Global LED market surges, doubling last year

The global high-brightness LED market doubled last year, jumping from $5.6 billion in 2009 to $10.8 billion in 2010.

That marks a 93 percent growth rate, according to Strategies Unlimited, an LED market research firm. LEDs are championed within cleantech as energy-efficient, longer-lasting lights. But their costs are still not completely cost-competitive, a factor in the heated debate over whether the U.S. should stick with a 2007 mandate that will effectively phase out the incandescent … Continue Reading

Do CFL lights suck? 'Save the light bulb' campaign has Ron Paul on board

It’s surprising to see people get worked up about light bulbs. But the country’s government-mandated shift to more energy-efficient lighting is raising the ire of conservatives.

Congressman Ron Paul, in some circles considered the “spiritual father of the Tea Party,” isn’t too happy with the U.S. mandate that light bulbs become 30 percent more efficient by 2012 to 2014, phasing in a set of standards that will arguably ban incandescent light bulbs  in favor of … Continue Reading

Minus a partner, Accel puts energy in China cleantech

Updated

Accel Partners is planning to raise $2 billion in new funds and invest more broadly into energy opportunities in China, VentureBeat has learned, even as Peter Wagner, the man who led its cleantech efforts, is leaving the company.

The venture capital firm behind investments like Facebook and Groupon is looking to raise $1 billion for two China funds, one for early-stage investments, the other for later-stage opportunities. With those funds, Accel is eying opportunities … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Abengoa to build bioethanol plant; Solar demand stronger than expected this quarter

Here’s the latest action we’re following today on the GreenBeat:

Abengoa to build biofuels plant in Kansas — Spanish multinational corporation Abegnoa said today it will build a 26.4 million-gallon capacity bioethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas.  It is the largest commercial bioethanol production plant using biomass to date and is being jointly developed with the Department of Energy, and will use maize straw and wheat as feedstock. The company is behind a solar thermal plant … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: BMW readies electric car, Obama pitches $8 billion for clean energy

Here’s the latest action we’re following today on the GreenBeat:

Obama proposes $29.5 billion for DOE budget — The president pitched more clean energy projects for the 2012 budget, to be funded by cutting $3.6 billion in fossil fuel subsidies, an idea he proposed in his State of the Union address last month. The Department of Energy’s proposed budget would give it $29.5 billion for the fiscal year 2012, with $8 billion for clean energy … Continue Reading

LED company files for $150 million public offering – is this the year for cleantech IPOs?

Florida-based LED maker Lighting Science Group (LSG) announced today it has filed for a $150 million IPO.

The news follows this week’s successful IPO of Gevo, a biofuels and biochemicals company (that has never turned a profit) that raised $107 million on public markets and was able to command share prices at the high end of its offering range.

So, could this finally be the year cleantech IPOs gain traction?

LSG is something of a … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Bridgelux raises $21 million, Nissan says it'll deliver Leafs by summer

Here’s the latest action we’re following today on the GreenBeat:

Bridgelux raises $21 million — According to an SEC filing, the LED company has raised $20.7 million of a $21 million fundraising goal. The company recently announced a new line of LEDs that it said doubled the light output of commercially available products today, making its line usable in retail-type settings. It also nabbed a deal with major electronics manufacturer Tyco, which will fold Bridgelux’s … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: BrightSource raises $1.75 million, Germany to keep cutting solar subsidies

Here’s the latest action we’re following on the GreenBeat today:

BrightSource Energy raises $1.75 million — According to an SEC filing, the solar thermal power company, which is a rumored IPO candidate this year, has raised a small round of cash. The money appears to have been raised from BrightSource’s executive officers and directors. Its technology uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight on a tower, using the heat to generate steam to turn electrical turbines. BrightSource … Continue Reading

Ikea's war on Edison's light bulb

Ikea has declared war on the incandescent light bulb.

OK, maybe it’s not so much a war than a flat-out refusal to engage. At any rate, the mass furniture and household goods retailer — not to mention purveyor of Swedish meatballs — announced today that it will no longer stock or sell traditional light bulbs, making good on a plan to phase out the bulbs announced last year. Instead, it will offer light bulbs that … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: IKEA stops selling incandescent light bulbs, green VC totaled $400 million in 2010

Here’s the latest action we’re following on the GreenBeat:

IKEA makes push for LEDs — The company announced today it has stopped selling all incandescent light bulbs, Cleantechnica reports. Sounds like good news for energy-efficient LEDs, which are set to surge this year.

Solar Power raises $6.08 million — According to an SEC filing pointed out by TechCrunch, Solar Power Technologies has raised the money for its technology, which optimizes the harvest of large solar … Continue Reading

VentureBeat's best and worst of cleantech in 2010

It’s been quite a year for energy-related investments and other ventures looking to make some green from green. Here’s a look back on the biggest successes and flops of 2010.

Best of cleantech in 2010:

Bloom Energy — The fuel cell maker made a big splash entrance with a 60 Minutes segment in February. It said its Bloom Boxes, which cost around $800,000, can each power up to 100 American homes. The company has installed … Continue Reading

Taiwan's SemiLEDs IPOs — can U.S. cleantech manufacturers keep up?

Earlier this month, Taiwanese company SemiLEDs quietly IPO’d on the NASDAQ to some nice results, but its success begs the question: Can American cleantech manufacturing startups keep up with Asia?

The company makes components and chips for LEDs. Its debut offering price was $17 but rose to $24 on the first day of trading, and it’s now trading around $28. It is backed by one venture investor, WI Harper, a firm with a China focus.… Continue Reading

The network is the light bulb: Smart lighting set to surge in 2011

This post is brought to you by IBM. As always, VentureBeat is adamant about maintaining editorial objectivity. IBM had no involvement in the content of this or other posts. For more information on how IBM can help create a Smarter Planet, go here.

We’ve written before about how software that makes buildings more energy-efficient will become an appealing sector in smart buildings. Well, smart buildings will need smart lighting. And so 2011 will be … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: First Solar forecast beats expectations, Bridgelux to move into residential LEDs

Here’s some of the latest action we’re following on the GreenBeat today:

First Solar posts strong forecast, sells Arizona plant to NRG – The top solar panel maker and low-cost leader forecast 2011 profits above Wall Street’s expectations, Reuters reports. It also sold its 290-megawatt Agua Caliente plant to power company NRG Energy for $800 million. First Solar executives said they will continue to beat competitors in cost by around 30 percent, and will spend … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Buffet's BYD nixes electric sedan in China, A132 exec joins Digital Lumens

Here’s some of the latest action we’re following on the GreenBeat today:

BYD reportedly cancels electric car – The Warren Buffet-backed Chinese automaker saw lukewarm sales of its plug-in hybrid, Autoblog Green reports, selling just over 100 F3DMs (pictured) in the first year of production — well shy of the its goal of 10,000. Lack of charging infrastructure fueled the weak sales, Gasgoo writes, leading BYD to cancel plans for the all-electric F3e sedan.

U.S. … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: LEDs to become $1 billion market by 2014; one way to fight EV range anxiety

Here’s a roundup of some of the day’s most interesting cleantech activity:

Rinspeed builds an electric car with a spare bike — The concept carmaker’s is calling its BamBoo car (pictured) a “grown-up golf cart.” The car’s interior is made from bamboo fibers and includes an electric bike “for the last mile.” So while some cars come with a spare tire, this one comes with a bike to ease your range anxiety. Take that, Chevy … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: $1.5 billion in federal money for biofuels, Siemens launches electric car charging stations

Here are the top stories we’re following this morning on the GreenBeat:

The government is offering more than $1.5 billion in assistance to bring next-generation biofuels to market, Reuters reports. The funds will aim to bring renewable fuel consumption to 36 billion gallons by 2022 and draw from non-food sources like algae and wood.

Siemens announced a line of electric vehicle charging stations, which will be part of Coulomb’s ChargePoint network. It joins … Continue Reading

Bridgelux the latest among cleantech companies to offer product warranties

Leading LED light maker Bridgelux announced today it is offering a five-year warranty on all of the company’s LED arrays and light sources sold worldwide.

The move is one of several recent warranty announcements in the cleantech world. Companies are offering warranties in hopes that they will encourage adoption of new technology by allaying customer concerns about long-term viability.

Microinverter firm SolarBridge announced last week a 25-year warranty on its new microinverter-integrated AC module. SolFocus … Continue Reading

On the GreenBeat: Clean energy bill sees revival, GM partners with ABB, SolarCity teams with Telsa

A clean-energy bill sees revival on Capitol Hill. A bipartisan group of senators will propose legislation that would set a goal of 15 percent renewable energy by 2021. The bill would require utilities to start drawing from renewable energy sources starting in 2012. It’s set to be voted on after the Nov. 2 elections.

GM announced today it will be collaborating with electrical giant ABB to develop secondary uses for the Volt battery. The companies … Continue Reading

Pike Research: LEDs to gobble half the $4.4B commercial lighting market by 2020

A clean-energy bill sees revival on Capitol Hill. A bipartisan group of senators will propose legislation that would set a goal of 15 percent renewable energy by 2021. The bill would require utilities to start drawing from renewable energy sources starting in 2012. It’s set to be voted on after the Nov. 2 elections.

GM announced today it will be collaborating with electrical giant ABB to develop secondary uses for the Volt battery. The companies … Continue Reading