In recent years there have been a number of hurdles environmentally friendly technology innovators have had to overcome. From the much publicized and politicized collapse of Solyndra to the Great Recession, the flow of money into this sector lost a lot of momentum post-2008.
A GigaOM article points out that there have even been debates over whether the industry should be referred to as "cleantech" or "greentech." This may seem trivial, yet when facing a myriad of other obstacles, branding is important. A biofuel entrepreneur may not want to be lumped into the same category with a solar or wind energy company that has run into some difficulties, leading to a fragmented industry whose members share similar visions with different approaches.
As these groups do their best to set themselves apart from one another, we may see a new paradigm where there are more individualized and vertical industries, rather than one large umbrella that encompasses them all.
What matters most, however, is that the innovation never stops. Creative individuals pushing technology forward will help to unclog those cash flow streams and bring back the interest investors had prior to the economic crisis that began in the latter half of 2008.
Speaking at the opening of Climate Week in New York City last Monday, Evan Williams, CEO of the Obvious Corporation and former CEO of Twitter, said green technology is both "technologically possible and economically superior."
Williams went on to stress the importance of finding ways to speed up development and then scale up these technologies. In so doing, greentech or cleantech, whichever moniker you prefer, will be affordable and efficient on massive scales.
It starts with something as simple as a car battery. Innovative methods used in the bonding of battery terminals can drastically improve efficiency while making automobiles more eco-friendly. No matter which type of alternative energy or technology the discussion is about, it is always forward-thinking manufacturing methodologies that serve as the catalyst for the next big breakthrough