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2011: Review of the Year on Stock Markets

First published in Cleantech magazine, Issue 6 2011. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd.

Sharp declines for stocks in most cleantech sub-sectors  

Some may consider that the performance of cleantech on stock markets during 2011 is best forgotten. The year has been a wipe -out for most cleantech investors, with the large solar and wind energy stocks having suffered severe losses virtually across the board. Renewable energy generators have tended to outperform the manufacturers of wind and solar equipment, but have also fallen sharply. Cleantech Investor has monitored the performance of a universe of 100 cleantech stocks – and some additions to that list in the form of the year’s (few and far between) IPOs. The performance of these 100 stocks is summarised below.
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Industrial giants home in on cleantech

First published in Cleantech magazine 2011 Issue 5. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd

The corporate venture activity and internal R&D in cleantech of large industrials is being complemented by M&A activity.

Utilities are important players in renewable energy projects. Newcomers to the project development sector include companies such as Google – and there is growing discussion on policy measures which might encourage other energy intensive users to invest in renewable energy projects. For a time, the energy utilities were keen investors in renewable energy technology, with companies such as Scottish & Southern Energy in the UK backing technologies ranging from wave energy (it was a key investor in Aquamarine Power) to smart metering technology. There are active corporate investment arms at many utilities. Germany’s RWE, for example, is an investor in vertical axis small wind turbine manufacturer, Quiet Revolution, and earlier this year also invested in Swedish company Airec AB, which specialises in novel brazed plate heat exchangers for gases. However, the pressure on the balance sheets of many utilities has in some instances narrowed their focus to renewable energy projects, reducing their appetite to take risks on technologies.

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The Cleantech Funding Challenge

First published in Cleantech magazine 2011 Issue 5. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd

By Anne McIvor
Cleantech magazine Issue 5 2011Government policy is an important driving force behind the adoption of clean technologies, a feature which cleantech shares with only a few other industries, e.g. pharmaceuticals. As a result cleantech is, in many respects, an unusual sector.
 
Policies encouraging the development and adoption of clean technologies came to the fore in the 1970s, during the energy crisis, but subsequently slipped down the agenda again. This time around environmental concerns have combined with energy security issues, ensuring that cleantech remains a priority for governments around the world. However, the policies of the governments of many developed countries are proving insufficient – if not detrimental – to the growth of clean technologies companies and a cleantech industry.
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Bridgestone Eco-Rally - Towards Zero Emissions

First published in Cleantech magazine Issue 4 2011. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd. 

This year marks the fifth Bridgestone Eco-Rally. The 2007, the first year, the route was from Brighton to London. This year the Eco-Rally runs from Oxford to London. It might not seem like a long time – but in the motor industry a lot has changed and the vehicles participating have moved on over the years. 

Five years ago Ford tested its Flexfuel range of cars, running on biofuels. This year, Ford is participating with the Transit Connect Kombi LWB Electric Van. With its fully electric delivery van, Ford has entered into a space which was the preserve of independent manufacturers until very recently. Delivery vans tend to operate within a limited range, which makes full electric propulsion ideal. Several small companies recognized the potential for electric delivery vans years ago, including Modec, which developed a purpose built electric van, and Smiths Electric Vehicles, which devised a retrofit of the Ford Transit. Modec, which participated in the first rally, sadly entered into administration earlier this year. However, the launch of an electric van by a major player such as Ford clearly indicates that this segment of EV industry is here to stay.

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Cleantech after Fukushima

First published in Cleantech magazine 2011 Issue 3. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd

The Fukushima disaster sparked a rally in the shares of renewable energy stocks. Will cleantech benefit from a backlash against nuclear energy?

By Anne McIvor

While the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear reactor disaster in Japan in March this year inspired price rises in the stocks of solar companies, it was also the catalyst for a rally in the shares of companies with interests in coal and gas.  In addition to the problems at the Fukushima plant, much of Japan’s traditional electricity generating capacity was affected by the earthquake. Japan is also a major user of coal – and coal stocks were damaged by the tsunami, leading to a rise in world coal prices. Fukushima also provided a significant short term boost on the demand side for gas, as Japan is a major importer of LNG and prices of this commodity surged as a result of the crisis.

Globally, the knee jerk response to Fukushima has been a reassessment of existing nuclear capacity and plans for expansion in nuclear. China has cut its 2020 target for nuclear power capacity. Germany shut down seven of its oldest reactors and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government and has decided to shut down all of the nation's nuclear power plants by 2022. Italy announced an indefinite moratorium for nuclear projects to focus on traditional and renewable energy sources.

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