Last year’s California Clean Tech Open winner GreenVolts is a poster child for how a startup can capitalize on the startup contest to bootstrap itself into some major deals. Working from a San Francisco office provided by utility PG&E (PCG) as part of its contest winnings, GreenVolts earlier this year scored a contract with its benefactor to build a 2-megawatt solar power station using the solar startup’s high concentration photovoltaic technology. The company’s microdishes track the sun and focus its rays on small but highly efficient solar cells. Rotating platforms each hold 176 of the dishes.
So it was appropriate that GreenVolts CEO Bob Cart announced last night at this year’s Clean Tech Open ceremony that the company had raised $10 million in its latest round of funding. The company also said that its demonstration solar power plant for Spokane, Wash.-based utility Avista (AVA) had begun generating electricity. Avista had made an earlier investment in GreenVolts and participated in the latest round, which was led by Greenlight Energy Resources.
Green Wombat 
Those solar engineers are really stupid about the costs and benefits on solar opportunities. You see, they are not looking for the really cheapest ways to cut down on energy usage. The first thing I can think of is to cut down any evergreen trees that block sunlight to homes during wintertimes. Take Italian cypress, pine, redwood , whatever . Just cut those damn trees and plant in right places where sunlight are not blocked. This alone can save 25% on heating bills. No costs !! The other thing I thought of is to install simple solar mirrors on north sides of homes where sunlight never see but can be reflected back from the south . That way homes will be hit by sunlight on all four sides all day and the homes will be basked in warmth or be warded off from the cold outdoors. Mirrors are low tech cheap costs mounted on tracker mechanisms that can be mass produced and sold for even cheaper. Those trackers can be powered by a small PV module of 10Watt because trackers move so slow , maybe only 3 watt. Do not install fancy alternate systmes in balmy areas like Berkeley where utitily bills are not that outlandish. It makes more financial sense to install inland areas where it is hotter and more extreme. Those wooly liberals just want to rub noses at the big utiilites by chopping firewood and polluting the air even more. c’mon woooly liberal smokers!!