Cleantech—the next big boom?

Governments, news media, corporations, universities all talk about cleantech, clean energy, renewable sources of energy— the demand is growing for clean technology but who is leading the way? Who is stepping forward with innovative ideas to tackle the many facets of the energy revolution? Often cited as a measure for new and non-obvious innovations, patents for cleantech at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) were at an all time high in the fourth quarter of 2009 with 200 more patents than 2008. Volume of fuel cell patents dwarfed the nearest competitors wind and solar. Biomass/biofuel patents grew dramatically, and a large number of patent applications in the pipeline foretell future growth in this area.

CSA Discovery Guides

The CSA Discovery Guides Series briefs you in the basics of a subject and offers recent insights on particular topics. Two Discovery Guides on wind and solar technologies emphasize the importance of these cleantech sectors.

Wind: Power for the 21 st Century

While advantages and disadvantages exist for various energy sources, both renewable and nonrenewable, wind is proving to be a competitive source because of its relatively low installation cost and its virtually endless supply of energy. Read the CSA Discovery Guide “Capturing the Wind: Power for the 21 st Century” created by ProQuest to learn more about this powerful source of energy, its advantages and disadvantages and future prospects.

Solar power: The economics of solar energy

Market research suggests the solar industry will experience rapid growth in 2010. The fourth quarter of 2009 saw the PhotoVoltaic market 453% times larger than first quarter of 2009, a new record high. Market strength at the end of 2009 was driven principally by Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic, while Germany actually accounted for more than 50% of the global solar demand in the fourth quarter.

A CSA Discovery Guide “ Why Not the Sun? Advantages of and Problems with Solar Energy” discusses the advantages and disadvantages of photovoltaic cells and solar thermal energy. Although solar energy is recognized as clean and viable, it represents a very small percent of the total electricity market. The mix of technical, economic and political factors needed to spur solar energy growth remains uncertain. Read this Guide to learn more about the two types of solar energy, the economics and growth of the solar energy sector.

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