If you want to know what enviro startups Silicon Valley movers and shakers think could be the next big green thing, the California Clean Tech Open is a good leading indicator. Last night in San Francisco the Open named six winners in its second annual startup competition. Each winner receives a $100,000 “startup in a box” package that includes $50,000 in cash from such sponsors as Google (GOOG), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Lexus (TM) and California’s Big Three utilities – PG&E (PCG), Southern California Edison (EIX) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SRE). The winners also get $50k worth of legal, marketing, accounting and public relations services from such heavyweights as Silicon Valley law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. The opportunity to mingle with the entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and potential clients who judge the contest probably represents the biggest win of all for these startups. Now the winners:
AMD Smart Power Award
The Lucid Design Group of Oakland, Calif., takes a Web 2.0 approach to environmental monitoring, providing real-time feedback on a building or home’s energy and water usage through an online dashboard. The idea: people will be motivated to cut their electricity and water consumption when they see how much and when power is being used by various appliances.
ENVIRON Foundation and Grundfos Air, Water and Waste Award
Overland Park, Kan., startup Microvi Biotech is using biotechnology to treat waste water, sewage and control pollution.
Google Green Building Award
BuildFast of San Carlos, Calif., makes environmentally sensitive prefab housing kits to erect buildings in disaster zones or in low-income areas.
Lexus Transportation Award
Los Angeles’ Syncromatics is developing technology that uses GPS and mobile phone networks for real-time online tracking of buses to improve efficiency and cut fuel costs.
PG&E, SCE and SDG&E Renewables Award
Rohnert Park, Calif.-based 1-Solar is designing lower-cost and longer-life power inverters for solar arrays and other renewable energy systems. Inverters convert the direct current produced by such systems into the alternating current used in households and businesses.
PG&E, SCE and SDG&E Energy Efficiency Award
Nila of Sherman Oaks, Calif., makes LED lighting systems for Hollywood that it says consume 50 to 75 percent less electricity than traditional lighting used in the entertainment industry.
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Green Wombat 
People are still confused about the green movement. Many are still doing it the wrong headed way! We are still burning firewood and charcoal which is considered the lowest and dirtest fuels of all !!! We are blaming on coal fired plants and commuters for the climate change which is true in part. We are still unenlighened by the horrors of soot and particulates being spewed from firewood and charcoal and I do not know about the climate change effects from firewood and charcoal . We are not talking about them probably because we are not thinking or we might think that we are not burning so much of them. Living next door to a firewood and charcoal (bbq) enthusiast family is more than enough to convince myself of the horrors it can do to one’s health. My health is suffering because of my next door neighbor. I will have cancer before too long and everyone is suggesting that I move out. Give me a break!! Laugh for all you care to… Go ahead!! I support alternate energy and I think everything is being undone with our ever growing use of dirty firewood and charcoal!! They are not even controlled for pollution at all!! Sure , firewood and charcoal is harmless and we are doing cookouts and skiing down the slopes at ski resorts choked with smokes!!