Feature – There is no single day anymore on which you do not hear about green technologies, new efforts to reduce carbon footprints, enable more environmentally friendly energy and get rid of toxic materials. We went through our records and compiled a list of greentech companies worth watching. From biofuels to solar, from automotive to waste management and from nanotech to energy management.
Biofuels and Agriculture
1. E3 Biofuels: Located in Mead, Nebraska, E3 Biofuels currently builds the world's first closed-loop ethanol plant. The plant is fueled mostly utilizing biogas from animal waste rather than natural gas or coal. The company claims that the plant's operation does not contribute to global warming and actually reduces both air and water pollution.
2. Mascoma: The Boston-based company is currently working to develop cellulosic ethanol technologies, using a variety of cellulosic feedstocks. With our current need for alternative fuel sources ethanol is generally being considered and utilized as an option due to its ability to provide a cleaner, locally produced energy solution that is also renewable. At this time, the United States' production of ethanol relies heavily on corn and other edible feed sources. Mascoma looks for alternative sources such as wood, fuel energy crops, paper pulp and other agricultural waste products. The firm recently received $61 million in a third round of funding.
3. Range Fuels: Similar to Mascoma, Range Fuels converts biomass into fuel-grade ethanol. Source material includes plants, grasses, corn stalks, wood chips, among others. The company recently received $100 million of funding and is building what it calls the world’s first “commercial scale” cellulosic ethanol plant.
4. Chemrec: Chemrec, located in Stockholm, Sweden with plants in Pitea, Sweden and Weyerhaeuser, New Bern, North Carolina, helps pulp and paper mills in the process of increasing their cash flow by assisting them in becoming bio-refineries. The company says it has 20 years experience in black liquor gasification technology. Black liquor is a biomass feedstock that has unique properties. According to Chemrec, it is already available at many existing industrial sites in high quantities. Utilizing black liquor, gasification is viewed as a way for companies to reduce their carbon footprint.
Automotive & Transportation
5. Myers Motors: Myers Motors was the only company in the United States producing and delivering all-electric highway speed vehicles until Tesla rolled out its $100,000 Roadster in March of this year. Utilizing a lithium battery system that lasts 45 miles before needing to be recharged, the Myers Motors $25,000 vehicle has batteries that last as much as six times as long as lead-acid batteries pack. The vehicle only seats one; however it is capable of saving you money on both fuel and maintenance.
6. Tesla Motors: Tesla Motors is a Silicon Valley startup automobile manufacturer that focuses their efforts on battery-electric vehicles. The company launched its Lotus Elise-based Roadster earlier this year and is currently working on the Model S sedan, which should be on the market sometime in 2010 for about $60,000. The company also said it is working on a $25,000 car that could be available by 2015.
7. Zenn Motor Company: Canada-based Zenn Motor Company is the developer of the Zenn vehicle, which is a zero emission, no-noise, full featured electric automobile. The vehicle is built upon a traditional automotive chassis and is completely electric battery powered. The battery will allow drivers to travel around 35 miles per charge and the company offers an optional upgrade that allows for 50 miles of travel per charge. The 2-person car is said to achieve an equivalent of 254 MPG and starts at about $16,000.
8. AC Propulsion: AC Propulsion is a San Dimas, California company that was founded in 1992 by Alan Cocconi. Cocconi had a vision for an efficient but powerful vehicle. He wanted a petroleum free, zero emission vehicle that was both simple and fun to drive. Currently AC Propulsion designs and engineers motors, inverters, chargers, battery systems, and complete vehicles. A Scion xB-based “eBox” vehicle with a range of 150 miles is priced at around $73,000. The company also built two prototypes of an electric sports car, but says it currently has no plans of mass-production. While $73,000 sounds expensive, the eBox has two more seats than the $100,000 Tesla Roadster, better performance than the gas-engine-powered Scion xB and three times the range of the upcoming $40,000 Chevy Volt.
9. Fisker Automotive: Fisker is on track releasing its fancy Karma hybrid sedan in 2010. While it is not entirely based on electric technology, the car will have a range of about 50 miles on one battery charge and switch to a gasoline-powered engine when no battery power is left or fast acceleration is required. The $80,000 car will be available with solar panels and a solar-powered charging station for your garage: In an ideal case, you can recharge your car overnight in your garage without any cost of electricity.
Read on the next page: Energy, Nanotech, Water and Waste Management