Clean technology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clean technology includes the wind power, solar power, biomass, hydropower, biofuels, information technology, green transportation,electric motors, lighting, and many other appliances that are now more energy efficient. It is a means to create electricity and fuels with a smaller environmental footprint. And it is the need to make green buildings both more energy efficient and environmentally benign. Environmental finance is a method by which new clean technology projects that have proven that they are "additional" or "beyond business as usual" can obtain financing through the generation of carbon credits. A project that is developed with concern for climate change mitigation (such as a Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism project) is also known as a carbon project.

While there is no standard definition of "clean technology," it has been described by Clean Edge, a clean-tech research firm, as "a diverse range of products, services, and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, dramatically reduce the use of natural resources, and cut or eliminate emissions and wastes." It notes that "Clean technologies are competitive with, if not superior to, their conventional counterparts. Many also offer significant additional benefits, notably their ability to improve the lives of those in both developed and developing countries"

Investments in clean technology have grown considerably since coming into the spotlight around 2000. Research by Ron Pernick and Joel Makower found that U.S.-based venture capital investments in clean energy technologies nearly tripled from $917 million in 2005 to $2.4 billion in 2006. As a percent of total venture capital investments, clean energy increased from 4.2 percent in 2005 to 9.4 percent in 2006. Research by the Cleantech Group in 2007 found that venture capital investments in the sector are projected to exceed $19 billion by 2010.

In the United States, the clean tech industry is largely based in Silicon Valley [1] [2]

Contents

[edit] Cleantech Networking

Organizations are being established around the world to enable cleantech investors, entrepreneurs, and researchers to connect with one another. Examples include:


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Silicon Valley Rebounds, Led by Green Technology from New York Times
  2. ^ "Companies seek ways to curb gas emissions" from Inside Bay Area

[edit] External links