Rule of Thumb: Criteria for Consideration
- The Market Need
- The Mission
- Knowledge to Start
- Capital Required
- Timing to Start
- Special Challenges
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Fueling Green Energy
(1) Fuel Cell Backup Power
- Provide fuel cells for backup power, emergency power, and mobile power
- Business to sell and/or distribute
- Capital - $$
- Timing to start - months to years
- Find a product to sell and/or distribute, and target the right market
Additional notes:
ABI Research, Power Air Corp (Zinc Oxide) - zero/low emissions, US Fuel Cell Council, ufcc.com, Wintergreen Research - Stationary Fuel Cell Market Opportunities, Strategies, and Forecasts, 2006 - 2012, wintergreenresearch.com
- Developing new technologies
- Distributing new fuel cells being produced
- Licensing technology to sell and adjust to new uses, targeting a specific market niche, such as fuel cells for office use, cabins, etc.
- Leasing of fuel cells and renting them on short-term basis as mobile power for special events.
- Marketing in urban areas worldwide where electrical power is uncertain.
- Suppling backup power to crucial computing and communication systems.
- Providing power for emergency response.
- Setting up cogeneration for fuel cells that produce significant heat, capturing both heat and power to increase efficiency.
(2) Solar
- Mobile power, freeing people from power grid
- Build solar into ubiquitous mobile power source
- Knowledge to Start: Solar, electrical, design, engineering
- Capital - $$
- Months to years
- Finding a specific need and designing the right product for the market
Additional notes:
Sierra Solar Systems (solar charger), iSun (iPod charger), Solio (Berkeley CA), Powerfilm (Ames, Iowa)
- Developing solar bags, briefcases, etc.
- Integrating laptop solar chargers with high-efficiency laptops
- Using small solar panels in electronics and small appliances
- Retailing solar gadgets
(3) Seeding Entrepreneurial Green Careers
- Reduction of a company's carbon footprint
- Businesses to outline their business risks related to environmental impacts and climate change (Ref: Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002): how do these business risks affect the rules of financial disclosure. Biz are required to describe their climate/carbon fooprint, what programs are in place to offset that footprint.
Additional Notes:
Google's Bill Weihl, Climate Savers Computing Initiative, Jason Kovak
- Minimize Environmental Risks
- Compliance
- Green business opportunities
(4) Green Philanthropy Management
- Greatest environmental impact per dollar invested
- Non-traditional accounting system to measure value to society
Additional Notes:
New Philanthropy Capital (London), The Centre for Effective Philanthropy in Massachusetts, effectivephilanthropy.org , GiveWell, givewell.net, Holden Karnofsky, Elie Hassenfeld
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Karen Wayland, Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), Roger Ballantine
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(5) *Green Technology Transfer
Additional Notes:
Aurora Biofuels, Matt Caspari, algae-derived biofuels, UC Tech Transfer, ucop.edu/ott,
The FLC Technology Transfer Desk Reference from the Federal Labouratory Consortium for Technology Transfer, May 2006, [ federallabs.org/pdf/T2_Desk_Reference.pdf ]
* Impt to form a consolidated database of green patents
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(6) Green Lawyers
Additional Notes: Bill Sloan, Morrison & Foerster (Cleantech Legal Practice), mofo.com, Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean, wendel.com
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(7) Building Green Buildings and Businesses
Additional Notes: architecture2030.org, cool roofs, Berkeley National Laboratory, reflective coatings (little or no VOCs), Endurance Building Systems (Houston, Texas), Carlisle Syntec, waterproofing & heatproofing membranes, Dinyari Inc., dinyari.com, Bill Shevlin, infrared pigments in green paints, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Bill Miller, Jan Kosny
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~ Work-in-progress ~
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