The one-day conference, hosted at the downtown Hilton Hotel, focused on establishing relationships between Israeli and Texas organizations by providing ample networking time in between presentations from local and international cleantech experts. Prominent participants from the corporate world such as Waste Management, Shell, and IDE interracted with other innovators as well as with the Texas General Land Office Commissioner Jerry Patterso, Lieutenant Governor, David Dewhurst, and Dr. Eli Opper, Chief Scientist of Israel. “This conference surprised all of us” stated Booky Oren, Executive Chairman, Miya – Arison Group, Chairman of WATEC Israel. “The caliber of discussion, and strong showing of both Israeli and Texas companies reinforced our belief in the mutually beneficial relationships that will result from our combined knowledge and desire to collaborate” he continued.

As the first conference of its kind, attendees raved about the relevant topics and speakers, networking opportunities, and collaborative atmosphere in support of bringing Israeli and Texas organizations together for cleantech. Attendees seemed particularly pleased with the meeting room set aside for one-one-one meetings, and took full advantage throughout the day. Video interviews can be viewed at: http://texasisrael-cleantech.org/cleanovation/videos/ Sponsors included: Greenberg Traurig LLP, IDE Technologies ltd., Waste Management, Becker & Associates Consulting Inc, Global Water Group inc, 21 Ventures, Applied Nanotech, Inc, and getaroom.com. Organizers included: Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce, Government of Israel Economic Mission to the South, and Austin Chamber. Special thanks to the Texas Governors Office, City of Austin, Israel Export Institute’s Machon Hayetsu, and the JCCA.

Accolades include:

“We are thrilled to have participated in the Texas-Israel Cleanovation conference. There were numerous high-quality entities in attendance, we had relevant meetings for our portfolio companies and see a large opportunity for business to evolve between Texas and Israel“ – Jack Levy, Partner, Israel Cleantech Ventures

“The Cleanovation Conference is now a do-not-miss event which exceeded our expectations. It provided my team with important relationship-building opportunities, access to fresh ideas and was well-worth our participation. The presence of Lt. Governor Dewhurst and other leaders reinforced the strength of the

event as did the quality of the approximate 100 corporate attendees.“ – Jon Shapiro, CEO & Founder, Texas Institute for Sustainable Technology Research

“What an amazing job you have done putting this excellent event together! I am delighted we have had the opportunity of taking part in this outstanding conference, and I look forward to keeping in touch and working together.“

“Truly significant conference and great achievement, especially for a 1st year Conference.“

“ Having this many Israeli companies flying in from Israel for one conference is unprecedented…“

“I just wanted to thank you all for an amazing event. Kol Hakavod!! It was one of the best networking events that I have ever attended. Special thanks to Arie and team as the Israelis say: Chapeau.”

“Thank you for your excellent conference. Very well arranged and amazing show-up.“

Market significance is yet to be determined, but based on initial interest, Texas may soon find itself as headquarters to several Israeli organizations looking to expand into North America. Stay tuned…

About Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce
Formed in April 2007, the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce is a private, not-for-profit business organization whose aim is to boost the economies of Texas and Israel by helping members develop important business relationships and to explore new market opportunities. Texas is Israel’s third largest American trading partner, with a growing volume of trade consisting of medical devices, communications/IT, nanotechnology, cleantech, Homeland Security/Defense products and systems, venture capital initiatives, computer-related hardware and software, biomedical products, electronic data transmission, telecom and cable television. Visit www.texasisrael.org and www.texasisrael-cleantech.org for more information.

Commissioner Patterson, a native of Houston and local Austin resident, is working to make sure that Texas builds on its century of energy leadership to remain the No. 1 state in all aspects of energy development including research, manufacturing, and innovation.  He leads Renewable Energy programs at the agency that include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, ocean, and alternative transportation fuels initiatives.

“We are thrilled Commissioner Patterson has agreed to participate in our conference“, states Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce President, Greg Yavner.  “With an Israeli delegation of over 25 companies (headed by Israel’s Chief Scientist and UT graduate Chief Scientist Eli Opper), we’re very happy they will hear directly from a local Texas government official involved in cleantech“, he continues. “Texas has a lot to offer Israeli-based organizations from a strategic perspective, and the Commissioners participation will help reinforce the government’s commitment to cleantech and commerce.”

As State Senator for District 11 (Harris, Galveston, Brazoria), Patterson’s major legislative successes include passage of the historic concealed handgun law, a constitutional amendment allowing home equity lending, the state coastal management plan and the creation of the Texas State Veterans Home Program. A tireless advocate for his fellow veterans, he chaired the first Veterans Affairs committee in the Texas Senate. of war.

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Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the Company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The Company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America.  For more information, please visit  www.wastemanagement.com.

It is thanks to the financial support of our sponsors, as well as the support of our membership that will make the Cleanovation Conference an international success.

Find out more: http://www.texasisrael-cleantech.org/cleanovation

AUSTIN, TX, December 8, 2009 ­ — The Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce its major Cleantech & Sustainable Energy Conference, entitled “Cleanovation” to be held February 22, 2010 at the Austin Hilton Hotel, Austin, TX.  Organized in conjunction with the Government of Israel Economic Office and the Austin Chamber of Commerce, this exclusive, one-day conference will provide technologists and business development executives with an opportunity to learn about highly advanced Cleantech technologies available in both Texas and Israel markets.

Timing of the conference has been intentionally scheduled just prior to two major Cleantech conferences to accommodate prospective attendees from Israel and elsewhere.  The first being the global Cleantech conference “Renewable Energy World” scheduled for February 23-25 at the Austin Convention Center, and the second, Cleantech Forum® XXVI scheduled for February 24-26, 2010 in San Francisco, CA.

Keynote speakers will include Israel’s Chief Scientist, and University of Texas graduate, Dr. Eli Opper, as well as Mark Armentrout, former board chairman of ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) and current President of the Texas Institute and Governor Rick Perry or a senior official from the Governor’s office

“Israel is producing  many of the most important innovations in the world in a variety of industries including Cleantech and Renewable Energy,” says Greg Yavner, President of the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce.  “This conference will provide an important opportunity for US companies to meet the senior management teams from the most exciting Israeli companies in the field and they will be amazed at the ingenuity and depth of the solutions offered by these companies,” Yavner continues.

Supported by both Israeli venture capitalists and government agencies such as the Ministry of Industry Trade & Labor and BIRD Foundation, a joint U.S. and Israeli government fund targeted to fund R&D partnerships between Israeli and U.S. companies, this conference represents $1B in investment potential, and a special opportunity to meet the most exciting Israeli companies and innovators in a variety of areas including; water technologies, wind power, electricity management, solar power, smart-grid, and geothermal technologies.

Flagship sponsors include IDE Technologies, the largest and most advanced desalination company in Israel, as well as Greenberg Traurig law firm, with several other organizations finalizing negotiations.  Early registrants include Shell, Waste Management, Austin Energy, Sevin Rosen Funds, Silicon Valley Bank, Nanoholdings LLC,  BIRD Foundation, Ercot,  Texas Emerging Technology Fund, Leviathan Energy, WindSL, Israel Cleantech Ventures, IDE, Haynes & Boone, GreenbergTraurig, Israel Cleantech Ventures, Aqua-Agro Fund, Miya and more.

Early response to this unique event has been very strong, so early registration is highly encouraged.  Visit www.texasisrael-Cleantech.org/cleanovation for more information and register today.

About Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce
Formed in April 2007, the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce is a private, not-for-profit business organization whose aim is to boost the economies of Texas and Israel by helping members develop important business relationships and to explore new market opportunities.  Texas is Israel’s third largest American trading partner, with a growing volume of trade consisting of medical devices, communications/IT, nanotechnology, Cleantech, Homeland  Security/Defense products and systems, venture capital initiatives, computer-related hardware and software, biomedical products, electronic data transmission, telecom and cable television.  Visit www.texasisrael.org for more information.

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Media Contact:                                                     Company Contact:
Mary McKeown-Christie                                       Greg Yavner, President & CEO
Maven Marketing Solutions                                Texas Israel Chamber of Commerce
512.541.6520                                                            214-576-9639
mary@mavenmarketingsolutions.com gyavner@texasisrael.org

TEL AVIV ― It’s a new way of beating swords into plowshares. Israel, which long has been a global leader in military technol- ogy, is adapting its technologies to develop green advances.

Technology borrowed from building helicopter propellers is being used to produce more efficient wind turbines. Israeli know-how constructing satellites is being applied to improve solar power.

Wind turbines in Israel, such as these seen near Kibbutz Ein Zivan in the Golan Heights, are being improved by technology created for military helicopter propellers. PHOTO BY HAIM AZULAY/FLASH90/JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

“We definitely leverage a lot of know- how in a variety of disciplines ― including materials, chemistry, thermal dynamics ― accumulated from our experience with mili- tary and homeland security technology for developing renewable energy technologies,” said Meni Maor, vice president of business development for Rotem, a Dimona-based company that commercializes technologies first used in Israel’s defense industry.

The company is something of a case study on the subject. In the past three years, Rotem has begun to focus on renewable en- ergy technology with projects on solar and hydrogen power, wind energy and bio-fuel.

BrightSource Energy, which is develop- ing the world’s largest solar thermal plant in Southern California, is piloting its tech- nology at Rotem.

“The whole world is highly motivated to invest in the “clean-tech” sector as peo- ple search for interesting technologies for more effective energy generation because of the threat of global warming and cost of oil prices,” said Maor, noting Israel’s special security-motivated reasons to re- duce the global dependence on oil, much of which comes from Arab states.

As part of that goal, Israel recently signed on to be one of the first countries to pilot the driving of environmentally clean electric cars on a large scale as part of a project sponsored by the company Better Place, in partnership with automakers Re- nault and Nissan. The robotics for charg- ing the batteries in the cars is based in part on aerospace technology.

Another example of the transfer of military technology to clean tech is work being done by Israel Aeronautics Indus- tries, one of the nation’s most prominent defense companies. Its researchers are tap- ping into their experience in aeronautics to develop wind energy and wind turbines.

One way is by using software used to cal- culate the optimization of the aerodymanic profile of an airplane wing to make a better turbine blade. The company hopes other research-and-development experience will lead to the creation of a higher-performance, lower-weight wind turbine that costs less.

“We are identifying the potential of IAI engineering to provide added value to the clean-tech sector in general and wind tur- bines in particular,” said an IAI official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the security-related nature of the work. “We are trying to identify what assets we can bring and provide on the market end.”

IAI also is working to help create what is being called “clean, green aircraft” as part of a European initiative, joining forces with Airbus to develop an envi- ronmentally friendly system for airplanes taxiing at airports aimed at saving fuel and decreasing noise levels and air pollution. The technology would use a system that allows planes to taxi to and from the gate without using their jet engines.

In addition to technologies being trans- ferred from the military world to the clean- tech sector, there is also manpower trans- fer. A growing number of retired army officers and scientists are playing leading roles in Israel’s clean-tech industry.

Yom-Tov Samia, a retired general and former head of the Israel Defense Forces’ Southern Command, handles the invest- ment firm Israel Corp’s clean-tech invest- ments. Moshe Kaplinsky, a former IDF deputy chief of staff, is now chief executive officer of Better Place’s Israel operation.

Samia spoke recently at a gathering of industry professionals sponsored by the investment firm Israel Cleantech Ventures as part of a panel of former IDF officials now working in clean tech.

“It’s a lot of fun to work in this field. I’m driven by the sense of curiosity it fos- ters,” he told an overflow crowd. “There is also a sense of national responsibility to what we are doing.”

Elad Frankel, CEO of Aqwise, an ad- vanced wastewater treatment solutions company and veteran of a prestigious in- telligence unit called 8200, spoke of how experience gained in the army is good preparation for the industry.

He said it was in the army that he learned to analyze complex problems and come up with solutions with limited resources.

“In the army we learn how to follow through on a mission,” Frankel said. “And now we have the clean-tech revolution, which is doing good things not just when it comes to water and energy. It’s also giving Israel a name in a more positive industry.”

PHOTO BY HAIM AZULAY/FLASH90/JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY Wind turbines in Israel, such as these seen near Kibbutz Ein Zivan in the Golan Heights, are being improved by technology created for military helicopter propellers.

Munich, Germany, October 15, 2009

Siemens to decisively strengthen its position in the growth market solar thermal power
Acquisition of Solel Solar Systems for about $418 million
Siemens AG is to acquire the solar thermal power company Solel Solar Systems Ltd. To date, the majority stake has been held by Ecofin Ltd., a London-based investment firm, and another major shareholder. “After the rapid and highly successful expansion of our wind power business, we now want to continue this success story in the solar sector. With the acquisition of Solel, Siemens can now strengthen its market position in the promising business of solar thermal power plants. We can thus further expand our extensive Environmental Portfolio – and, as already announced, we will become even greener,” said Siemens President and CEO Peter Löscher. Solel Solar Systems has a workforce of over 500 and is one of the world´s two leading suppliers of solar receivers, which are key components of so-called parabolic trough power plants. The high-growth company, which posted revenue totaling almost $90 million in the first six months of its current fiscal year (January 1 to June 30, 2009), is also a leader in the planning and construction of solar fields. The purchase price is about $418 million (currently equivalent to around €284 million1). The transaction is subject to approval by the responsible authorities. It is anticipated that the closing will take place before the end of this calendar year.
Solel is a successful company in the future-oriented solar power sector, with decades of experience in the development and manufacture of solar field equipment and the planning and construction of solar fields. Since 2006, Solel has also been present on the Spanish market, supplying key components for 15 solar thermal power plants with a combined capacity of 750 megawatts. In addition, the company is also active on the important U.S. market.
“Siemens and Solel are a perfect match,” said René Umlauft, CEO of Siemens’ Renewable Energy Division. “We are the market leader in steam turbines for solar thermal power plants and, with the power block, we can offer a key part for solar power plants – the part that is responsible for power generation. Solel boasts high-efficiency receiver technology and comprehensive expertise in the engineering and construction of solar fields. In the future, we’ll be able to offer the key components for the construction of parabolic trough power plants from a single source and to further enhance the efficiency of these plants.”
Until 2020, the market for solar thermal power plants will show annual double-digit growth rates and attain a volume of over €20 billion. In the future, the primary focal growth regions will be the U.S., South Africa, Australia, Spain, India, North Africa and the Middle East.
“Together, we will utilize our know-how in these core competencies to further optimize the water/steam cycle and to further boost the efficiency of solar thermal power plants. Thus we can accelerate the use of this clean technology,” said Avi Brenmiller, CEO of Solel Solar Systems. “Combined with Siemens’ financial strength and its global sales and marketing activities, this will open up promising prospects for our business and hence also for all of Solel’s employees.”
Parabolic trough power plants are the solar-based power generation technology with the best track record of all utility-scale solar technologies. They are particularly suitable for regions with high levels of direct insolation. The principle is simple: curved sun-tracking mirrors capture the sunlight and concentrate it on the solar receiver. A heat transfer medium, which is heated by the concentrated solar radiation, flows through the solar receiver. In a heat exchanger, steam is then generated for a steam turbine, which drives a generator, which in turn generates electricity. Together with the electrical and instrumentation and control equipment and the cooling systems, these components form the power block of a solar power plant.
Products and solutions for solar thermal power plants are part of the Siemens Environmental Portfolio, with which the company posted revenue of nearly €19 billion in fiscal 2008 – about a quarter of Siemens’ total sales – making Siemens the world’s leading provider of ecofriendly technologies.
Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich, Germany) is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, operating in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. The company has around 410,000 employees (in continuing operations) working to develop and manufacture products, design and install complex systems and projects, and tailor a wide range of solutions for individual requirements. For over 160 years, Siemens has stood for technical achievements, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality. In fiscal 2008, Siemens had revenue of €77.3 billion and a net income of €5.9 billion (IFRS). Further information is available on the Internet at: www.siemens.com.
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Siemens AG
Corporate Communications and Government Affairs
Wittelsbacherplatz 2, 80333 Munich
Deutschland
Reference number: ERE200910.13e
Media Relations: Alfons Benzinger
Telefon: +49 9131 18-7034
E-mail: alfons.benzinger@siemens.com
Siemens AG
Energy Sector – Renewable Energy Division
Freyeslebenstr. 1, 91058 Erlangen

1 At a US$ rate of 1.47
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A group that lobbies and organizes for clean technology will move its headquarters from Boston to Austin to take advantage of what its founder says is Texas’ position to be a leader in developing technologies.

The Clean Technology & Sustainable Industries Organization’s move to Texas won’t mean new jobs at first, said Matthew Laudon, the nonprofit’s president and founding chairman. It has just a few workers, and not all will move south.

But the group’s work connecting technology developers and lobbying on their behalf could pay off for Texas economic development.

Read entire story.

By Roben Farzad

Yavne, a hazy industrial corridor in central Israel, seems at first glance an improbable haven for geothermal technology. Its largely barren environs offer no geysers or volcanoes, the essential raw materials for geothermal energy. Yet this small city of 32,000 is home to Ormat Technologies (ORA), a $2 billion multinational listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYX) that builds geothermal power plants around the world, from Colorado to Kenya.

At a kibbutz, or farming collective, 70 miles to the south in Israel’s Negev Desert, entrepreneur Amit Ziv recycles runoff water from a nearby spa to raise sea bass and barramundi, a white fish in demand at high-end restaurants. He then channels the water from his desert fish farm to grow olives, which he exports to, of all places, Spain. “Seagulls and pelicans must be thinking, ‘What the hell?’ ” remarks Shai Ben-Tal, one of the kibbutzniks.

One can’t help but think the same.

Anyone visiting Israel will quickly realize that its resourcefulness is a matter of necessity. The New Jersey-size nation of 7 million has no choice but to conserve: Marked by long stretches of desert and a dwindling freshwater supply, it is both bereft of natural bounty and flanked by neighbors bent on its annihilation. Simmering hostilities often rise to full-fledged military actions, most recently in December, when Israel responded to Palestinian rockets by invading the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s siege mentality is driving its six-decade quest to coax more from the soil, water, air, and sunlight than do most other nations on earth. In the throes of a three-year drought, for example, Israel leads the world by recycling 70% of its wastewater, three times the figure for No. 2 Spain. Now many of Israel’s so-called cleantech companies, including drip irrigation pioneer Netafim and solar power outfit BrightSource Industries, are exporting their wares around the world. They’re even setting up shop inside that other hotbed of innovation, the U.S. “The world is now realizing it has to deal with things that Israel has had to tackle for 50 years,” says Jacques Benkoski, a venture capitalist with Silicon Valley-based U.S. Venture Partners. “Doing more with less is becoming the standard.”

Read the rest of the story.

Bob Metcalfe invented ethernet. Now, he’s investing in green energy companies. Here what he has to say: video, plus his slides.

Bob Metcalfe: Internet History Applied To Solving Energy

Is clean coal the new tobacco?