EcoLocalizer

Last week, UCLA Anderson hosted the California Clean Innovation conference to facilitate the new ideas that will drive the future of clean technology. I must admit to being a bit intimidated by the topics to be discussed - I’m far from technically inclined - but the event was well done and I learned a ton.

First, what we’re all interested in…the moolah. I’ve been hearing a lot about the investment going into clean tech these days. The first keynote speaker, Ira Ehrenpreis of Technology Partners in Palo Alto also explained why this is so.

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  Sector Diversity: it’s not just about water and energy anymore. From green building to agriculture, clean tech is expanding

• Public Interest: green is mainstream, so there is a lot of demand from consumers
• Political Arena: federal and state legislation is pushing change (though not enough, I say!)
• Globalization: the EU and Brazil are key players
• Corporations: eco-consious companies are making big investments
• Exits: IPOs for cleantech companies are appealing

Another interesting session revolved around one of the best renewable energy sources out there: solar. Panelists worked to answer my biggest question about solar - when will it take off?

Fortunately, the answer wasn’t too complicated. Solar is growing at about 30-35% per year. Not bad. But to truly reach the kind of growth that we need, the price will have to come down to about 10-15 cents per kilowatt hour. New advances in technology, like thin film, may make that possible. However, improvements in storage capabilities are also needed - in other words, we need better batteries to hold energy for times when the sun isn’t shining. Still, the panel estimated a boom in growth in about 5-7 years. Seems like a long time off, but panelists were clear on one point: we can do it. We electrified the US once, we can do it again.

Eco-entreprenuers also got a lot of attention during the day via the Fast Pitch competition. Six companies had five minutes each - with time allotments strictly enforced - the present their concept and field questions from a panel of venture capitalists. Concepts ranged from a couple of algae derived energy companies to gasification processes designed to convert waste to energy.

Between the speakers, panelists, entreprenuers, and organizers, a lot of brain power was in attendance at this conference…something that’s sure to benefit us all in the long run.

Image credit: Lowerlighter at Flickr under a Creative Commons License

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