Here’s a question I’ve been getting asked a lot about lately and have been personally wondering myself: What is the best city for the cleantech industry in the United States?

If you work in the cleantech industry, I need your help for a couple moments! We’re going to crowd source the compilation of the information that will be useful to everyone in the industry and then make it free to the community. I know a lot about the information in Boston, but not so much about other cities, that’s where you come in

Goal Of the Survey

Based on your responses to my little survey,  I’m going to publish a yearly report and make it free to the community. The goal is that the survey will rank each city based on a simple criteria and provide a complete list of cleantech resources, government policies, companies, and investors in each city. We’re going to continue to collect the information and release the report every year, which will be especially useful as the industry grows and changes.

In this context, I’ll define cleantech as anything associated with; renewable energy, energy efficiency, water, green building, clean transportation.

Story

Two years ago it seems like the answer might have been pretty straight forward, but things have changed a lot since then. Cities and states are passing new policies aiming at attracting new investment, large companies are investing in CSR, and many more universities are beginning to change their curriculum.

My first thought was to answer this question by creating an as-you-go type documentary and travel to a bunch of cities and do interviews with companies, city official, and at universities and continually write and post photos and videos on my blog.

Information We’re Looking to Collect

I’ve created a simple form below with some basic information that I’m looking to collect. I tried to keep the survey very short and simple for the first try.

If you have a second, here’s how you can help:

1. Depending on the city where you are located, please fill in any and all information that you have.
2. If you have colleagues in other cities please forward it to them.
3. If you can just fill in one part, no problem, any and all information will be useful. You’ll be asked to rate each criteria for the city you’re located in and then provide SPECIFIC examples to back up your rating. These examples will be used to compile the resources in each city that we’ll provide in the report.

City Specific Information:

1) Quality of Investor Community:

-Cleantech specific investors in your city (angel networks, VCs, etc)

2) Cleantech Talent

-Universities with cleantech oriented programs

-Think tanks

-Local training programs

3) Resources

-Government Polices

-Green Incubators

-Non-profits/Industry Associations

-Business Plan Competitions

-Local Events

4) Existing Cleantech Companies. Please list companies you’re aware of located in your city.

-Large Companies (Public)

-Middle Size Companies (Large but not public)

-Small Businesses

-Startups

I’m very excited about this project as I think we’ll be able to collect some great information, but I can only do it with you help

Thank you in advance for your help!

Chris

I started The Green Light Distrikt about 5 months ago as a personal project and it has evolved into something much larger than myself and the vision is becoming mighty clear. To those of you that pushed me to start the blog, you know who you are, I thank you very much. I can honestly say it has had a huge beneficial impact on my life.

A couple weeks ago I was at a Boston Green Drinks event (I help organize them and you should come!) talking with Walter Frick from the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC). He told me about how their organization works with a lot with clean tech executives and provide forums for them to learn and connect with each other but the same venue does not exist for young professionals in the industry.

Boom! It hit me. The Green Light Distrikt will unite the Boston’s young clean tech professionals that are the future leaders of the industry.

We’ll accomplish this goal in 3 simple ways.

1 – Industry Insiders - I have no problem with journalists, but I prefer to hear information straight from the horses mouth. The Green Light Distrikt will provide a central forum for healthy online discussion that provide up to date information and insights from the front lines to the community. The goal is also to use GLD to help each industry insider build their own personal brand, expertise and credibility in the field they work in.

Currently, we have 3 industry insiders writing from various backgrounds and we’re looking for 10 so we can have a many perspectives that span the industry. We ask the that insiders write at least one post a month, not a huge commitment.

If you’re interested, please contact me. The criteria is a simple 1) You live in Greater Boston area 2) You’re young, you can be the judge of this 3) You directly work in a clean tech field.

2 – Local Events – We aggregate all local clean tech events. Making friends as  I like to call it, NOT networking, is essential to learning, getting new perspectives, and keeping up to date. Online discussions are great, but there is no substitute for face to face meetings. The Green Light Distrikt already has an events calendar where we aggregate over 20 organizations each month to provide to the community.

3 – Clean Tech Kingpins - In addition to communicating others events The Green Light Distrikt will also host our own regular event that will provide a forum for young clean tech professionals to meet each other and learn from current industry experts. Our first event is on April 20th at 6pm at the NEXUS Green Building Resource Center. We’re having the CEOs of Harvest Power, Wakonda Technologies, New Generation Energy and VP of Business Development at Nexamp speak. If you have signed up already, you should right here.

The last thing I’m working on for the new vision is a re-design of the site to make it look much more authentic and snazzy. Here’s the sample. What do you think?

Don’t get fired up, just yet anyway. I don’t have a problem with the loads of international aid and outpouring of public support toward Haiti after the disaster. It shows the amazing compassion of humans and how cooperative our society can be.

However, the situation in Haiti has been dire for the past 20 years. All the energy and excitement that is being poured into the country now could have been used to prevent the whole issue for the past 20 years. This issue shows one thing; we, humans, are reactive by nature.

Now lets bridge the gap, how are we doing to deal with the environmental issues we face? Climate Disruption (some say Climate Change), Deforestation, Soil Erosion, Ocean Acidification, the spike in cancer rates, species extinction,water contamination.

All of these actions require prevention not reaction. The situation in Haiti is another prime example of our ability to react quickly to situations but not to take necessary action to prevent them. Is there anyway to combat this? After all, these environmental issues are impacting all humans.

If you have any ideas, please, please, please, please, please let me know. Please. Please.

The new year in Boston has only brought an increase of activity in the clean tech sector. Federal money from the stimulus package has began to trickle in resulting in a new state solar incentive,while the new state energy efficiency program is getting developed and will be released shortly. Boston based companies have continued to sign deals, get government money, and expand into international operations.

Which of these stories is most interesting to you? As always, I’d love to hear your favorite stories from Boston or around the country. Please share via twitter with #cleantechtuesday

NREL contract prompts Spire to make concentrator solar cell

Industry sector: Solar

New England firms win share of $2.3B in cleantech tax credits

Industry sector: Government

EnerNOC Signs Demand Response Contract Expansion with Ontario Power Authority

Industry sector: Energy efficiency, Energy service

EnerNOC Wins Two Achievement Awards from the Climate Change Business Journal

Industry sector: Energy efficiency, Energy service

A123 Systems Signs Multi-Year Battery System Supply Agreement With Fisker Automotive

Title: A123 Systems Signs Multi-Year Battery System Supply Agreement With Fisker Automotive

Industry sector: Energy storage, Transportation, Utilities

This is the third Clean Tech Tuesday, though the first one was on a Friday. At first, I didn’t think I would be able to post about Boston based clean tech news every week, but things have not slowed down and there has been ample news stories every week that I want to highlight and share with you. I’m interested in hearing your stores as well, please share via twitter on #cleantechtuesday.

Also, please vote for your Top 3 favorite Boston clean tech companies. The top 10 vote receivers from the list of the top 26 of Boston clean tech companies will be profiled each month on The Green Light Distrikt in 2010 starting in February.

Here are my 4 favorite stories from the past week in no particular order:

1. Morgan Stanley Chooses EnerNOC’s Monitoring-Based Commissioning Application to Drive Persistent Energy Savings

Industry sector: Energy efficiency, Energy service

EnerNOC is seeing success in diversifying from their original and core product, demand response energy solutions, to other solutions namely the Monitoring-Based Commissioning Services (MBCx) cited here. Good news for EnerNOC who last quarter started to break even but has been a publicly traded company for a little over a year. There growth is certainly creating some jobs in their downtown Boston headquarters, just in case you’re looking you can EnerNOC job openings here

2. Mass. named ‘most competitive’ state; Renewable energy to double in U.S. by 2012

Title: Mass. named ‘most competitive’ state; Renewable energy to double in U.S. by 2012

Industry sector: Government

I know we’ve known this the whole time but its good to be named most competitive by an official survey, with real metrics, data and other mumbo-jumbo about something that we notice everyday. With this news, keep an eye out for companies to continuing to enter the space and for established companies that are looking to scale up, like Alteris Inc, or Nexamp.

3. Mass. cleantech investments see upswing in ’09

Title: Mass. cleantech investments see upswing in ’09

Industry sector: Venture Capital

Good news but not hard to achieve. Considering that clean tech investments have been well down below 60% since 2005, growth is not that hard to create. But I’m not a hater, its good news and its clear on the streets that people are seeing opportunity once again.

4. AMSC to co-develop offshore wind turbines in China

Title: AMSC to co-develop offshore wind turbines in China

Industry sector: Wind

Clean Tech Tuesdays was started last week (on a Saturday) after I noticed that I skim through Boston area news about once a week to keep up to date on whats happening. Every week, or every couple of weeks depending on how much news there is we’ll will share with you stories we find the most interesting.

Please share your stories or thoughts in the comments section or via twitter #cleantechtuesday.

Here’s the best:

Chu Singles Out FloDesign’s Efficient Wind Turbines at Climate Change Conference

Industry sector: Wind

December 22, 2009

Steven Chu made a bold prediction that although the Danes are #1 in wind right now the US is not far behind and cited Boston area company FloDesign as an innovator in the space with their light-weight, cheap, and efficient wind turbines.

Metcalfe brings VC Perspective to Alternative Energy

Metcalfe is an interesting guy that has a great perspective. Here’s my favorite quote: “Networking isn’t the only goad Metcalfe’s been using to try to change people’s thinking on energy technology. “Green” has been politicized, he says, and its anti-business stigma is an impediment. Rather than “green tech,” or “cleantech,” Metcalfe’s been beating a drum for adoption of the term, “enertech.”

Mass. unveils new solar-rebate programs

Industry sector: Government, Solar

December 29, 2009

I know, I know its not Tuesday, its Saturday. But I plan on posting this on Tuesdays from now on.

The Green Light Distrikt is not a news site but I think it’s important to keep up to date on the news. To compensate for this we’ll be posting the top 5 or so most interesting stories with a little blurb about the story, a little bit about the company or why the news is important.

The current stories are for the month of December and November and in the future it will be a weekly or bi-weekly post.

I will keep the briefs focused and based around companies, so we can keep up to date of how the industry is going around Boston.

Here’s the 5 most interest stories and a little blurb about each piece:

Riverside Partners’ Portfolio Company, Alteris Renewables, Wins Green/Environmental Deal of the Year Award

Industry sector: Finance, Solar

A123 Systems and SAIC Motor Form Joint Venture to Tap Growing Chinese Market for Hybrid Electric and Pure Electric Vehicles

Industry sector: Energy storage, Transportation

A123 has propriety battery technology that is going to be the engine behind any mass adoption of electric vehicles or renewable energy storage. A spin off from MIT they are currently based in Watertown. Clearly, there move to China shows they think the industry and market in China is a large opportunity. A market shift to electric vechiles will be much easier in China compared to the U.S.A because all the government will need is an edict, no more gasoline cars. I’m assuming they’re waiting until the infrastructure is ready so that the economy will not collapse.

EnerNOC Expands Energy Efficiency Capabilities through Acquisition of Cogent Energy

Industry sector: Energy efficiency, Energy service

Will a green trade center take root in Woburn?

Industry sector: Green Building

As green building continues to grow and double governments are looking to become leaders in the area. It’ll be interesting to see what happens in Woburn.

Renewable Energy Trust Moves to Clean Energy Center

Industry sector: Government

Massachusetts energy incentives and grants used to be administered through the Renewable Energy Trust which was part of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Now the money and grant will flow through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

I’m curious, which of these stories is the most interesting to you?

If you have any interesting new stories about clean tech around Boston, events that we should know about don’t be shy. Send me an email or a tweet @theGLDistrikt

Happy New Year!

What is my next step? A couple months ago I wrote about 7 things I learned from losing my dream job. Don’t worry, I wasn’t that sad. I’ve decided to share with you my journey to find a new opportunity.

What am I doing now? I’m exploring, meeting people, talking, sharing ideas, waiting for something to grab me. I’m not in a rush, it will happen, it’s like the Wild West out there. If you’d like to connect, I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve done some work with Urgent VC on a new venture call Subsea that will harness hydro power without the devastating effect of dams. I’ve also been installing solar thermal systems in Maine. It’s really fun work, I’m getting a tons of hands on experience, learning how to do site evaluations and steps and considerations when designing a system and how to install the systems. I got both of these gigs just through my direct network.

My goal is to become as knowledgeable as possible about the sales, financing, design, installation and development of wind, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, geothermal and energy efficiency projects. My current years of experience has provided me a strong foundation from which I will continue to build upon.

I believe that it will be a combination of these technologies that is the solution to our energy problems and that the real innovation will come from the business models that deliver these services more so then the technology themselves. Its all about business processes, is McDonalds a worldwide corporation because of their burgers? No! It’s because of business processes are scalable.

I’ve been exploring a couple opportunities in renewable energy companies from project development, to sales, to energy auditing. As I explore the renewable energy industry here are values that drive my search:

• Impact VS Money: I always value decisions based on impact that I can make versus money to make. There’s a subtle difference. Sometimes these go hand on hand sometimes they don’t.

• Being on the Front Lines: By this I mean impacting the business. Could I work for IBM? Probably, but could I see how my action impact their bottom line or cash flow? Maybe with a microscope.

• I want to build something: I am a builder. This is similar to being on the front lines. I need to create or help create something from nothing.

• I need a challenge: I need a challenge so I can learn and constantly improve. I find that I do best when I’m slightly over my head. That way I can rise to the challenge and ask for help when needed.

• Generalist: My skill set is getting the large and most important information from many pieces, seeing the opportunity and how they fit together, and executing the solution. Thus, I need a position where I can do many things and not get in depth on a single subject. Small companies and start ups are perfect for this.

• Clean Technology space: I need to work in clean technology. It is my passion. I live it.

• Vision: I need a company that has a lofty vision but its focused that will inspire me and be a rally cry for our customers, investors, and employees. As Guy Kawasaki says, you need to make a mantra.  Here’s a good example “We are going to cover every home in this country with solar panels”

So what? How can this help you?

If you’re in a similar situation and looking for an opportunity in clean technology keep in mind that there is going to be plenty of space for everyone and that this is just the beginning.

1. Do your homework. Check out my Clean Tech Guide if you’re really a newbie
2. Realize that the two most important traits are passion and ability to learn. The reality is that in a such a new industry barely anyone has a really good idea of whats going on.
3. Ask for help. The best thing about the clean technology industry is that its about collaboration. We’re all in it together and trying to save the world. If you’re curious where you should start, just ask.
4. Clarify what you’re looking for. Its okay if what you are looking for is what to look for.

In December, I graduated from Babson College with a focus on entrepreneurship and renewable energy. I graduated in December because I took a semester off from school to travel. I extended my study abroad term for an additional 8 more months. I traveled throughout Argentina, Chile, the USA and Bermuda, and crewed on a schooner for a month. Here’s a picture on deck in Norfolk, Virginia.

Since December, I have learned, observed, or noticed a number of things that have helped me both personally and professionally. Most of these realizations fall under the umbrella that I like to call ‘things that I always knew but never really knew’. What I mean by this is, there are a lot of things that we learn from a young age that are considered ‘common sense’ but that you really don’t understand until you feel or experience them.

I’m going to publish these in multiple posts but here’s the whole list of the most important things I’ve learned.

1. Love to learn
2. There’s always opportunities – but you have to look
3. You’ll never do it right the first time
4. Everyone is afriad
5. Act! Perfection is not the goal (and it’s the enemy)
6. Love People
7. Persistence is key – you don’t have control
8. Direction vs. Efficiency
9. Sales is Like Dating Women
10. It will take more time then you thing
11. Someone is always watching

1) Love to learn

Obviously, learning is the only way to improve, to develop, and it’s a great way to meet new people. However, I’ve noticed that there is a HUGE difference between people who learn reluctantly, and those who seek it out.

I learned this when I graduated college. When I finished college, I loved it. Don’t get me wrong, I love to learn, but I was never one for school I found it too constricting. When I graduated, I quickly became bored and realized that I enjoyed college because of how it easy it made learning, constantly being in touch with amazing professors and events. I realized that in the ‘real world’ out of college, you need to force yourself to learn. I began to create my own personal schedule based on things I wanted to learn or improve upon. I tried things out and found out what I really liked. It’s been hard and its a constant struggle, but It’s always hard to try new things.

The key is to learn proactively by determining what you are interested in and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Once you become comfortable, you need to push again. I learned to snowboard when I was a kid, my friend Hugh who taught me used to say,’if you’re not falling down your not trying hard enough’ and the same applies here.

It has created many benefits for me. Loving to learn has made me look forward to every conversation I have and every experience, constantly trying to seeing what new piece of information or insights I can gather. I’ve met TONS of cool people, people that I never would have met if I only hung out with the same friends and watched TV all the time. It’s made me more interesting, I’ve had more experiences and perspectives and can hold conversations about a broader range of subjects.

Since graduating, I’ve started drumming and blogging. Music is completely new, everything is a struggle but its really fun. I’ve always wanted to improve my writing, learn about technology, voice my opinion, and connect with like-minded people and blogging is my project to do this.

Here’s how to make a ‘learning’ schedule:

1. Create a list of things that you are interested, passionate, or curious about. If you can’t make a list, try harder, its there.
2. Find and go to places to learn about the subject. Anything will do; schools, informal meet ups, non profits to volunteer, for profit companies. A couple things I found helpful include, asking friends, using facebook and twitter, or meetup.com. Without a doubt you should be able to find a group in your area on meetup.com that is centered around the interest you have. The key is to go regularly, participate, and you will eventually meet new people.
   

2) There’s always opportunity – but you have to look

There is one certainty  in the world, things are always changing. Change creates opportunity. So, you need to prepare yourself to take advantage of change. When I say opportunity, I’m referring to a very broad definition, not just making money. I define opportunity as there are always opportunities to help someone, make a friend, start a company, get a job, have fun. The more opportunities you take advantage of the more opportunities will present themselves.

There are two ways that I have found to always be ready for and take advantage of change and opportunity.

1. Change your perspective

The hardest part is seeing the opportunity. I have noticed that having more perspectives and ways of looking at situations will make it easier to spot the connections and opportunities.

When I was in college I felt the number of opportunities in the world had a limit. I felt if I helped someone, I would do worse. If someone was starting a company, there would be less companies for me to start. This way of thinking leads to a lot of jealousy and its not true.

That changed when I first tried to start a company and while I was looking for my first job along with all my friends. I realized we were all in it together and I started helping everyone I could. The more I helped people, the more knowledge and resources I gained to help other people. When you help people, they like you, and they will help you in the future. The larger your network and friends the more opportunites you have and so on, you get the point.

2. Get your hand in a lot of pots.

I’ve noticed that the more information and types of information that I am consuming the more opportunities I see. The information can be from the news, your friends, blogs, or hobbies. For example, every week I skim through blogs on at least 7 different subjects and I remember the important stuff. If one of my friends expresses interest in one of these subjects, I refer them to the blog. Boom! I just helped someone, and people always remember when you help them.

If you’re interested in seeing more opportunities here’s an exercise for you to try that I’ve done:

1. First, think how many information sources you currently learn from. How many different newspapers or blogs do you read? Where do you volunteer? What types of meetups do you go to?
2. Find 6 different information sources to start reading every week and 1 meet up to go to.  When I say read, skimming is okay. I read so much information I don’t have time to read it all and I’m sure you don’t either.
3. A couple times a day reflect on something that has happened and analyze how it could have been an opportunity for you. If you didn’t take advantage of it this time, it will prepare you the next time. The more you do this, the more you will see everything as an opportunity.

Three questions for you:

What are some things that you always knew but never really knew?

Do you think you are a reluctant or active learner?

Is it easy for you to see opportunities?