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A Green Light For Green Tech

 

GO BIG GREEN! Everybody yell, GO BIG GREEN! That was my high school’s rallying cry. And though it’s been awhile (never mind you just how long) since I rooted for the Stevenson Patriots, news lately makes it look like the time is right to dust of the cheer and applaud green tech. Here’s why there’s reason to feel excitement and cause to consider joining the market surge.

 

Wear Sunglasses to Work

Warren Buffet turned up the lights on clean energy when his company Berkshire Hathaway purchased two solar power plants from SunPower in the neighborhood of $2 to $2.5 billion. Located in Southern California, this boost to the development and production of electricity by way of solar panels is sure to catch the attention of entrepreneurs in the Silicon Valley, home of SunPower. With government financial backing suspect after the Solyndra debacle, Buffet’s move signals rejuvenated support for pursuing renewable energy.

 

 

 

 

Gentleman, Start Your Electric Engines

Electric car maker Tesla Motors hopes to push it’s production rate up to 400 cars per week. In other words, the company will make as many cars in a month as it did in all of 2012. Their Model S with the largest battery (85 kWh) will take you as far as 300 miles at the speed of 55mph. The website estimates that – when compared to a gas-powered sedan of similar size – drivers of the Model S could save over $900 on fuel costs annually.

 

 

 

 

Perhaps even more exciting for car enthusiasts than this long-promised car of the future actually appearing on our roads is that it’s a vehicle you’d enjoy being seen in! The Model S has been named Motor Trend’s 2013 car of the year. The automobile industry, which has averted radical change for some time, may be on the cusp of major disruption.

 

Packing Light

With record breaking sales of mobile devices over the holiday season, some KillerStartups readers might not have unearthed themselves yet from all the packaging material that holds our tiny gadgets. Forget for a moment about how difficult it is to open those damn plastic cases in the first place, and consider the gigantic amount of waste…

 

 

 

 

PCH International, specializing in consumer products and development, plans to open a Sustainable Packaging Design Centre of Excellence in San Francisco. They’ll work on addressing the styrofoam / plastic monster, building a test lab, material library and showroom of more eco-friendly alternatives.

 

This company operates with three Ps in mind – people, planet, profit. Pretty catchy, huh? As a new generation of entrepreneurs takes the stage, look for companies to keep an eye on social and environmental impacts along with the bottom dollar.

 

 

 

 

Whether hunting for energy savings, the latest cool technology, investment opportunity, or a job in rapidly expanding markets, the hour of the green market may finally be on hand. Everybody yell…

 

 

Photo Credits

Andreas Demmelbauer | Zappowbang | PCH International | Stéphane Magnenat

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