Cleantech - Where are the Success Stories?
Over here at Renewablog, we've been wondering - where are all the success stories in Cleantech?
2012 has been a tumultuous PR rollercoaster for Cleantech to say the least. Module manufacturers big and small are struggling, investments overall continue to drop, and when a Cleantech investor and evangelist can’t name a single successful Cleantech company, you know your industry has a PR problem.
While unfortunate flameouts like Solyndra's are dominating the mainstream media stories, success stories are buried or left to smaller trades (see: preaching to the choir).
For example, companies that specialize in financing and installing solar energy systems, such as Borrego Solar, Clean Power Finance, SolarCity, Sungevity and SunRun continue to draw significant third party finance (full disclosure, Borrego Solar is a Schwartz MSL client). The ongoing success has helped these companies generate new jobs, turn profits, and produce hundreds of megawatts of solar capacity each quarter.
This success is fairly understood in Cleantech media, but the mainstream is still locked on those few high-profile failures.
Solar installers and financiers are just one example of a successful Cleantech sector. Inverter manufacturers such as Advanced Energy, Enphase and Power-One (Advanced Energy is also a Schwartz MSL client) have posted solid Q2 post solid numbers.
In 2012 and likely into 2013, it’s more important than ever for the Cleantech industry to focus on companies that aren’t just innovating and producing in a lab. We need to focus on companies that are creating businesses that will take the industry to the next level.
Posted by Dan O'Mahony on August 7, 2012 at 7:38 PM
