The Agenda for the Cleantech Investment Forum has been released!

Visit www.iirusa.com/cleaninvesting to check out the Cleantech Investment Forum (October 7-9, 2009, San Francisco), the premier educational forum bringing together LPs and GPs to help investors, allocators and project finance professionals better understand how to find profitable investment opportunities in cleantech.

Be sure to check out the agenda, list of speakers and our associated LinkedIn Group.

Plus, if you're a qualified Limited Partner, you are eligible for a complimentary pass to the event. Please email kkirkpatrick@iirusa.com for details on this offer.

Renewable Energy Ready for Prime Time?

Renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass could supply up to 10% of the US's energy needs by 2020, and 20% more by 2035, according to a report by the National Research Council cited by the Cleantech Brief.

Despite the ebullient projections, the report indicates that major advances in the way electricity is generated, transmitted and used will be required in order for renewables to meet their full power-producing potential.

What are your thoughts as to the best way to support the development of these new power generation and transmission technologies?

Green Data?

IBM and Syracuse University are teaming up to build a computer data center that is planned to use about 50% less energy than a regular data center, according to this report posted at Cleantechbrief.com. The $12.4 million, 6,000 square-foot center will be located right on the SU campus, and will generate its own electical tri-generation system. The center will feature a liquid cooling system that uses double-effect absorption chillers to convert exhaust heat from microturbines into chilled water that will cool data center servers.

I think this is a good example of how renewable energy can be effectively deployed today to meet both a business need and the needs of the environment.