25. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

PelamisWave

Postal Address

Tel: +44 (0) 131 554 8444

Fax: +44 (0) 131 554 8544

E-mail: enquiries@pelamiswave.com

Pelamis Wave Power Ltd is the manufacturer of a unique system to generate renewable electricity from ocean waves.

The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is a revolutionary concept, the result of many years of engineering development by PWP. It was the world’s first commercial scale machine to generate electricity into the grid from offshore wave energy and the first to be used in commercial wave farm projects.

For energy companies, utilities and their customers, Pelamis machines offer the ability to unlock an immense clean energy resource with limitless potential.

Pelamis Wave Power changed its name in September 2007. It was previously known as Ocean Power Delivery Ltd.

History
The Company was founded in 1998 by Dr Richard Yemm, Dr Dave Pizer and Dr Chris Retzler with the aim of developing the Pelamis Wave Energy Converter.

Since then the company has raised almost £40million of investment and has been successful in bringing Pelamis technology to the commercial marketplace. The company now employs over 70 people and has headquarters in Edinburgh. There are further operations in Portugal.

In 2007, the executive management team was strengthened in order to meet the growing opportunities in the market: Phil Metcalf was appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Diana Dyer Bartlett as Chief Financial Officer.

Also in 2007, the company changed its name from Ocean Power Delivery to Pelamis Wave Power. The change of name reflects the significant progress of the business and reinforces the strong identity of ‘Pelamis’.

Product

The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is a semi-submerged, articulated structure composed of cylindrical sections linked by hinged joints. The wave-induced motion of these joints is resisted by hydraulic rams, which pump high-pressure fluid through hydraulic motors via smoothing accumulators. The hydraulic motors drive electrical generators to produce electricity. Power from all the joints is fed down a single umbilical cable to a junction on the sea bed. Several devices can be connected together and linked to shore through a single seabed cable.

Pelamis offers technological, economic and environmental advantages including:

• Survivability ‘built in’
• 100% available technology
• No maintenance carried out at offshore site
• No offshore intervention required
• ‘Hands Free’ operation
• Lowest kWh costs in the market
• High return potential
• Commercial track record
• Verified and insured

Current production machines are 140m long and 3.5m in diameter with 3 power conversion modules per machine. Each machine is rated at 750kW. The energy produced by Pelamis is dependent upon the conditions of the installation site. Depending on the wave resource, machines will on average produce 25-40% of the full rated output over the course of a year. Each machine can provide sufficient power to meet the annual electricity demand of approximately 500 homes.

Posted in Wave Techs, United Kingdom | No Comments »

25. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Ecopod

Ecopod, Inc

Santa Barbara, California

805-689-6808

About
ecopod was incorporated in August of 2005 in the state of California, USA.

Beyond the practical value of home recycling, part of the broad ecopod mission is to help create a clean environment and preserve our natural resources. By increasing beverage container recycling, the ecopod will raise the average consumer’s eco-consciousness resulting in increased diversion rates of all recyclable products.

Ultimately, both the private and public sector benefit when large quantities of recyclable materials are returned to the stream of commerce. This influx of high-value commodities supports more jobs and economic activity (US Recycling Economic Information Study). ecopod’s unique go-to-market strategy, along with its “first position” in the market, will offer consumers, retailers, industry and government a triple win of social, environmental and economic gain.

Product
With an ecopod in the kitchen , pantry or laundry room, families will now have a simple, aesthetically pleasing, and rewarding way to process recylcables. The ecopod e1 home recycling center features removable storing containers for glass bottles, paper, plastic bags, or other recyclable material. Insert aluminum cans and plastic bottles into the top, and step on the pedal to hear the sweet sound of compaction via the patented ecostep system. Flattened containers automatically fall into a portable pod for redemption or curbside collection of 50-60 crushed containers.

Posted in California, Waste Techs, USA | No Comments »

24. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

GreenFuel Technologies Corporation

735 Concord Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

T: 617.234.0077

History
Founded in 2001, GreenFuel profitably recycles carbon dioxide from flue gases to produce biofuels and feed. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, GreenFuel is a privately held venture-backed firm.

Executive Team

• Bob Metcalfe, Ph.D., Interim CEO
• Cary Bullock, Vice President, Business Development
• Holly Flesh, Vice President, Business Operations
• Wayne Hopkins, Vice President, Engineering & Project Delivery
• Jonathan Levitt, General Counsel, Outside GC

Board of Directors

• Jennifer Fonstad, Chair, Board of Directors; Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
• Cary Bullock, Vice President, Business Development
• Bob Metcalfe, Ph.D., Interim CEO; Founder, 3Com; Partner, Polaris Venture Partners
• Peter L. Thoren, Executive Vice President, Access Industries
• Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Ph.D., Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University

Principal Investors

• Access Private Equity
• Draper Fisher Jurvetson
• Polaris Venture Partners

Scientific Advisory Board

• Isaac Berzin, Ph.D., Founder, GreenFuel

What does GreenFuel do?

GreenFuel uses a portfolio of technologies to profitably recycle CO₂ from smokestack, fermentation, and geothermal gases via naturally occurring species of algae. Algae can be converted to transportation fuels and feed ingredients or recycled back to a combustion source as biomass for power generation.

Posted in Biofuel Techs, Massachusetts, USA | No Comments »

24. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Solar City

Headquarters
393 Vintage Park Drive, Suite 140
Foster City, CA 94404
Phone: 650-638-1028
Fax: 650-638-1029

About
SolarCity exists to energize our world with clean affordable solar energy.

SolarCity understands that the environmental impact of energy production is one of the greatest challenges that our planet will face in the near future, and they are committed to doing our part to alleviate this impact with solar power systems. Their mission is to make solar power the workhorse of the world’s energy production, and we intend to accomplish that one installation at a time.

SolarCity believes that individual energy choices have a direct and measurable effect on the health of the environment, and they are committed to providing sustainable, cost-effective solar solutions for many applications, from a single-family home to a commercial property. Through their business, they strive to reduce the effects of global warming and environmental degradation by enabling the mass market to obtain clean solar energy in an economically viable way.

The SolarCity team has decades of collective experience in solar system design and installation. Their extensive knowledge and industry qualifications allow us to handle projects of any size and scope. We carry a C-46 Solar , C-10 Electrical and B General Contractor’s License and our State Contractor’s license number is 888104.

They offer a bundled set of technologies and services that make it easy to switch to solar. When you choose SolarCity, you not only select a company with a proven track record, but you also help to power the planet with clean, renewable energy.

SolarCity Commercial PowerStations are made up of the following components:

• Solar Panels. Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into DC power.
• Inverter. An inverter is a device that converts DC power from the solar panels into the standard AC power that is used in your facility.
• Electric Panel. The electric panel, or breaker box, contains the fuses and breakers that distribute electricity throughout your facility.
• Utility Meter. The utility meter measures the flow of electricity between your facility and the utility grid.
• Utility Grid. The utility grid is the network of distribution wires that is maintained by your local electric utility. You will remain connected to the grid after your solar system is in place.
• SolarGuard Monitor. This device continually tracks the performance of your solar system and reports the data to us so that we can make sure your system is producing solar energy at optimum levels.
• Your SolarCity PowerPortal. After your system is installed, you can log in to our secure web site to check your system performance, as reported by the SolarGuard Monitor. Find out how much power your system is generating any time you like.

Management Team

Lyndon Rive – Founder, Chief Executive Officer
Prior to SolarCity, Lyndon founded Everdream, the industry leader in software and services for large-scale distributed computer management. Lyndon’s leadership and business development expertise lead Everdream to a market leadership position for which it was acquired by Dell. Lyndon played a major role in negotiating supply relationships, forming valuable channel partnerships, and business model development within 4 years.

Peter Rive – Founder, Chief Operations Officer
Peter has held several senior technology positions throughout his career focusing on streamlining operational activities through the use of advanced software. Before he co-founded SolarCity, Peter held the position of Chief Technology Officer at Everdream, where he designed a software platform to centralize computer management. Everdream was recently acquired by Dell with the intent of using this technology to manage and control millions of its computers.

Elon Musk – Chairman
Elon Musk is the founder and CEO of SpaceX - a space launch vehicle company. SpaceX is the third company founded by Elon. Prior to SpaceX, he co-founded PayPal, the world’s leading electronic payment system, and served as the company’s chairman and CEO. PayPal went public in early 2002 and was sold to eBay later that year for $1.5 billion. Elon’s first company was an Internet software company called Zip2. He co-founded Zip2 in 1995, serving initially as CEO and then as CTO. Zip2 was sold to Compaq in 1999 for over $300 million in an all cash transaction. Elon has a strong interest in green technology. He is chairman of the board and the primary investor in Tesla Motors, a new all electric American car company. In addition, he is a trustee of the X Prize Foundation and the Musk Foundation, both of which have a strong interest in promoting renewable and environmentally friendly energy technologies.

Charles Ferer – Chief Financial Officer
Charles Ferer is responsible for Accounting, Finance, Banking and Human Resources at SolarCity. He brings over twenty years of experience in leadership roles at high growth companies in a variety of industries, including such consumer products and financial services companies as PepsiCo, GAP, Inc, Transamerica and Central Garden and Pet. Mr. Ferer was recently Group CFO at Central Garden and Pet. Previously, from August 2001 to May 2006, he was CEO and President of MaxEx, which provided supply chain and logistics outsourcing services to mid-sized businesses. Mr. Ferer also worked as CFO of Color Spot, a Kohlberg private equity company, CFO of Old Navy and Vice President of Strategy/M&A at Transamerica Real Estate Information Companies. Mr. Ferer holds an MBA in Finance from Indiana University and a BA in Economics from the University of Puget Sound.

David Arfin – VP, Customer Finance
David Arfin is a serial entrepreneur with strong financial, business development, and marketing skills. David founded FirstEnergyFinance.com (acquired by SolarCity), was co-Founder and CEO of GlooLabs, Inc (acquired by Cisco Systems), co-Founded Flywheel Communications, and was Founder and CE of CLE Group (acquired by Practicing Law Institute). Prior to launching companies, David was a Lobbyist in Washington DC for the Association of American Universities, a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs in Los Angeles and an Intern in the Israeli Knesset. David received an MBA from Stanford, an MA in Public Policy Analysis from the Claremont Graduate University, and a BA in Political Science from UCLA, where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa and a regular of Pauley Overnighter Club. David served as President of the Board of the Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School and is a utility infielder for the SolarCity Sluggers.

Diana Helfrich – VP, Marketing
As SolarCity’s vice president of marketing, Diana is responsible for the company’s marketing, branding, communications and community programs. Diana has spent the last twenty years driving growth for both public companies and early-stage technology companies that have achieved market success through Initial Public Offerings. She has held a variety of executive positions, including vice president of marketing for BigBand Networks—a leading provider of video networking solutions to service providers worldwide, and vice president of marketing for Copper Mountain Networks—a pioneer of DSL technology. Diana has also worked in marketing roles at Autodesk, Wells Fargo and the Council on Education in Management. Diana holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from St. Mary’s College.

John Lefebvre – Managing Director, Sales & Business Development
John is responsible for SolarCity’s sales, regional development, and partner relationships. At Lam Research Corporation, Mattson Technology and General Electric, John grew product divisions into muti-million dollar organizations. John has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Clarkson University, a MS in Electical Engineering from Syracuse University and a MBA from the University of British Columbia and ESADE. John is committed to the advancement of renewable energy technologies and has spent countless hours advising renewable technology startups, consulting for venture capital firms and volunteering with GRID alternatives, a non-profit solar provider to low income families.

Chris Edgett – Director, Field Engineering
Before joining SolarCity, Chris worked with PowerLight Corporation, the world’s largest PV construction company. Chris created PowerLight’s construction management group and was responsible for implementing in excess of 25 megawatts of solar power projects scattered throughout the world. At SolarCity Chris’ responsibility is to oversee SolarCity’s construction practices with the goal of increasing quality and efficiency.

Jim Brady – Director, Electric Vehicle Services
Jim is responsible for the deployment of electric vehicle smart charging stations. The global objective is to have EV installations utilize solar power energy to complete zero emission charging at home and business. Charging Station deployments for Tesla Motors and V2G, vehicle to grid emerging projects are underway. He has over 15 years experience with planning utilities, including national network planning and engineering for Cingular Wireless. Jim has a BS in electrical engineering from Cal Poly, an MS in telecommunications from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is a state licensed electrical contractor. Jim supports planet friendly alternate energy solutions and smart home and vehicle concept initiatives.

Brian Sullivan – Director, Business Development
With over seven years of experience in the solar industry, Brian lends his knowledge to expanding SolarCity’s broad reach; including regional office expansion and channel partner development.  As the owner of Palo Alto Solar, Brian designed and installed over 300 solar installations in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Before being acquired by SolarCity, Palo Alto Solar was one of the most innovative photovoltaic companies on the peninsula; constantly driving the market price down.  Brian has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Davis.

Nicole Ratner – Director, Marketing
Nicole is head of SolarCity’s corporate Marketing and Brand development including advertising, events, creative services and PR. Prior to joining SolarCity, Nicole oversaw various marketing positions at some of the largest corporations in Silicon Valley. Most recently, she was a senior global advertising manager for Oracle Corporation, where she lead successful efforts to develop integrated global programs involving key media partners and analysts, and oversaw management of the company’s global advertising agency. Nicole has won numerous awards for her work, and holds a bachelors of science degree from the University of California, Davis.

Ben Tarbell – Director, Products
Ben is responsible for SolarCity’s new product development and deployment.  His goal is to bring innovative ideas and products to the solar energy industry that will help to make solar energy more reliable, cost effective and accessible.  Prior to joining SolarCity, Ben was responsible for product development at Miasolé, a thin-film solar cell start-up in Silicon Valley; he led the sustainable product design offering at IDEO in Palo Alto; and he worked at the clean tech venture capital firm Nth Power in San Francisco.  Ben has a BS in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, an MS in mechanical engineering design from Stanford University, and an MBA from Stanford University.  Ben’s commitment to the clean energy field extends to his volunteer work with GRID Alternatives, a non-profit organization that installs solar systems in low-income housing.

Posted in California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

18. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Green Bottle

Greenbottle Ltd
The Technology Centre
Framlingham
Woodbridge
Suffolk
IP13 9EZ

Tel: 01728 726577
Fax: 01728 726533

Designed and manufactured in Britain, Greenbottle is a biodegradable milk bottle that uses a smart two-part system to aid recycling. The bottles are composed of a cardboard outer manufactured from pulped, recycled cardboard, which is lined with an inner sleeve of biodegradable plastic made from corn starch. The plastic keeps the cardboard from becoming soggy, and the cardboard makes for easy transport, storage and pouring. Once the bottle is empty, the inner sleeve can be pulled out and will decompose in a landfill within six weeks. The cardboard outer can be put out for recycling with other paper or thrown in with kitchen and garden waste for home composting.

Greenbottle just went through a week-long test run at an Asda supermarket, where the new milk jugs sold out quickly. The bottles currently cost up to 30% more than their plastic counterparts, but costs will go down once production steps up.

Posted in Bioplastic Techs, United Kingdom, Waste Techs | No Comments »

18. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

 Nature Mill

NatureMill, Inc.
538 Hayes Street
San Francisco, CA
94102 

About

From activists to engineers 
Nature Mill aims to make a difference. They diligently recycle paper, bottles, and cans. They read newspapers online to cut down on paper. They favor environmentally friendly products and packaging. Some of the employees even walk or bike to work. But despite their commitment to “the 3Rs” – reduce, reuse, recycle – they still produce shameful amounts of trash.

Nature Mill ventured head first into backyard composting. A humble kitchen crock diverts an impressive amount of trash from the kitchen to an outdoor compost pile. And unlike other forms of recycling, composting uses no chemicals, fossil fuels, or other environmentally harmful materials.

But a few months into their compost adventure, reality set in. It smells! It’s dirty! Turning the pile each month is backbreaking! It’s definitely no fun in the cold and rainy months. And besides, not everyone has a backyard. We should be able to engineer a better solution.
A Chance Discovery
Then a funny thing happened. Someone went away on vacation without emptying the kitchen compost crock. A nasty surprise awaited his return — the smell, the flies, and a very unpleasant clean-up job.

While grudgingly cleaning out the compost crock, he noticed it was warm. Microorganisms were hard at work! The compost process had begun! Just a little more oxygen, some mechanical mixing, and a strong air filter would accelerate the process and eliminate the odors and bugs. Dozens of patents and prototypes later, the NatureMill was born.

Products

NatureMill PLUS  $299 Sets the “industry standard” for composting: Fully automatic and odor free Indoor or outdoor use, even in cold weather, rain, or snow Add food waste any time, any day, up to 120 lbs per month Compost is ready every 2 weeks

NatureMill PRO $399Made for serious users. Includes all PLUS features AND: Foot pedal for convenient hands-free operation Stainless steel components for continuous heavy use Vacation mode for automatic energy savings Security lock feature Spare carbon filter included

Posted in California, Waste Techs, USA | No Comments »

18. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Tesla Motors

Tesla Motors
1050 Bing Street
San Carlos, California 94070
(650) 413-4000

About Tesla Motors

One Thing We Can Agree On

Whether you‘re more concerned about global warming or about national security, there’s one thing we can probably agree on: our dependence on oil is dangerous and costly.

Right now 58 percent of our oil comes from other countries, so it’s practically inevitable our foreign policy principles will be held ransom by our need to maintain domestic economic stability. When you consider that 68 percent of our oil is used for transportation, Tesla Motors believes gasoline-free cars are an ideal solution to these issues. Even a hybrid car, which still burns gasoline and emits carbon dioxide, doesn‘t solve our oil-related problems, it just postpones them. If you look hard at the numbers, it’s clear that an electric car is the cleanest and most efficient kind of car in existence. We have done exhaustive “well to wheel” energy and emissions analyses, and the numbers are undeniable.

Electric “Punishment Cars”

Historically, it seemed to Tesla Motors that electric cars had been designed by people who thought we really shouldn’t be driving at all - but if we must, we should suffer every minute of it. Electric cars have had terrible range and embarrassing styling. To those who say electric cars have been tried and failed Tesla Motors says, of course electric cars won‘t catch on if no one actually wants to drive them.

Changing Perceptions

We needed to change perceptions of electric vehicles in a big way. To make electric cars a viable alternative, Tesla Motors set out to build one that was gorgeous and thrilling to drive.

Their first car, the Tesla Roadster, isn’t a pipedream or a plan; this car exists now. It’s a no-compromise driver‘s car that does 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 second and will hit a top speed of nearly twice what the law permits. With a range of about 220 miles on a single charge, you can use it all day long and not worry you’ll run out of juice. Just plug it in at night the same way you drop your cell phone into its charger, and sleep well, without guilt.

Just the Beginning

While the Tesla Roadster’s sticker price is in a league with other high-performance sports cars with similar specs, Tesle Motors recognizes it’s out of reach for a lot of people. They consciously chose to develop a high-end sports car as our first car in order to develop the “performance DNA” from which we could create other electric vehicles. Their next model will leverage the Tesla Roadster‘s technology, resulting in a less expensive sports sedan that they can sell at higher volume.

The Mission

Tesla Motors designs and sells high-performance, highly efficient electric sports cars — with no compromises. Tesla Motors cars combine style, acceleration, and handling with advanced technologies that make them among the quickest and the most energy-efficient cars on the road.

	Ze’ev Drori President & CEO Ze’ev Drori is a successful high-tech entrepreneur and an experienced chief executive with the proven ability to create and manage companies with innovative products in both the high-tech and automotive sectors. He has more than 30 years of continual success and has demonstrated the ability to lead a company from conception to profitability and public offering. The first company he founded was Monolithic Memories, a Silicon Valley semiconductor firm that pioneered fundamental advances in memory and logic technology, before being acquired by Advanced Micro Devices in 1987. Under his leadership, Monolithic introduced programmable read-only memory (PROM) and programmable array logic (PAL), which revolutionized many aspects of computer and electronic systems technology. As CEO through 1981, Ze’ev was responsible for R&D, manufacturing, marketing, finance, worldwide sales and overseas operations for product assembly. Ze’ev served as chairman of the board from 1981 through 1987. After the sale of Monolithic Memories, Ze’ev purchased a controlling interest in Clifford Electronics, then a small start-up in auto security systems and the perfect combination of his twin passions for technology and automobiles. As chairman and CEO, he rapidly developed Clifford into the world’s leading automobile security company through significant innovations, such as remote control alarms and distribution relationships with domestic and international car manufacturers as well as a network of thousands of retail dealers. In 1999, Ze’ev sold Clifford Electronics to Allstate Insurance. Competitive and focused, Ze’ev has taken up racing Formula cars, pitting his skills against young drivers aspiring to become professional racers. In his every pursuit, Ze’ev brings his passion and commitment, with an eye on the finish line, and translates that focus into a winning formula for technology companies.
	JB Straubel Chief Technical Officer The story of JB Straubel’s career started at a junkyard in Wisconsin, where, at the age of 14, he discovered a discarded electric golf cart and decided to rebuild it. Thus began a lifelong fascination with energy work and electric vehicles. At Tesla Motors, JB oversees the technical and engineering design of the vehicles, focusing on the battery, motor, power electronics, and high-level software sub-systems. Additionally, he evaluates new technology, manages vehicle systems testing, and handles technical interface with key vendors. Prior to Tesla Motors, JB was the CTO and co-founder of the aerospace firm, Volacom, which designed a specialized high-altitude electric aircraft platform using a novel power plant. At Volacom, JB invented and patented a new long-endurance hybrid electric propulsion concept that was later licensed to Boeing. Before Volacom, JB worked at Rosen Motors as a propulsion engineer developing a new hybrid electric vehicle drivetrain based on a micro turbine and a high-speed flywheel. JB was also part of the early team at Pentadyne, where he designed and built a first-generation 150kW power inverter, motor-generator controls, and magnetic bearing systems. Armed with a bachelor’s in energy systems engineering and an master’s in energy engineering from Stanford University, JB left the cold winters of Wisconsin for good. He now lives in Menlo Park, Calif., where he continues to indulge his passion for electric transportation: he built an electric Porsche 944 that held a world EV racing record, a custom electric bicycle, and a pioneering hybrid trailer system. JB is also an accomplished pilot.
	Malcolm Powell Vice President, Vehicle Integration Throughout his career, Malcolm Powell has had the opportunity to drive some of the world’s most amazing cars – and what he found is that beauty and acceleration are no match for balance and responsiveness. Bringing with him the desire to make the driving experience more physically interactive and less remote, Malcolm oversees the integration of all constituent parts of a Tesla Motors vehicle, including packaging, testing, and legal approvals. After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Sheffield in the U.K., Malcolm’s first job landed him in the research department of Westland Helicopters, developing a remotely piloted surveillance helicopter. He then moved on to Ford of Europe, where he worked in the Special Vehicle Engineering division on “fun” cars (think small cars, big engines, all-wheel drive). Prior to joining Tesla Motors, Malcolm established an automotive design consultancy and then completed a 17-year stint at Group Lotus PLC, where he managed development of the North American version of the Lotus Elise. Leaving three adult children behind in the U.K., Malcolm and his wife now live in San Carlos, where they spend weekends hiking and cycling to explore their new environment. That is, once they’ve finished videoconferencing with the kids back home.
	Darryl Siry Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Service Darryl Siry oversees sales, marketing/communications, and service for Tesla Motors. Prior to joining the company, Darryl was Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, a property and casualty insurance company with $6 billion in revenues. At Fireman’s Fund, Darryl revitalized the Fireman’s Fund brand through innovative, non-traditional approaches, earning broad recognition within the industry and marketing and communications professions. Prior to Fireman’s Fund, Darryl was with Mercer Management Consulting, where he advised clients in the consumer products and financial services industries. Darryl earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Brown University. In his spare time, Darryl works on his cars in his workshop in Occidental, Calif., often chronicling his adventures as an amateur mechanic in his blog, Horseless Age. He also maintains a blog on the rapidly evolving landscape of marketing, entitled Marketing 2.0. Darryl lives with his wife Keri, and two Vizslas, Samson and Honey Bee. Darryl and Keri had their first child of the human sort – daughter Gemma – in May 2007.
	Mike Taylor Vice President of Finance Mike Taylor joined Tesla Motors as Vice President of Finance in September 2007. Mike brings 17 years of financial expertise to the company. Mike began his career at Goldman Sachs & Co., where he helped clients worldwide raise over $2 billion in structured debt financing. He then worked for McKinsey and Company and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he helped several companies through IPOs and acquisitions. In 1994, Mike caught the technology bug and has since helped game-changing companies raise more than $250 million in public and private financings. His first foray into high tech was with Scopus Technology, for which he managed the public offering process prior to that company’s acquisition by Siebel Systems. Mike also served as Vice President of Finance for network management software pioneer Micromuse, where he coordinated the IPO and several financing rounds and managed all financial planning and investor relations activities. Mike then served as Chief Financial Officer for Benchmark Capital and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Tropos Networks, where he helped raise more than $80 million in venture financing. Along the way, Mike found time to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and JD/MBA from Stanford University. Mike is married and has two children. He serves on the board for the Center for the Early Intervention on Deafness.
	Craig Harding General Counsel Craig Harding is responsible for legal affairs at Tesla Motors, including corporate work, supplier agreements, and intellectual property. Craig has worked at Sun Microsystems as a staff attorney, and also served as General Counsel of Kaleida Labs (a joint venture of Apple and IBM) and Actra (a joint venture of Netscape and General Electric). In his spare time, Craig likes to run marathons and ultramarathons, and he is most proud of a 12:17 in the Miwok 100K. Craig has a degree in math from Duke University and a law degree from Vanderbilt University.

Posted in California, Automotive Techs, USA | No Comments »

17. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

LUZ II

LUZ II Ltd.

11 Kiryat Mada St., Amot bldg #6,
P.O. Box 45220, Har Hotzvim,
Jerusalem, 91450 Israel.

Phone: +972-(0)77-202-5000
Fax: +972-(0)2-571-1059

Mail: info@luz2.com

BrightSource Energy Inc.

1999 Harrison Street,
Suite 500
Oakland, CA 94612, USA.

Phone: 510-550-8161 x108
Fax: 510-550-8165

Mail: info@brightsourceenergy.com

About

LUZ II develops utility-scale solar power plants using a unique, proprietary technology which converts sunlight to electricity. LUZ II’s technology provides relatively low-cost power during peak demand periods. By using standard, inexpensive materials and economies of scale in manufacturing, LUZ II’s plants achieve the lowest cost solar electricity in the world.

LUZ II Ltd.,of Jerusalem, Israel, is a wholly owned subsidiary of BrightSource Energy Inc. (BSE), of Oakland, California. BSE is owned by Mr. Arnold Goldman, VantagePoint Venture Partners, a leading venture capital firm, and private investors (some of whom were investors in the original Luz). LUZ II Ltd. performs R&D, production and project engineering.

BSE has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pacific Gas & Electric Company to negotiate an agreement for 500 MW of projects on an accelerated basis. The Company is also engaged in project negotiations with potential strategic partners in Spain for an estimated 50 to 150 MW.

BSE/LUZ II’s technology provides relatively low-cost power during peak demand periods. Utilities and large commercial and industrial customers place a premium on the power that is produced during peak demand times. By using standard, inexpensive materials and economies of scale in manufacturing, BSE/LUZ II’s plants achieve the lowest cost solar electricity in the world.

The combination of environmental concerns and rising prices for commodity fuels has caused a number of states in the U.S. to adopt Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). These standards require utilities to purchase as much as 33% of their power from renewable energy sources, such as wind, hydro and solar, by specified dates. For example, California utilities are currently under a mandate to purchase 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2011 (compared to 12% at present), and 33% by 2020. Historically, utilities have depended on wind power to meet their RPS requirements. However, wind is not a predictable source of power and typically delivers its power at night, when electricity demand is lowest. Solar energy has a much higher degree of predictability, with only a 10% yearly production variance. Solar power peaks exactly when electricity demand is greatest, during the afternoon hours and during summer months when air conditioning loads are increased.

BSE/LUZ II’s DPT system can also utilize natural gas to generate electricity during periods of reduced solar availability, such as early evening hours when demand is still high. Using this system, BSE/LUZ II can offer utilities firm capacity commitments for peak and shoulder periods. This dispatch capacity and flexibility provides significant value to utility companies.

Technology

Posted in Israel, California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

17. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Verdant Power

Verdant Power Inc.
New York*:
The Octagon
888 Main Street, Suite 1
New York, NY 10044-0213

About

Verdant Power was established in 2000, growing steadily from a few generalist engineers assisting the company’s founders, to the diversified base of world-class designers, engineers, scientists and business professionals who make up the company today.

Combining the efforts of this team with a global tapestry of collaborative relationships and stakeholders, Verdant Power is a world leader in commercializing marine renewable energy solutions for global application.

What They Do - Products

Verdant Power is a world leader in the design and application of marine renewable energy solutions. Modular and scalable, Verdant Power’s patented systems employ underwater turbines to generate clean energy from the natural water currents of rivers, tides and manmade channels.

In addition to designing and commercializing its own technology, Verdant Power also develops projects around the world and, under some circumstances, will serve as the owner-operator of projects.

Free Flow Turbine

A central technology applied in Verdant Power’s Kinetic Hydropower Systems is the Free Flow Turbine, a three-blade horizontal-axis turbine designed to capture energy from the natural flows of tidal or river currents.

Free Flow Turbines are installed and operate fully under water, invisible from the shore. They are scalable to various sizes depending on site characteristics, and can be grouped into small or large clusters to produce village- or utility-scale power.

Free Flow Turbines rotate at a slow rate, allowing for safe fish passage and causing minimal environmental impact.

Posted in Tidal Techs, New York, USA | No Comments »

1. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Codexis

Codexis, Inc.
200 Penobscot Drive
Redwood City, CA 94063

Tel: 1.650.421.8100
Fax: 1.650.421.8102
Email: info@codexis.com

About

Codexis is a leading developer of biocatalytic chemical processes that can dramatically reduce manufacturing costs across a broad range of industries. Their proprietary technology enables novel solutions for cost-effective, efficient and environmentally sound production of pharmaceuticals, transportation fuels, and industrial chemicals. The focus for Codexis is on improving R&D productivity for our partners while significantly reducing their capital expenditures and cost-of-goods using green chemistry methods.

2007		Codexis Highlights
			Extended Shell biofuels collaboration to broad, 5 year program
			Codexis Laboratories Singapore opened
			Acquisition of BioCatalytics
			Collaboration signed with Merck
			Important research results published in Nature Biotechnology
			Codex™ Biocatalyst Panels Introduced
			Shell collaboration in biofuels
			Direct sale of generic pharmaceutical intermediates begun
			Collaboration signed with Schering-Plough
			U.S. EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award
2005
			Collaborations signed with Bristol-Myers Squibb, Arch
			European expansion with acquisition of Jülich Fine Chemicals, Germany
2004
			Collaborations signed with Pfizer, Teva, Lonza
2003
			Collaborations signed with Sandoz, Cargill
2002
			Codexis incorporated, launches operations

Technology

Codexis evolves enzymes for use in improving chemical manufacturing processes. Enzymes exist throughout nature and some have been used as biocatalysts to enable new, more efficient manufacturing processes, ranging from the manufacture of antibiotics to the production of monomers for use in plastics. Compared with chemical processing methods, enzyme-based methods are often faster, cleaner, and more efficient. Enzymes are highly selective catalysts, creating products of exceptional purity. The difficulty is that it is not always possible to find enzymes in nature that are suited to catalyzing a specific chemical reaction. That’s where Codexis’ proprietary technology comes in.

Green Chemistry

Over the last few years a lot of attention has been paid to Green Chemistry and its potential for helping to protect the environment and support sustainable industrial processes. More recently, it has become evident that in addition to improving the environmental footprint of products and processes, green chemistry can help chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturers improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of production. In other words, green chemistry is not only good for the environment, it’s good for business.

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