[UpdatedI 12:15 pm Pacific] We’ve been covering the cleantech space here at Xconomy for some time, and the whispers we keep hearing from the folks at the Northwest Energy Angels, cleantech incubators like the McKinstry Innovation Center, or the Puget Sound Regional Council, is that although the Northwest is an obvious contender to lead in green innovation, we haven’t won the title of cleantech hub just yet.
In an attempt to survey what’s going on in the clean innovation scene in the Pacific Northwest, two years ago we compiled an all-encompassing guide to the cleantech clusters not only in Washington state, but in Oregon and British Columbia as well. But in just two short years the list has quickly grown longer—and outdated.
As the industry has grown, it’s now apparent that the term cleantech is a broad and reaching one that breaks down into subcategory upon subcategory—such as renewable energy, green buildings, energy efficiency, alternative fuels, power systems. The list goes on and on. So to make this canvassing more manageable, we’re breaking it down by individual sectors.
We’re starting with one of the more obvious ones—energy efficiency—due to the strong IT presence we have here in Washington, as well as in Oregon and British Columbia.
We defined energy efficiency to include energy management hardware and software companies, as well as IT-based efficiency service companies (some of these companies may overlap with other sectors). We did not include energy consultants or efficiency construction or retrofitters—though these too play a vital role in the cleantech climate. To read up on some of these companies, see the Washington State Energy Marketplace Directory (.pdf), which was compiled and updated as of October 2010.
We compiled this list, which is by no means comprehensive, from our past coverage, along with resources from the Washington state Department of Commerce energy division, the Washington state Department of Ecology, the Washington Clean Technology Alliance, the Northwest Energy Efficiency Council, the British Columbia Environmental Industry Association, the Oregon Department of Energy, and the Bonneville Power Administration’s Energy Efficiency database. If you know of any companies we missed, or others that are just getting started, please shoot us a note at [email protected], and we’ll add them to the list.
—3 Phase Energy Systems (Auburn, WA)
This company spun out of the University of Washington, and develops technology to harness wasted exhaust energy and feed it back into the power grid.
—Advantage IQ (Spokane, WA)
The company monitors corporate energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions through Web-based data management services, helping companies to better conserve.
–Alerton (Redmond, WA)
This company, part of Honeywell International’s Automation and Controls Group, provides building heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning management services. In fact, the company says it was the first to pioneer ways to help building owners automatically control HVAC systems.
—Calico Energy Services (Woodinville, WA)
This smart grid data management company plugs into energy management systems and monitors output from the source—major utilities companies and energy service providers—allowing these companies to instigate energy management campaigns with customers.
—Clean Power Research (Kirkland, WA and Napa, CA)
This company develops Web-based software for solar power and other clean energy industries, calculating everyday things like energy output, utility bills, and renewable energy system incentive programs.
—ClearEdge Power (Hillsboro, OR)
This company makes a product called ClearEdge5, which is a fuel cell system that converts natural gas into electricity and heat, increasing efficiency, decreasing carbon dioxide emissions, and cutting utility bills for homes and small businesses. The company raised $15 million in financing in August 2009.
—EnerG2 (Seattle, WA)
This advanced materials and energy storage company is a UW spinout that develops materials to help make it more efficient to store energy from hydrogen, solar cells, and natural gas. The company received an $8.5 million Series A investment from OVP Venture Partners two years ago, followed up by another $2.5 million in June 2009, a $21.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy in August 2009, and another $3.5 million round in April.
—Energy Aware (Vancouver, BC)
This company manufactures in-home energy energy monitoring hardware and smart meters that provide homeowners and utilities companies with wireless real-time information on power consumption, electricity rates, and energy management. [Updated: This company was added on 10/27/10].
—Energy Trust of Oregon (Portland, OR)
The Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization that helps residents and businesses save energy and tap into renewable resources through an online database of information on
