Yosef Abramowitz, CEO of Arava Power shares the story of how Arava Power surpassed hurdles and red tape to become a leader Israeli solar power developer, the general state of solar PV and solar thermal technologies, Israel’s thriving cleantech sector and its growth as a future cleantech leader.

Albert Einstein once said “only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” He must have been talking about how we use energy. How can it be that we build dangerous coal mines, burn that coal in power plants while emitting NOx, SOx, mercury and other toxins into our air and water, and build vast networks of overhead transmission cables across hundreds of kilometers and into people’s homes, just so we can have the pleasure of turning on a light bulb in our living room?

Last month, Sami Shiro presented at the MiaGreen 2010 conference on “The Opportunity of Greentech Investments”.  His presentation gives a good overview of early stage opportunities in the cleantech sector, with a focus on Israel. Sami is a principal at Israel G-Tek, which invested in Israeli wind startup IQWind.

The recent conference on global warming in Copenhagen, and two reports published recently which analyze and discuss the environmental benefits of electric vehicles (“Electric and Hybrid Vehicle” of the Neaman Institute, and “Potential of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Israel” written by McKinsey & Company by commission of the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection), are an opportunity to discuss the possible contribution of the electric vehicle to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Israel.
Overall Environmental Contribution – the Balance of Total Emissions
There is basic agreement in both …

CleanIsrael recently hosted ex-CEO of GE Water Jeff Garwood and ex-CTO of GE Water Dr. Rengarajan Ramesh for a roundtable discussion with CEOs of some of Israel’s leading water startups. After the event and vibrant discussion, we asked Dr. Ramesh to give his thoughts on Israel’s cleantech sector.
Israel offers great potential and opportunity for countries around the world who are facing serious water shortages as well industrial pollution of their precious water resources.  Israeli government and their policies have guided the water industry to look seriously at innovations and …