Green Career Central Blog

Follow the Green Money: 1366 Tech. Gets $5.15 Million, Coulomb Tech. Secures $14 Million, Vulcan Power Receives $108 Million

Based in Lexington, MA, solar start-up 1366 Technologies has secured $5.15 million in venture capital funding.  1366 Technologies was also the recipient of $4 million in funding from the the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects.  Here are their career openings.  Semprius, a maker of concentrator solar photovoltaics, based in Durham, NC, has received $8.16 million in funding.

Coulomb Technologies, based in the Silicon Valley area of CA, has secured $14 million in venture capital funding to continue developing its business of charging stations for electric vehicles.  Coulomb has sales offices in Europe and Australia as well as throughout the US.

Vulcan Power, a geothermal energy developer based in Bend, OR, has received $108 million in equity from an affiliate of Denham Capital.  Vulcan already has purchase power agreements in place with SoCal Edison and Nevada Power Company.

Green Career Trends: Top 100 Smart Grid Players, Musicians Going Green, How to Pay for a Green MBA

Being aware of the companies and the leaders who manage them is always helpful when researching an industry.  Green Tech Media has compiled a list of the top 100 people in Smart Grid and the companies that employ them.  If your research has lead you to examine utility scale solar as your industry of choice, you may want to know who the top PV solar companies in utility scale installations are.

Perhaps you are wondering if there are green careers for non-technical, highly qualified people.  Maybe you would like a career in the music business as well as being green.  The newly formed Green Music Group was organized to reduce the environmental impact of the music industry.  Key players include: Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow among others.

Achieving a green MBA can be a daunting undertaking.  Paying for it can also be a challenge.  In this article from the Green Economy Post, you can learn about scholarships, fellowships, assitantships, grants and other types of assistance that make paying for a green MBA easier. 

Follow the Green Money: DOE Makes $1.4 Billion Loan to Nissan, Tesla Files for IPO, Panasonic to Invest $1.1 Billion in Solar, ClearEdge Power Raised $11 Million

Electric cars are getting plenty of attention and funding this week. The Department of Energy has announced its $1.4 billion loan agreement with Nissan Motors to retool their Tennessee plant to build advanced electric cars and battery storage devices.  The Leaf is Nissan's entry into electric vehicles. Tesla, the all electric auto maker based in San Carlos, CA, has filed with the SEC for an Initial Public Offering (IPO).  A recent recipient of a $465 million loan arrangement from the Department of Energy, Tesla hopes this IPO will generate $100 million in funding.  Future plans include building an all electric sedan, the model S.  Better Place, a company producing charging stations for electric vehicles, has received $350 million in venture capital funding.

Maker of consumer electronics, Panasonic, has announced it plans to invest $1.1 billion into producing and selling solar panels over the next five years.  With an earlier purchase of competitor, Sanyo, Panasonic now has more access to solar technology.

ClearEdge Power, based in CA and OR, a maker of  fuel cells that convert natural gas into heat and electricity, has raised $11 million in venture capital funds. Here is a link to their green career openings page.

Follow the Green Money: Khosla Ventures Now $1.3 Billion to Invest in Green/Clean Tech, Tesla Approved for $465 Million DOE Loan, 5 Smart Grid Companies Get a Total of $32.5 Million

Khosla Ventures, a clean tech venture capital fund, has increased the size of its fund from $1 billion to $1 billion 300 million.  This additional $300 million will be used to used to fund early start up companies that may not be able to get funding from other sources or are considered riskier investments.

Tesla Motors, maker of the all electric Tesla Roadster, has been approved by the Department of Energy for a $465 million loan to build a factory in Southern California to produce the model S, an all electric sedan.  The loan will also be used by Tesla to build a power train factory in Palo Alto, CA.  EnerDel, a subsidiary of Ener1, has announced plans to invest $237 million in leasing and equipping  a manufacturing plant in Indiana that will produce lithium-ion battery cells and packs for electric vehicles. 

Smart Grid venture capital funding is off to a good start for the new year, five US companies received a total of $32.5 million.  EcoBee raised $6.4 million, Ecofactor received $2.4 million, Ember raised $5 million, Tantalus Systems secured $14 million and Verdiem received $4.7 million.

Green Career Trends: DuPont Invests in Solar Cells, Pike Research Employment Opportunities, NanoH20 Openings for Engineers

Wilmington, Delaware based DuPont Corp. has invested $175 million into its line of Tedlar products, which are used as a backing in solar cells.  The funding will go to Dupont's factory in Circleville, OH.  Go here to research careers at DuPont.

For those interested in a somewhat less technical career, Pike Research, based in Boulder, CO, is a market research and consulting firm that specializes in green/clean technology companies and covers such industries as corporate sustainability, smart energy, clean transportation and green building.  Go here to view their career openings.

By improving the membrane used in the water desalinization process, NanoH20, a start up  company, has lowered the amount of energy needed in the process thereby lowering the cost.  NanoH20 is based in El Segundo, CA and has openings for engineers.

Follow the Green Money: DOE Funding LED Projects with $37 Million, Solyndra Files for IPO, Switch Materials Secures $7.5 Million

The Department of Energy has announced it will fund seventeen light emitting diode (LED) and organic light emitting diode (OLED) projects with a total of $37 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Core technology research will receive $4 million, product development will receive $10.3 million and manufacturing will receive $23.5 million. (To see which companies in your area are receiving the funding, click on the DOE link above.)

Fremont, CA. based Solyndra has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The amount of capital raised by the IPO could be as much as $300 million.  Solyndra designs and manufactures thin film solar tubes for the commercial roof top market.

A manufacturer of energy savings windows, Switch Materials, based in British Columbia, Canada, has received $7.5 million in funding from venture capitalists to continue to develop its materials that allow how much heat and light pass through a window.   Switch has developed "proprietary organic molecules that "switch" optical properties on command."

Green Career Trends: What's Next for Smart Grid, DOE Funds Biofuels and Transport Industries, Cereplast Developing Bio-Plastics

With the combination of US government stimulus funds and venture capitalist funds going toward the building and refurbishing of the electrical grid, the likelihood of landing a green job in the Smart Grid sector continues to climb.  The next question becomes who will be providing which services for the sector?  Green building energy management systems-both home and commercial, charging of electric vehicles, billing, and demand-response are all areas that will need innovation and skilled employees to put the Smart into the Smart Grid.

Not only is the Smart Grid receiving funds from the Department of Energy, the Biofuels industry is also a recipient.  Secretary Chu announced $78 million in funding for research and development of algae based biofuel. These funds will drive biofuels to the vehicle and air transportation market.  The DOE is also funding auto and large truck manufacturer's in an effort to improve fuel efficiency.

By using algae as the basis for bio-plastic, Cereplast, is developing an innovative solution to petroleum based plastics.  By 2020 bio-plastics could become a $10 billion in sales market.

Follow the Green Money: DOE to Award $2.3 Billion in Tax Cuts to Clean Energy Companies, $113 Million in VC Funding Invested Last Week, Konarka Secures $23.8 Million

The Department of Energy announced $2.3 billion in tax cuts to be awarded on a competitive basis to companies in the clean energy manufacturing sector. There are multiple criteria companies must fulfill in order to be awarded the tax cut. These tax cuts are expected to provide a boost to the clean tech manufacturing sector, which will be a boost for employees who are well suited to work in these companies.

In case you missed it, last week was a very good week for start-up green/clean tech companies.  More that $113 million was secured during the week.  Here is a list of the companies and the amount of funding they received.

Based in Lowell, MA, Konarka has secured $23.8 million in venture capital investment.  Konarka will use the funding to continue to develop its "Power Plastic" solar film that is printed in rolls, can absorb a wider spectrum of light than other solar thin films, and can used by other manufactures to create solar panels.

Green Career Trends: Rock Climbers Finding Green Careers, Electric Cars Recharge Without Cords, Local Farmers Need Green Entrepreneurs

If you are a rock climber with good rope skills, there may be a green career for you that you did not expect.  With the proliferation of wind turbines, the need to maintain them has increased.  There is now a Santa Cruz, CA based company, Rope Partner that hires climbers with good rope skills and sends them to work on turbine blades around the country.  Read more about this career here.

If electric cars are going to be on the road soon, where will they recharge their batteries?  And will the driver need to bring an extension cord everywhere?  Evatran, has developed a proximity charging system they call Plugless Power for electric vehicles that does not require a cord and is totally hands-free.  If you would rather ride a bike than drive an electric vehicle, but would occasionally like some power assistance when going up hills or going long distances, then you may be interested in the Copenhagen Wheel developed at MIT.

California has begun to improve the food supply to its residents by banning trans-fats served by restaurants.  But is going to take more than legislation for locally grown food to become sustainable.  For those looking for a green career as an entrepreneur, consider that local farmers also need local butchers, bakers, millers, local truck drivers, and local grocers as well as customers willing to purchase their products.

Follow the Green Money: 2009 was Good Year for Clean Tech, Danotek Raised $13.2 Million, Ener1 Raised $20 Million

According to Green Tech Media, 2009 was the second best year for venture capital funded green/clean start-ups.  (2008 was the best so far.) 356 deals totaling $4.85 billion was inserted into the green economy.  The top two industries receiving funds in 2009 were solar and biofuels.

Based in Canton, MI, Danotek has received $13.2 million in funding from four large investors including GE and Khosla Funds.  Danotek develops and manufactures generators and other components to supply wind energy to the grid.  TPI Composites, based in Scottsdale, AZ, has raised $26 million to continue to supply wind turbine blades to the wind power generation industry.

Ener1, based in Indianapolis, IN, has raised $20 million to continue to develop large lithium-ion batteries for use in the automotive and electric utility industries. New Generation Biofuels based in Maryland, has raised $1.5 million to expand its production facility in Baltimore and other projects.