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EnviroDaq 100
(as of 20/06/08)

128.29

Today: -0.24
Last 7 days: -0.35

Major Economies Must Take Lead in Climate Battle
The world's major economies emit most of the world's climate-warming greenhouse gases and must take the lead in reducing them, according to a senior American climate negotiator.

Paula Dobriansky, US under secretary of state for global affairs, said, "What we hope in particular is that the leaders can reach agreement on a shared long-term greenhouse gas reduction goal and on a stated willingness to have mid-term national goals and plans reflected in binding international commitments."

Dobriansky, speaking at a two-day Chatham House climate change meeting, said Washington would sign up to binding emission cuts, but only if there was action commensurate with the size of their economies from countries like China and India, whose economies are growing at around 10 percent per year.

To read more click here.

$10bn Clean Tech Fund Gets Skeptical Response
A planned US$10 billion global fund for cleaner emissions technology, backed by the Bush administration, drew a skeptical bipartisan response from members of Congress and environmentalists on Thursday.

It was announced that the fund would be administered by the World Bank, a fact that drew criticism from some lawmakers and other witnesses, before a House panel on monetary policy, trade and technology. The fund aims to bridge the cost gap in developing countries between using the newest and cleanest commercially available power and industrial technologies, as opposed to older and cheaper, but dirtier, technologies.

"The World Bank has not compiled a record that most environmentalists approve of in its general operation," said Rep. Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat. "It's like they do their environmental work one day a month and then they undo it. ... The World Bank should not be funding projects that would go counter to a concern for clean technology."

To read more click here.

US Looks to Solar as Energy Prices Soar
After decades on the fringe, solar power is closing in on America's mainstream as surging fossil fuel prices and mounting concern over climate change spur states, businesses and homeowners into a quickening embrace of alternative energy.

"In the long run -- as in two to three years -- you should see competitiveness, especially with the grid in a number of regions in the world," said Vishal Shah, an analyst who tracks the industry at US investment bank Lehman Brothers.

Apple Inc is considering harnessing the sun to power its iPod music players. California's Ironwood prison is installing more than 6,000 solar panels and Boston's Fenway Park is tapping solar power for Red Sox baseball games.

To read more click here.

'Green' Job Market Bucks Credit Crunch Gloom
The 'Green' job market is thriving despite lay-offs across the financial and property sectors caused by the global credit crunch, environmental recruiters said.

With concerns over global warming climbing the corporate agenda, the number of climate change specific roles has near tripled in the past 12 months as business looks to cut its carbon footprint, UK-based Acre Resources said in a statement.

The environmental sector, including roles in renewable energy and corporate social responsibility, has seen some 20 percent growth in the same period. "Big companies ... have made very public pledges around their approach to green issues (and) despite pressures indicated by a looming recession, it is too late for most to renege on their environmental commitments," said Andrew Cartland, a managing director at Acre.

To read more click here.

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PV Crystalox Solar Sign New Contract
PV Crystalox Solar plc is pleased to announce the signing of a contract with newly formed Intel spin-off, SpectraWatt. The agreement relates to the supply of multicrystalline wafers with a total output of 125 MW during the period 2009 -2013 and is structured with predetermined prices and volumes.
 
In addition to focusing on advanced solar cell technologies, SpectraWatt will concentrate development efforts on improvements in current manufacturing processes and capabilities to reduce the cost of photovoltaic energy generation.

Commenting on the agreement, Iain Dorrity, Chief Executive said, "SpectraWatt is an exciting new venture which will strengthen our customer portfolio and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership".

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Energetix Agreement with Boiler Manufacturer
Energetix Group plc has signed heads of terms for a collaboration agreement with a leading supplier of heating technology to jointly integrate the Genlec micro-CHP (micro combined heat and power) unit into a wall-mounted boiler for the European domestic heating market.
 
Under the agreement the boiler manufacturer will incorporate the Energetix Genlec micro-CHP unit into one of its wall-mounted boiler designs, while Energetix Genlec will provide technical expertise and a number of Genlec units for field-testing.
 
Adrian Hutchings, CEO of Energetix Group, commented, "Energetix Genlec's strategic model is to form alliances with heating manufacturers and utilities. This agreement further extends our portfolio of alliances seeking to deliver commercial product in the near term across a pan-European network, we are on target with our plans to launch wall-mounted micro-CHP boiler units in the second half of this year, starting with the Dutch market via our growing relationship with Daalderop."

To read more click here.

Clean Air Power wins Order for ten Systems
Clean Air Power Limited, the developer of Dual-FuelTM combustion technology that enables heavy-duty diesel engines to run on a combination of both diesel and natural gas, has won another important order in Australia for ten systems.

In January 2007 the Company announced a significant order when Mitchell Corp Australia Pty Ltd (Mitchell), a bulk logistics solutions provider, ordered fifty systems worth a total of approximately £1.5m. That contract also included an option for a further twenty systems and in September 2007 this option was taken up.

The Australian truck market is one of the most demanding in the world, with very heavy vehicle weights and extreme ambient temperatures. The Company is encouraged by its ability to further prove its technology and achieve sales growth in such a demanding operating environment.

To read more click here.

Proton Motor Receives Award for its Triple-hybrid Fuel Cell Technology
Proton Power Systems plc has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH, has received the Bavarian Innovation Award for its triple-hybrid fuel cell forklift drive. Proton Motor's innovation has been chosen out of more than 100 nominations as one of 11 best technologies in the Bavarian region. 

Proton's triple-hybrid technology efficiently manages the storage and output of power across a fuel cell, battery and supercapacitors, to offer 30-60% energy savings for stop-and-go vehicle operations such as forklift trucks and city buses. The fuel cell can provide quiet and emission-free driving power with significantly higher efficiency than a combustion engine, while braking energy is also recovered and stored in the battery and supercapacitor for use on demand.

The Bavarian Innovation Award is one of the most highly regarded business prizes awarded in Germany. Running in its seventh year and launched as part of the Future of Bavaria initiative, the Award honours outstanding innovations and developments that stimulate the Bavarian economy. 

To read more click here.

Nviro Cleantech Granted UK patent for MDF Recycling Technology
Nviro Cleantech plc, a leader in commercialising clean technologies, has announced the granting of a UK patent for the medium density fibreboard recycling technology being developed by its subsidiary, Microrelease Limited.

The patent was granted on 4th June 2008 to Microrelease's exclusive technology partners, The University of Wales and FIRA, for the recycling of lignocellulose-based board materials. This UK patent, valid until February 2024, is the first for Microrelease which has additional applications pending in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, India, New Zealand and the USA.

Chris Every, CEO of Nviro Cleantech Plc, said, " We are delighted with the rapid progress demonstrated by the Microrelease team and its R&D partners at the University of Wales' Bangor campus and we look forward to the imminent granting of further patents across the globe. Microrelease's unique technology is already arousing strong interest from the MDF manufacturing and converting industries and we look forward to the further enquiries that ongoing IP protection will bring."

To read more click here.

Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Launch for Symphony
Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Symphony Environmental Limited, has launched d2w® in the United Arab Emirates following the completion of a Distribution and Manufacturing Agreement with Eco-Polymers, a subsidiary of the Fujairah Plastics Group, of Sharjah, U.A.E.

The initial order for 500 tons of d2w® polymer has been placed to meet the anticipated substantial demand and shipments have commenced in accordance with the Agreement. Product endorsements and displays of  d2w® oxo-biodegradable plastics at the event were made by The Dubai Municipality, Sharjah Cooperative, Marks & Spencer, Aswaaq Supermarket Group, Emirates Environmental NGO and Al Safeer Group of Companies.

Michael Laurier, Chief Executive of Symphony Environmental Technologies plc, said, "This is a major step forward and also a very important event for the Middle East as it shows the world by example that there is an easy and low cost solution for resolving the problems associated with plastic pollution,”

To read more click here.

eaga Set to Deliver CERTs
Leading green support services company, eaga, has today announced it has agreed terms to work with all six major UK energy suppliers as part of the delivery of their obligations under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT).

CERT spending over the next three years is expected to exceed £2.8 billion - double the expenditure of the scheme's predecessor, the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC). These framework agreements will continue eaga's growth as demand for domestic energy efficiency maintains its upward trend. The Government-set CERT requires energy suppliers to drive cuts in household carbon emissions by helping their customers make their homes more energy efficient - and more affordable to heat.

John Clough MBE, eaga Chief Executive, said: "Expansion of CERT is a key element of our growth strategy and I am delighted we are now working with all the energy suppliers. We have built our business on delivering sustainable solutions that address environmental challenges such as climate change and social issues such as fuel poverty,”

To read more click here.

HSN - Hansen Reaches Milestone of 20,000th Wind Turbine Gearbox
Hansen Transmissions expanded factory in Lommel, Belgium was officially opened by Flemish Minister-President Kris Peeters. The Minister-President also unveiled the recently obtained ISO 14001 environmental certificate and he assisted in the final assembly of Hansen's twenty-thousandth (20,000th) wind turbine gearbox. The investment in the Lommel factory expansion, where Hansen employs over 800 people, was around Euros €180 million.

Flemish Minister-President Kris Peeters commented, "Hansen is a Flemish high-technology company with an impressive international success story. Over the past year, Hansen has achieved great results, with the expansion of the Lommel plant and the listing of its shares on the London Stock Exchange as notable highlights. Hansen's planned expansion projects in India and China are also impressive."
 
At the end of the 1970’s, Hansen began the production of wind turbine gearboxes. The growing need for energy - for example in China and India - the increasing awareness of global warming, the Kyoto protocol and the decreasing production costs for wind, the world's fastest-growing energy source, all mean that Hansen dedicates the majority of its gearbox production capacity to wind turbine gearboxes.

To read more click here.

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Evince powers up with seed funding
Power semiconductor firm Evince Technology has raised £500k seed funding from a syndicate of early-stage and cleantech specialists.

Based in Sedgefield, County Durham, Evince is developing non-silicon high-voltage devices that promise to dramatically improve the performance of wind turbines and fuel cells by connecting their electronic power systems directly to the main grid.

Imperial Innovations invested £150k in the round, alongside a £175k investment from the Low Carbon Seed Fund (run jointly by Imperial Innovations, the Carbon Trust and the Shell Foundation) and £175k from regional VC NorthStar Equity Investors.

To read more click here.

Energy certificate group raises growth funding
Close Ventures has invested £1.35m in energy performance surveyor, Vibrant Energy Surveys. The London-based firm advises on domestic energy efficiency and issues the energy performance certificates required in the new Home Information Packs. The certificates will be required for all property transactions from October 2008.

To read more click here.

Venture News provided by Clean Ventures for EnviroDaq. To visit Clean Ventures, click here.

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The following case studies of companies in the EnviroDaq index were penned by the companies themselves and have not been edited by the EnviroDaq editor. We therefore accept no liability for the accuracy of the information contained within them and they should not be used as a prospectus for investment purposes.

Company: Solar Integrated Technologies

Solar Integrated Technologies, Inc. (SIT: AIM.LN) is a Los Angeles-based company that manufactures, designs and installs building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) roofing systems for non-residential, low-slope rooftops.  The Company is a leader in the development of an innovative and proprietary BIPV roofing system that combines flexible thin-film solar modules with a single-ply roofing membrane for large-scale commercial and industrial applications.  The BIPV roofing system enables customers to transform a traditional rooftop into a value-generating asset and reducing their environmental impact.

The company has a proprietary ‘no compromise’ approach for solar roofing which is fundamental to their vision of BIPV solutions.  Unlike typical after-market solar panel providers, the company provides an integrated BIPV roofing system that meets the customer’s energy, environmental and roofing requirements.  Their lightweight, flexible and durable product typically forms the top layer of the customer’s roof with no additional roofing penetrations, thereby preserving the roof’s structural integrity and aesthetics, while also delivering the full benefits from electricity generation through clean, secure natural sunlight.

SIT now operates both in the US and Europe, with clients such as Coca-Cola, Tesco, UPC Solar, U.S. Air Force, U.S. GSA, U.S. Navy, ProLogis and Westfield.  The outlook is strong as there is continued pressure for companies to improve their social responsibility, while legislative frameworks, such as premium feed in tariffs for integrated solutions, are being put in place that make SIT’s roofing solution a very compelling proposition.  SIT’s mission is to become the number one in global market share for building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solutions.  This is being achieved by creating and delivering the most reliable, affordable and easy-to-use products and services within the renewable energy industry, thereby delivering extraordinary value to our employees, customers and shareholders.

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The EnviroDaq 100 Index is the first index for UK-listed environmental technology companies. It indexes the 100 largest UK-listed companies which derive at least 60% of their turnover from environmentally-focused goods and services. These include renewable energy; energy efficiency equipment; renewable materials; waste management; water and waste water treatment; air pollution control equipment; environmental monitoring and instrumentation; and cleaner technology processes.

The EnviroDaq 100 website (http://www.envirodaq.com) provides detailed company information, including key financials, company background, broker recommendations and investment ratios. It includes a graphing feature which allows you to create flexible and customisable share graphs for each of the EnviroDaq component securities.

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