clean tech in stormy times

It is easy to paint a grim picture.
The economic crisis hangs over the world, and the threat of a global recession hangs over the world like angry clouds.
Even the most mature industries face a tough environment, and no one will be surprised if the clean technology industry in one of the UK\'s newest and fastest growing industries suffers.
Clean-tech investors talked about a sharp decline in confidence, and companies complained that they could not raise investment, while business leaders saw a stubborn boycott of change.
However, we have reason to remain optimistic.
The clean technology industry is innovative and supported by the British government, which has been one of the world\'s largest clean technology investors for the past decade, helping to spark business interests in the industry.
This has already begun to pay off in many areas.
Can Britain\'s clean technology industry go against the trend and strengthen from the economic crisis?
The environmental rationale for driving clean technology is obvious.
For a long time, we have discharged too much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Therefore, our Earth is warming faster, and the message from climate scientists is clear & colon;
If we want to avoid potentially dangerous climate change, we must reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
There are many ideas on how to do this.
Our homes, businesses, and transportation systems consume a lot of energy, so the efficiency after repair is high, such as loft insulation or factory renovation
They discharge heat into the atmosphere.
The other end of the scale is a machine that replaces fossils. fuel-
Burning power plants using renewable energy and colon power generation;
Sun, wind, sea.
This is a massive challenge that requires strong vision, political will and years of R & D.
These are impossible without a lot of investment. After the dot-
Investors began looking for new places to invest in 2003.
Many governments say they intend to reduce their national carbon emissions.
In investors\' view, this establishes a firm commitment to clean technology.
From photovoltaic cells, wind turbines to energy, investment across Europe is pouring in-
Efficient equipment and carbon capture technology of all types.
The clean technology industry has been booming since 2003.
Then 2008, the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the US investment bank, triggered a credit crunch and a global economic crisis.
Investors cheered that the clean technology industry suffered more losses than most.
\"Whenever investors feel scared, they tend to avoid young Capital --
Hungry industries such as clean energy punish them more severely than more mature cash
A mobile company, \"said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of New York.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which specializes in clean energy and carbon markets.
Private and public resources in the UK invested £ 7 billion in 2009
Carbon technology, but according to a report by the Pew Environmental Group, fell to £ 2 billion in 2010.
Washington-based profit clean energy policy group.
Such cuts make it harder to start.
Raise money with new ideas.
\"This is a difficult environment for any beginning --
\"Okay,\" said Benj Sykes, director of innovation at Carbon Trust,for-
The profit company, established in 2001, aims to accelerate to lowcarbon economy.
In November, confidence in clean technology was hit again as the government unexpectedly decided to halve feed
Electricity bills paid to householders with solar panels who sell electricity to the grid.
Tariffs have made the domestic PV installation market an amazing growth area.
Many people believe that change is needed to control economic growth.
But short notice of the change upset investors, who are not sure that the government will not bring any other surprises.
\"This has caused a lot of tension,\" said Adam Warman of the CT investment partner, who advised Carbon Trust investment, the venture capital unit of the Carbon Trust Fund.
In this context, the clean technology industry is booming in some ways.
One reason is that the main economic forces that drive interest in clean technology are as strong as ever.
\"Oil prices are still much higher than the dollar;
This is at $100 a barrel during the global economic downturn . \"
As the economy recovers and energy demand rises, prices will only rise.
The British government has invested heavily in renewable energy, especially offshore wind power.
This will generate about 18 gigawatts of electricity by 2020, and a series of cost-cutting innovations have been generated in the process.
For example, in order to reduce maintenance and improve reliability, the Scottish Artemis smart power company has invented an intelligent hydraulic transmission to replace the gearbox in the wind turbine.
Last year, the company was acquired by the Japanese giant Mitsubishi, which is currently planning to build a turbine manufacturing plant in the UK.
In a broader economy, technologies that save energy or carbon emissions also offer real opportunities.
Developing, selling and using these products at home and abroad can increase the company\'s profits.
\"Low choice of enterprises
Carbon technology because they have good commercial significance, \"said David Clark, chief executive of the Institute of Energy Technology, a partnership between the British government and companies such as Shell, EDF and Rolls-Royce, investing heavily-
The scale of clean energy projects.
Many small companies with products to sell are doing well. Bristol-
For example, companies based in ModCell are using bundles of grass and marijuana for low
Carbon Building.
Instead of emitting carbon as many building materials do, these panels separate the carbon and start to use it on a large scale in construction projects.
Design of lighting system based on light
LEDs consume half the power of compact fluorescent lamps and have a longer life, giving off bright white light.
The company produces dimmable led and lights that can sense work-they only need to be clamped on the cable without cutting off the insulation-which greatly reduces the cost of installation and maintenance.
Indeed, some venture capital companies, such as Carbon Trust, have closed the door to new investments.
But others, including the £ 20 million fund of the Northwest Energy and Environment Fund, managed by CT Investment Partners, are still looking for opportunities.
\"We are working on a range of businesses and hope to support three to five companies this year,\" Workman said . \".
\"I saw the beginning of a lot of cleaning technology --
Ups, \"said Richard Miller, head of sustainable development at the Technical Strategy Committee of the UK government\'s National Innovation Agency.
It has invested £ 2007 in about 1 billion early years since 2000stage projects.
Miller said two.
The third one is a broad definition of clean technology.
Clark believes the industry is being tested by the storm.
\"Despite the economic pressure, we are still seeing growth across the industry,\" he said . \".
The British government agreed.
The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huon, said past investments have begun to pay off.
On October, he said at a conference on the renewable energy industry in the UK,
The carbon sector has grown by 4.
In the fiscal year ended April 2011, the process created nearly 4500 new jobs.
He said Britain has the ability to encourage investment from all over the world.
As the rest of the economy becomes more vulnerable to the recession, the near-term outlook for the clean technology industry is very balanced.
On the one hand, a bleak outlook could kill innovation in clean technology.
On the other hand, innovation is low
Carbon technology can provide a competitive advantage for promoting a virtuous cycle of investment and innovation.
If this happens, the industry will rise strongly from the downturn.
But this is a big \"if \".
\"In this case, you have to keep your nerves,\" Clark said.