Welcome to the Global Cleantech 100 2012

By Chris Mandle

The 2012 Global Cleantech 100 - a list of the world's private companies most likely to have a significant impact over the next 5-10 years Photograph: Jonathan Bradey/ VisualMedia/Vismedia

This year's Global Cleantech 100 received a 25% increase in nominations – 8,285 in total. The venture by the Cleantech Group, published simultaneously by the Guardian, gives a snapshot of the most significant innovative clean technology companies in the world right now. The list represents the collective opinion of hundreds of individuals within the wider global cleantech innovation community. They were asked which 100 of today's private cleantech companies are the most likely to make the most significant market impact over the next 5-10 years.

Below is an outline of the methodology, the process of selecting theCleantech 100 and a full list of the panelists:

Here are the top 100 companies:

Company	Country	Sector	Description
1366 Technologies	United States	Solar	Developer of manufacturing technology that reduces costs and increases the efficiency of silicon wafer production for solar cells
Agilyx	United States	Recycling & Waste	Developer of a technology that converts mixed waste plastics into synthetic crude oil and other petrochemical products
Alta Devices	United States	Solar	Developer of solar cells with single-junction thin-film Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) photovoltaics
Amantys	United Kingdom	Smart Grid	Developer of power electronic products
Amprius	United States	Energy Storage	Developer of advanced lithium-ion batteries for consumer electronics and automotive applications
Applied Solar Technologies India	India	Solar	Developer of solar PV off-grid power solutions for telecom towers
APTwater	United States	Water & Wastewater	Developer of water treatment technologies and provides operating services for industrial and municipal clients
Aquion Energy	United States	Energy Storage	Developer of batteries based on ambient-temperature sodium-ion technology
ArrayPower	United States	Solar	Developer of a low-cost solution for DC-AC power conversion to replace the inverters traditionally used with solar PV systems
Attero Recycling	India	Recycling & Waste	Provider of e-waste management and recycling services.
Avantium	Netherlands	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Developer of a process to convert biomass into bio-based materials and fuels
Beijing Goldenway Bio-Tech	China	Recycling & Waste	Developer of BGB biological treatment technology to recycle urban organic waste
BioAmber	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Developer and producer of green chemicals from agricultural feedstocks with a focus on bio-based succinic acid
Boston-Power	United States	Energy Storage	Producer of lithium-ion battery technology for the portable power, electric vehicle and utility energy storage markets
Breathing Buildings	United Kingdom	Energy Efficiency	Provider of low energy ventilation systems, using the principles of natural mixing ventilation in winter and natural upward displacement ventilation in the summer.
Bridgelux	United States	Energy Efficiency	Developer and manufacturer of technologies and solutions for solid state lighting
BrightSource Energy	United States	Solar	BrightSource Energy, Inc. is a leader in the design and development of concentrating solar thermal technology used to produce high-value electricity and steam for power, petroleum and process markets.
BuildingIQ	United States	Energy Efficiency	Developer of energy management software that improves the energy efficiency of HVAC systems in commercial buildings
CellEra	Israel	Fuel Cells & Hydrogen	Developer of Platinum-Free Membrane fuel cell technology, combining aspects from PEM and Alkaline FCs
Clean Power Finance	United States	Solar	Provider of power purchase (PPA) financing for solar PV installations, as well as customer acquisition software for installers
CoaLogix	United States	Air	Developer of catalytic reduction regeneration technologies, mercury remediation technologies, and coal-fired power plant management services
Compact Power Motors	Germany	Transportation	Developer and manufacturer of ultra-compact electric motors
Coulomb Technologies	United States	Transportation	Provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions
Digital Lumens	United States	Energy Efficiency	Developer of intelligent LED-based lighting systems for industrial facilities that reduce lighting energy use and provide fully integrated controls and reporting capabilities
Driptech	United States	Agriculture & Forestry	Developer and manufacturer of micro-irrigation systems for small plot farmers in developing countries
EcoMotors	United States	Transportation	Developer of high-efficiency engines for use in cars, light trucks, marine applications, agricultural vehicles and stationary generators
EdeniQ	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Developer of a cellulosic ethanol conversion technology using agricultural waste and synthetic biology
Electro Power Systems	Italy	Fuel Cells & Hydrogen	Developer of self-recharging fuel cell systems for backup power applications
Emefcy	Israel	Water & Wastewater	Developer of Electrogenic Bioreactors (EBR) that treat industrial wastewater and generates renewable electricity and the Spiral Aerobic Biofilm Reactor (SABRE) that treats municipal wastewater
ENBALA Power Networks	Canada	Smart Grid	Developer of smart grid platform to increase grid reliability and efficiency
Enecsys	United Kingdom	Solar	Developer of micro inverters for solar PV systems
Enerkem	Canada	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Enerkem develops biofuels and chemicals from waste with proprietary thermochemical technology
EnerVault	United States	Energy Storage	Developer of flow battery technology for applications in large-scale energy storage solutions for commercial, utility, and grid applications
Enlighted	United States	Energy Efficiency	Provider of lighting control systems for energy management applications
EnOcean	Germany	Energy Efficiency	Developer of energy harvesting sensors and communication systems for use in building automation and energy management systems
Envia Systems	United States	Energy Storage	Developer of a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles
Epuramat	Luxembourg	Water & Wastewater	Provider of compact, energy-efficient and chemicals-free water and wastewater treatment solutions for municipal and industrial clients as well as oil-water separation systems.
FilterBoxx	Canada	Water & Wastewater	Supplier of containerized water treatment systems to industrial, municipal, resort and aboriginal clients
FirstFuel Software	United States	Energy Efficiency	Provider of energy analytics software for commercial buildings and utility clients
FRX Polymers	United States	Advanced Materials	Developer of a patent protected, non-halogen, non burning family of transparent high flow thermoplastics in the global flame retardant plastics market
Genomatica	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Developer of green chemicals from renewable feedstocks such as sugar and trash
GeoStellar	United States	Solar	Developer of data geomatics software to compute the precise solar power potential of every rooftop, lot and field.
GreenRoad Technologies	United States	Transportation	Provider of fleet management software
Harvest Power	United States	Recycling & Waste	Maximizes the value of organic materials through the production of renewable energy and soils, mulches and natural fertilizers.
Highview Power Storage	United Kingdom	Energy Storage	Highview Power Storage is a developer of utility-scale energy storage and power systems to optimise energy resources and help decarbonise the grid. Its proprietary process uses cryogen (liquefied) air.
i2O Water	United Kingdom	Water & Wastewater	Water technology vendor addressing water leakage and advanced pressure management for utilities.
Ioxus	United States	Energy Storage	Developer of ultracapacitors and hybrid-capacitors that can be made into individual cells, pre-packaged modules, or complete systems
Joule	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Provider of diesel and ethanol directly derived from sunlight and CO2 using micro-organisms
Kaiima	Israel	Agriculture & Forestry	Developer of genomic-based breeding technology to develop high-yielding energy crops for bio-diesel, bio-ethanol, and biomass energy
LanzaTech	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Developer of a process that increases industrial energy efficiency by capturing waste gases (CO, CO2) and converting them to fuels and chemicals
Lattice Power	China	Energy Efficiency	Developer of high-output white LEDs based on gallium nitride (GaN) die fabricated on silicon substrates
Liquid Robotics	United States	Transportation	Developer of an autonomous unmanned marine vehicle propelled by waves for scientific, research, and defense applications
LS9	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Developer of genetically modified microbes, converting feedstock into renewable fuels and chemicals in a one-stage fermentation process
Marrone Bio Innovations	United States	Agriculture & Forestry	Developer of natural weed, pest, and disease management products
McPhy Energy	France	Fuel Cells & Hydrogen	Developer and producer of solid state hydrogen storage solutions for renewable energy and industrial gas storage
Miartech	China	Smart Grid	Designer of integrated circuits for power line communication systems, utilizing power lines as a medium for transmitting information
NanoH2O	United States	Water & Wastewater	Developer of thin-film nanocomposite reverse osmosis membranes for the desalination market
Nest	United States	Energy Efficiency	Design-focused energy management company whose flagship product is a networked "learning" thermostat for home use
Nexant	United States	Energy Efficiency	Provider of intelligent grid software and clean energy solutions, including electric power grid and alternative energy technologies and services.
Nexeon	United Kingdom	Energy Storage	Developer of second-generation lithium-ion batteries
NexSteppe	United States	Agriculture & Forestry	Developer of sustainable feedstock solutions for the biofuels, biopower and biobased products' industries
NovaLED	Germany	Energy Efficiency	Developer of energy-saving, long-life organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs)
Novomer	United States	Advanced Materials	Producer of polymers and plastics made from CO2 and other renewable materials
Nualight	Ireland	Energy Efficiency	Producer of LED lighting for food displays and chilled cabinets in food retail
Nujira	United Kingdom	Energy Efficiency	Provider of high efficiency radio frequency and power amplifiers for the wireless communications industry
On-Ramp Wireless	United States	Smart Grid	Developer of wireless communication systems for the water, smart grid and other industries that allow device communication in hard to reach environments
Opower	United States	Energy Efficiency	Developer of a software-as-a-service that utilizes customer engagement and billing analytics for utilities
OPXBIO	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Manufacturer of renewable bio-based chemicals and fuels including BioArcylic from sugar feedstocks
OSIsoft	United States	Energy Efficiency	Provider of real-time data infrastructure solutions for management of resource consumption and process performance
Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies	Canada	Water & Wastewater	Provider of fertilizer produced from municipal wastewater
Panoramic Power	Israel	Energy Efficiency	Developer of a low-maintenance platform for businesses to monitor their energy usage, using low-cost wireless sensors and a cloud-based data management service
PassivSystems	United Kingdom	Energy Efficiency	Developer of automated, wireless, interactive home energy management systems
Power Plus Communications	Germany	Smart Grid	Provider of broadband power line systems for smart grid applications, particularly smart metering
Powerit Solutions	United States	Energy Efficiency	Provider of energy management systems which automatically predict, regulate, and reduce peak demand
PowerSense	Denmark	Smart Grid	Developer of smart grid applications for medium voltage grid owners and power companies
Project Frog	United States	Energy Efficiency	Designer and manufacturer of resource efficient and zero net energy modular buildings
Purfresh	United States	Agriculture & Forestry	Developer of ozone technology to provide safe, fresh, high quality produce and water
Recyclebank	United States	Recycling & Waste	Developer of a financial rewards system for households that recycle
RelayRides	United States	Transportation	Developer of a peer-to-peer car sharing platform that connects car owners willing to rent their cars that are not in use, with drivers who need short-term vehicle access
Renmatix	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Developer of a water-based technology for the production of cellulosic sugar intermediaries for biochemicals and biofuels.
Sakti3	United States	Energy Storage	Developer of advanced solid state lithium ion battery technology, aimed at the electric vehicle market
Saltworks Technologies	Canada	Water & Wastewater	Water treatment solutions provider of energy efficient technologies for desalination, purification, and industrial water treatment.
Siluria Technologies	United States	Conventional Fuels	Developer of methane conversion technology for creating fuels and chemicals from natural gas
Silver Spring Networks	United States	Smart Grid	Provider of networking communication technologies and solutions to utilities for advanced metering, as well as home energy management, distribution automation, and other related applications
Skyonic	United States	Air	Developer of a CO2 mineralizing technology for industrial use
Solairedirect	France	Solar	Developer of solar PV installations for residential, commercial and community-scale customers
SolarCity	United States	Solar	Provider of design, financing and maintenance services for solar power customers
SolarEdge	United States	Solar	Provider of distributed DC systems that maximize power generation of residential and large-scale photovoltaic solar sites
Soraa	United States	Energy Efficiency	Developer of gallium nitride (GaN) based semiconductors for LEDs
SustainX	United States	Energy Storage	Developer of compressed air energy storage technologies that can be sited flexibly
TaKaDu	Israel	Water & Wastewater	Provider of a web-based platform that monitors water distribution networks and alerts in real-time on inefficiencies, water loss, faults and other network problems.
Tendril	United States	Energy Efficiency	Provider of a home energy management SaaS platform that facilitates interaction within the energy ecosystem and provides utility solutions
TIGI	Israel	Solar	Developer of a solar thermal collector that generates heat for domestic hot water, space heating and industry
Transphorm	United States	Energy Efficiency	Developer of technology to eliminate the electric conversion losses when converting power from one form to another, AC/DC, AC/AC, DC/AC and DC/DC
Trilliant	United States	Smart Grid	Provider of unified smart grid communications solutions that enable advanced metering, distribution automation, and demand response
Vigilent	United States	Energy Efficiency	Developer of intelligent energy management systems for data centers, telecommunications facilities, and large, commercial buildings
Viridity Energy	United States	Smart Grid	Developer of smart grid demand response technology
Voltea	Netherlands	Water & Wastewater	Developer of a scalable water desalination technology using membrane capacitive deionization (CapDI)
WaterHealth	United States	Water & Wastewater	Provides water purification and disinfection technology to underserved rural and peri-urban communities in developing countries.
ZeaChem	United States	Biofuels & Biochemicals	Developer of a cellulose-based biorefinery platform capable of producing advanced ethanol, fuels and chemicals

Methodology

To qualify, a company must be independent, for-profit and cannot be listed on any major stock exchange. An initial list is built from nominations made by hundreds of experts worldwide. This year we received 8,285 nominations, 25% more than in 2011, giving a long list of 5,177 companies.

A scoring system ranked these companies based on their validations (including third-party awards) and a short-list of 236 companies was presented to the panel, which consisted of 75 individuals. They ranged from leading financial investors in Asia, Europe and North America, representatives of multinational corporations, pioneers, leaders, old veterans and new entrants in cleantech; the full list of names can be found below.

Ultimately firms are scored on three key criteria: their innovation, their market's size and growth, and the company's ability and resources to execute its technology. The result is this comprehensive guide to the best 100 companies in cleantech.

Source: Guardian