEC President Peter Rothstein: Last July, a price on carbon still seemed like a possibility. Today, no one thinks comprehensive energy legislation will pass in 2011. And yet, I am in Washington, D.C., with dozens of clean energy CEOs and regional leaders who believe that our presence in the capital is more important now than ever.

June 30, 2011

Cleantech ROI needs investors' patience, entrepreneurs' ingenuity

KeyBanc Capital Markets' Russ Landon: The clean technology industry has attracted significant amounts of capital in the last 10 years. But in general, the industry is not blessed with the benefits of Moore's law – in the world of turbines and bioreactors, unlike the world of bits and bytes, return on investment can be far more challenging.

June 23, 2011

Energy efficiency financing: Mass. offers a 'Main Street' solution

NSTAR VP of Customer Care Penni Conner: Financing for energy efficiency is a hot topic in the energy industry because cost is a significant barrier to customers investing in energy efficiency measures. Many ideas on what types of financing to offer have been explored.

June 16, 2011

Is renewable energy still showing promise?

REEBA chairman Raphael Herz: Despite familiar success stories with renewable energy, the question remains: how much progress have we made? Are we truly on track to make clean energy competitive any time soon? I'm not sure.

June 9, 2011

Social media and cleantech – connecting stories to succeed

Greenough Communications' Phil Greenough: Businesses today have so many channels to communicate, but winning support still comes down to fundamentals of engagement. Facts alone won’t do the job, and superior technology does not always win out if unaccompanied by a storyline that connects with an audience on an emotional level.

June 2, 2011

The 'Second Cycle' of cleantech startups

General Catalyst Partners' Bilal Zuberi: Startups play an outsized role in bringing clean energy technology and innovation to market, creating new jobs, and defining a new American competitiveness. We are now in what I would define as the Second Cycle of modern cleantech startups, following the frenzy of the First Cycle that dramatically halted in 2008 with the economic downturn.

May 26, 2011

Cleantech: Benefits of a disruptive technology

EnerNOC CEO Tim Healy: Cleantech and smart grid technologies are inherently disruptive. They challenge the status quo. These disruptive technologies are bound to lead to some level of conflict, but we are all in this business because we believe that disruptions can ultimately be beneficial.

May 19, 2011

Mass. cleantech innovation fueled by research, community, collaboration

MassCEC's Patrick Cloney: Massachusetts isn't leading the nation with innovative clean energy companies solely because we churn out the most scientific breakthroughs. We have a genuinely close-knit community of researchers, investors and entrepreneurs who are transforming promising clean energy ideas into successful enterprises right here in our backyard. -- This post is part of the Energy Leaders Forum, a collaboration between the New England Clean Energy Council and Mass High Tech.

May 12, 2011

Cleantech fundraising in Massachusetts: A look at the data

Stevens Capital Advisors' Bic Stevens: I took a look at the cleantech fundraising activity since figures comparing cleantech deals in California versus Massachusetts came out to see if these trends have continued and to see what is behind them. The results are quite interesting. -- This post is part of the Energy Leaders Forum, a collaboration between the New England Clean Energy Council and Mass High Tech.

May 4, 2011

Help them help you: Getting to know the cleantech workforce development community

Green Economy's Kevin Doyle: We in cleantech want something from the workforce community that's critically important to the growth of our sector in the commonwealth – stellar job applicants, and lots of them. What are we expected to give in return? Here's a snapshot of some of the things that the workforce development community wants from those of us on the employer side of the workforce equation. -- This post is part of the Energy Leaders Forum, a collaboration between the New England Clean Energy Council and Mass High Tech.