CleanTech OC Daily - 9/24/12

The secret formula for a great cleantech team

A year ago GigaOM published a post called “What It Takes to Build A Cleantech Winner” which was based on an analysis of 18 cleantech success stories. The conclusion was that it’s not the technology or the market that determines success but the team. A natural follow up to this post is an article about what makes a great team. The most successful cleantech start-ups ultimately have strong relationships that make up a strong team including the inventor of the core technology.

Better, Faster Corporate Venture Investment in Cleantech

Amidst a tough cleantech VC market is increased involvement of corporate VC arms and strategic investors. Corporate venture investment in cleantech was $620 million in Q2 2012, up 319 percent from Q1 2012, according to CB Insights. Why the shift in funding sources? Corporate investors have different revenue expectations and time frames than standard VCs…they also have potentially deeper pockets. Behind the shift is the Broadscale Group, who is acting as a clearinghouse to link growth-stage cleantech firms with its network.

Denmark Reaches 2020 Goal for Solar Energy 8 Years in Advance

Largely due to net metering, a less expensive and simple way to utilizer solar energy, Denmark has reached its 2020 goal of 200 MW solar power generation capacity. In response to reaching the goal 8 years early, Kim Schultz, the project manager of Invest in Denmark, said: “The demand for solar cells has increased dramatically since net metering was implemented in 2010. Net metering gives private households and public institutions the possibility of ‘storing’ surplus production in the public grid, which makes solar panels considerably more attractive.”