It’s not a Trekker that is commonly seen flying on the streets and sidewalks of cities like Tel Aviv. It’s also not a car, as is the Better Place Renault Fluence ZE that was test driven recently by Green Prophet on busy thoroughfares leading in and out of Tel Aviv.  But at only NIS 9,000 or US$2,250, the Green Motors International Runner could be the answer for city dwellers who want a vehicle that is economical to run, easy to park, quiet and non-polluting.

For Israelis who want to feel patriotic and a “blue-white” product (one assembled in Israel), they will be happy to know that it is put together in the country’s only automobile assembly factory, Automotive Industries Ltd in Upper Nazareth.      This company used to assemble Ford’s Escort models during the 1970’s, as well as several fiberglass body cars such as the icons Sussita and Sabra models, now worth more as collectors items than they often were when new.

The Runner electric scooter is the brainchild of two young Israeli entrepreneurs,who hope their fledgling company will provide a clean and  economical transportation solution for city dwellers who live and work in a total commuting distance area that is no more than a total of 40 km per battery charge, the present range of this vehicle.

The two wheeler, recently test driven by a Haaretz news reporter,  although not much to look at might actually carry two persons around town – if the one riding on the small rear jump seat is prepared to suffer a bit.

The Runner is assembled of parts made in both Russia and China. It also has a finish similar to something one might have seen coming from the Soviet Bloc back in the 1950’s or ’60s. The scooter is powered by a small 2 hp electric motor that uses a standard silicon-gel battery that can be recharged by plugging into an ordinary household current circuit. Despite the motor’s small size, it can still propel a rider along at speeds of up to 70 kph (40 mph) which is fine for getting around in inter city traffic.

Uri Duek, one of two company founders, says that their vehicle is “the poor man’s Better Place”. Trying to compare their Runner  two wheeled scooter to the Renault Fluence electric cars that Shai Agassi’s Better Place  “got wired” back in 2008 is a bit premature, however.

The Better Place company (which just set a world record for EV distance with Holden of Australia) has been developing an electric car network that allows car owners to exchange or switch the battery at special stations now being opened in various parts of Israel, as well as abroad.

For city dwellers who don’t mind a vehicle that won’t win any appearance contests and whose ride is a bit on the bumpy side, the Runner might well be the answer for one’s transportation needs. The Haaretz reporter did not give the scooter an enthusiastic review, however; and he even recommended that a prospective purchaser wait until more refined versions come out.

But as the old saying goes: beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

::Haaretz

More articles on electric scooters and EVs:
Green Prophet Test Drives Better Place Electric Car
Trekker’s Electric Scooters Fly Around the Streets of Tel Aviv
Anywhere You Go Freego, Electric Scooters in Tel Aviv
A DIY Build Your Own Electric Car

The post Is This Runner Electric Scooter A Poor Man’s Better Place? appeared first on Green Prophet.

The Japanese company in charge of rehabilitation recently sent a delegation to Israel looking for experts and entrepreneurs, especially in the fields of water management and recycling. According to the company’s liaison in Israel, Lior Daeri, Israeli groups that participate will receive tax breaks worth NIS 50 million (roughly $12.8 million dollars).

Israel’s green business sectors have developed strong connections throughout Asia. China and Israel are currently collaborating on solar energy projects. India and Israel are working together in agricultural innovation and restoration efforts, especially with regards to India’s waterways.

Back in May, twelve young leaders completed a year-long Israel-Asia Leaders Fellowship Program, organized by the Israel-Asia Center in Jerusalem. Many of the fellows, from countries such as Singapore, China, and India, spent the year working part-time at an international networking platform and studying at Israeli universities, pursuing graduate degrees in environmental and agricultural-fields.

But one Asian superpower has so far been absent from Israel’s diverse green partnerships. While Israel imports around $2.5 billion worth of goods a year from Japan, Israel exports much less to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Politics and cultural differences previously stood in the way of Israel developing closer relations with Japan. According to Dr. Roni Burstein, chairman of the Israel-Japan Friendship Society and Chamber of Commerce , Japan imports 90 percent of its oil from Arab countries that do not have good relations with Israel.

Also, Japanese culture, conservative, polite and centered on the value of tradition, is in many ways juxtaposed to the Israeli start-up, pioneer ethos. Independent, tenacious Israeli entrepreneurs generally prefer uncensored opinions and minimal ceremony. The local Israeli phrase “combina,” derived from the English word combine, means to get something done through creativity, connections, ingenuity, or the unusual use of available resources.

But the tides are changing. Both nations are on the cutting edge of developing technology. And slowly, closer ties are being formed. American-born Professor Kenneth Grossberg is currently organizing a tour of Israel for Japanese businessmen and students from the prestigious Waseda University in Tokyo. They will visit the Technion, Israeli Institute of Technology; Haifa’s Matam Research Park, home to IBM, Google, Philips, and Microsoft facilities; Tefen Industrial Park, built by industrialist Stef Wertheimer to promote creativity by linking industry with art, and companies such as Nanometrics and Given Imaging, creator of the “pill camera.”

“Japan and Israel are like yin and yang, but their opposite sides complement each other,” said Grossberg. As long as the situation remains relatively stable in Israel, the Japanese are open to increased collaboration.

::Ynet

Image of nuclear plant in Japan via Silverkblack, Shutterstock

Images of Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art in Haifa via  Hanay and Asaf Elron, Wikimedia Commons

Read more about Israel’s green connections to Asia:

Why China Will be Tipping Point for EVs – Interview With Better Place’s Mike Granoff

Israel and Korea to boost environmental cooperation

NaanDanJain’s Irrigation Technology Strengthens Ties Between India and Israel

The post Japan Wants Israel Clean Tech Experts to Rebuild Fukushima appeared first on Green Prophet.

What if industrial building managers could see exactly how much energy their building is using, where in the building that energy is going, and how much it is costing them at every moment to use that energy? How much energy could be saved?

One Israeli company is bringing a new device to market that will make all these things possible: Panaromic Power has developed a self-powered wireless circuit sensor that can collect data on energy usage, integrate it, and relay that information in real-time, through a cloud-based (SaaS) P3E platform, to a single dashboard.

Over the last decade and a half, Israel has become famous for its high-tech industry that has created patented devices for a wide range of industries in the global market. But combining cleantech and energy efficiency technology with high-tech advances is a relatively new breakthrough for the industry, one that financial backers like venture-capital firm Israel Cleantech Ventures (ICV) is working hard to support.

Metering for energy savings is something that is popular across every industry, said one of ICV’s three parterns Jack Levy in an interview with me. He said Panaromic Power realized how important energy data is to almost everyone–retail stores, supermarkets, hospitals, industrial factories–and worked hard to innovative both hardware and software that would provide accurate data relatively cheaply.

Levy added that in difficult economic times Panoramic Power’s devices are actually more likely to be sold, because customers are looking for ways to save money. With the promise of a relatively quick return on investment, which can be multiplied as businesses compare notes and share their energy data, metering devices are actually very attractive these days.

“Panoramic Power’s technology helps energy, facility and corporate managers dramatically reduce a building’s energy and operations costs by providing a level of understanding about power consumption never dreamed of before. Information is truly power in this case,” said Dr. David Almagor, CEO of Panoramic Power, in a company statement.

But abundant energy data also comes with a cost. Hackers and competitors can see extremely detailed information about a company or business if they get their hands on a data sheet. That concern might be less worrisome though for a commercial building than for a residential building, a space Panomaric Power has yet to penetrate.

But Panoramic Power has done quite well in establishing its importance for the industrial and commercial markets. It has not only secured private funding from Israel Cleantech Ventures. It is also being funded by California-based VC Greylock Partners, Qualcomm, The Israel Electric Company, and Clal Energy. The company also received critical research and development funding in 2010 from BIRD — the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, a joint fund of the U.S. Department of Energy and Israel’s Ministry of National Infrastructures.

Although it just went commerical this week, Panoramic Power has already had it public debut in the United States. In April 2010 the California Israel Chamber of Commerce selected 10 Israeli cleantech companies to present at the annual CICC Cleantech Tour and Showcase. One of them was Panoramic Power.

::Panoramic Power

Image of electric circuitry from Shutterstock

The post Panoramic Power Opens Window To Energy Cloud and Supply Chain appeared first on Green Prophet.

ICV is an Israeli venture capital fund that was founded in 2006 to focus exclusively on raising capital for investment in renewable energy companies. In its February financial filing the company showed it had raised nearly half the $100 million it has set to raise this year. As international funds like Blackstone begin noticing the Israeli cleantech sector, the homegrown ICV fund will become incrasingly significant on the global map.

Last February, ICV also reached the mid-point of its 2011 $100 million goal, staying focused on cleantech VC at a time when much of the world was questioning the availability of fresh capital for renewable energy. Early in its career, ICV exceeded expectations: in May 2008, the firm closed its debut fund at $75 million, far exceeding its original target of $60 million.

ICV finances a diverse portfolio of renewable energy, water, agricultural, energy efficiency, smart grid/communications, green IT, and power electronics companies with the goal of transforming innovative research to commercially-viable technology. According to its website, ICV’s portfolio includes AqWise, Better Place, BrightView, Cellera, CRE, Emefcy, FRX Polymers, Innosave, Metrolight, Panoramic Power, Pythagoras, Scodix, and Tigo Energy.

Among this list is Pythagoras, a now a well-established international firm with offices in California, US that manufactures a completely unique clear solar skylight that lets light through and Better Place, the well-known electric car recharging company that is making a bet on battery swapping. Both got their boost into the limelight with the firm. Tigo improves the performance of solar arrays, both at the rooftop and at the utility-scale level. Emefcy has a boot in both the water and energy camps: it makes clean energy from dirty water in a waste water treatment process.

At a recent panel of the Cleantech Global Innovation Index, which named Israel this month as second best in the world for cleantech innovation after Denmark, ICV partner Meir Ukeles noted that Israeli innovation is in large part attributable to the country’s mandatory military service that places young adults, ages 18-21, in leadership roles that give them both exposure to the world of technology research and a healthy dose of self confidence. He added that the tiny size of Israel has made commercializing technology more challenging than innovation.

Image of digital green via Shutterstock

The post Israeli Cleantech VC Nears $100 Million Goal appeared first on Green Prophet.

Following a number of  Israeli clean technology companies being winners in the General Electric Company’s Green Innovation Marathon, GE has announced plans to establish a “Green Tech Shop” in Haifa in which a number of renewable energy and other green technology projects will be developed under the giant American electronics company’s sponsorship. One of these green companies, Winflex LTD, is set on proving that harnessing energy from the wind does not have to involve the use of  large cumbersome wind turbines, such as the wind turbines now churning away on the Golan Heights.

Winflex wind rotor

What is unique about Winflex’s inflatable wind turbines is that they are made out of “light, flexible and inexpensive cloth sheets made out of composite materials.” The result are light weight portable wind turbines that can be installed virtually anywhere – even on home rooftops – and result in a much shorter return on equipment investment than conventional wind turbines. By reducing costs and erection time of equipment, it reduces need for government subsidies, according to Winflex’s Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Vladimir Kliatzkin.

Using inflatable, easily installed wind turbines is a novel idea, especially compared to those giant whirling wind turbines are now becoming commonplace in many western European countries, such as Spain, France, Belgium, Denmark, and Holland. Winflex’s designs uses a much lighter rotor around which the turbine blades revolve like sails from a sailing vessel. The turbines are designed to operate in varying weather conditions, including stormy weather. So far, WINFLEX  has designed, built, tested and successfully connected to the grid for over two years 2 POC turbines: 10 kW & 200 kW. The company’s primary objective is to penetrate the wind turbine energy market with a 1 MW turbine.

With a shorter investment return and much easier portability than conventional wind turbines, it appears that Winflex may be on its way to providing a practical and affordable renewable energy solution that will provide endless renewable and “free” energy with minimum, if any, environmental restrictions. At this point, this appears to be a “win win” idea to capture and harness the wind.

Winflex Ltd:

Read more about renewable energy projects in Israel:

GE Sets up Green Tech Shop in Israel

Israel Companies Winners in GE Green Innovation Marathon

Are Golan Heights Wind Turbines Taking a “Back Seat” to Solar Energy?

The post Winflex Inflatable Turbines Prove Wind Energy Practical Anywhere appeared first on Green Prophet.

An Israeli resident who has been backing that country’s superior high tech development for nearly two decades has now co-launched a Palestinian venture capital fund called Sadara. Yadin Kauffman and Saed Nashef officially inaugurated the new fund yesterday at an event attended by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salem Fayyad.

Financed by heavyweight capitalists such as Google, Cisco Systems, AOL founder Steve Case, the George Soros Economic Development Fund, and the European Investment Bank, this launch heralds a significant milestone for Palestinian innovators. Although the fund is designed to develop software companies and startups, we’re hoping for a much-needed green thrust. 

$28 out of the planned $50 million has already been raised to fund 12 Palestinian start up companies, Nashef told Globes, adding that they would continue to invest in approximately three new companies each year.

“We’ve just begun operations, and we prefer to wait until we have a complete picture about the opportunities in the sector,” he said.

Sadara’s co-founder Yadin Kauffman, a lawyer from New York who now makes his home in Israel, began working with Athena Venture Partners in 1987 and currently works with Veritas Venture Partners.

According to the Society of Kauffman Fellows, the Middle East Venture Capital Fund is being established to make investments in export-oriented, high-growth software companies and start ups originating in the Palestinian Territories.

Saed Nashef is the founder and CTO of Equiom, Inc., a 70-person software consultancy and project outsourcing firm with operations in Washington and Colorado, and founder and Managing Director of Equiom-MENA, which provides offshore software outsourcing services from the West Bank to companies in the US and Europe.

Combined with the scars of political unrest, the wrath of climate change is sure to increasingly unlash its fury on the Palestinian people. Water, food, power, pollution, and waste management are just a small selection of environmental challenges they face. This new fund has the power to meet those problems head on, starting with job creation.

:: Globes

More on Cleantech in the Middle East:

Sharjah Students Win Prestigious Award for Making Energy From Noise

Cloud Invented: Will Solve Climate Change

This Year’s US/Israel Venture Summit: Where Capital Lifts Innovation Off the Ground

image via webflunkie

The post Google And George Soros Behind Promising Palestinian Sadara Venture Capital Fund appeared first on Green Prophet.

Governor Deval Patrick tour through Israel and the UK is aimed at fostering stronger “green” partnerships.

During a ten day trip that commenced in Israel on March 7th, delegates of The Massachusetts Innovation Economy Partnership Mission 2011 are meeting with Israeli and UK business leaders and government officials.

The focus of these meetings will be on expanding cleantech businesses, jobs, and collaboration. Governor Deval Patrick kicked off the tour with a forum held this past Tuesday at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herziliya, where he expressed his hopes to strengthen an already solid relationship between Israel and Massachusetts.

“Like Israel, Massachusetts is proud to be a global leader in the clean energy and green jobs economy,” said Governor Patrick. “With our talented people, world-class institutions, and supportive government leaders we are letting the world know that Massachusetts is a great place to start or grow a clean energy business.”

Approximately 100 Israeli businesses in Massachusetts employed nearly 6,000 people and generated $2.4 billion in 2009. Their direct and indirect economic impact amounted to $7.8 billion.

Meanwhile, demonstrative of their firm cleantech cooperation, the United States accounts for 12.35% of Israel’s imports, according to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

By bringing together delegations of business leaders and policy makers from regions with pioneering people, policies and academic institutions, we are forging a partnership that will further drive innovation in the clean energy industry, said Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) Executive Director Patrick Cloney. We are eager to collaborate with the Israeli clean tech community to help clean energy companies achieve success faster.

While in Israel, the delegation visited Pythagoras Solar in Petach Tichva and representatives of Israel Cleantech Ventures.

This delegation offers a great opportunity for Israel’s vibrant clean tech community to engage with industry leaders and policy makers from a region that is at the forefront of the U.S. clean tech market, said Israel Cleantech Ventures Partner Meir Ukeles. Just as earlier generations of Israeli software, communications and life sciences companies built strong ties to Massachusetts, we look forward to energy and water innovation being at the heart of Israel-Massachusetts collaboration going forward.

During the Patrick-Murray administration, the state has forged a strident path that emphasizes solar, lighting, biofuels, energy efficiency, security, and greenhouse gas emissions innovations. The governor will next carry his experience and vision to London and Cambridge.

:: MassCEC

More cleantech news from the Middle East:
“If I Die” Allows Facebook To Prepare A Video Clip Launched At Death
Were Tesla’s Solar Innovations Buried By Big Oil?
Did GlassPoint Get The Glass House Idea In The Middle East?

The post Massachusetts Governor Firms Up Ties With Israel’s Cleantech Superpowers appeared first on Green Prophet.

During the past week, the Eilat Eilot Renewable Energy Conference took place in Israel and several companies struck deals and agreements were signed. Chicago and Jerusalem formed an environmental partnership, while Poland and the US city of Akron signed water deals. Check below for these stories and the rest of this week’s headlines.

Partnerships
1. Israel and Chicago Form Historic Environmental Partnership
“We need mammoth human collaboration in order to surmount our global environmental problems. And let’s face it, we have a few of those: coral reefs potentially a thing of the past by 2050, oil set to peak just as the demand for it increases, and water- the source of all life – already a luxury commodity in places like Yemen. But it isn’t over till it’s over. In recognition of their numerous challenges, but determined to overcome them, two cities are planning to create mutual solutions…”

2. Israel and Poland sign agreement on water, energy (Roundup)
” Israel and Poland signed a joint declaration of cooperation on water supply and sustainable energy technology Thursday, as the two countries held a joint cabinet meeting that Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu said would strengthen ties…”

3. Akron inks deal for water security
“Akron plans to spend about $3.5 million to upgrade the security of its water-treatment facilities…”

Investment
4. “Cleantech funding focuses on mature cos”
“One of the questions that have been raised about the global cleantech industry is whether venture capital funds can finance companies in the field, and bring them to an exit…”

5. Israel Cleantech Ventures Raising $100 Million for Energy Innovation
‘Israel Cleantech Ventures, the tiny but talented nation’s first cleantech-focused fund, is now more than halfway to raising a $100 million fund, according to a filing this week…”

Transportation
6. Proposed California Bill Could Be Big for Israel’s Innowattech
“Energy Harvesting Journal posted earlier today that California Assemblyman Mike Gatto has proposed a bill that would require the state to use piezoelectric technology on its highways. The technology generates electricity from the vibrations on the road that are created by passing vehicles…”

Water
7. Israel’s IDE Uses Waste Heat in China for “Greener” Desalinated Water
“Israel has been a world leader in desalination technology and projects by through companies like Tahal and IDE Technologies. IDE has already constructed more than 400 desalination plants in 40 countries, including at least 3 in Israel – the world’s largest reverse osmosis plants. Now IDE is expanding its foreign operations even more by signing a deal with China’s large Tianjin SDIC electricity company to build four additional Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) desalination units, each with a production capacity of 25,000 cubic meters of distilled water per day. The idea is to power the plants using wasted heat from other sources…”

Missed last week’s headlines edition? Catch up on green software, Israel’s cleantech plan, how Israel will lead the search for oil substitutes, and more.

Image via moaksey.

The post Israel Cleantech Intelligence: Renewable Energy and 6 Headlines appeared first on Green Prophet.

Greenpeace Israel responds to the Carmel fire by stating that “climate changes are already here and taking a heavy toll.”

The fire in Israel’s Carmel region has eaten away at 5000 hectares of forest land and countless trees this week.  It has been the worst fire to take place in Israel’s national history, and has destroyed nearly double the amount that 30 years of intermittent fires had previously effected in the Carmel region.  By rough estimate, it will take at least 50 years to replant and regrow all of the trees that were lost and bring the Carmel Forest close to its former condition.

It has been, among other things, an environmental tragedy.  Greenpeace Israel hoped to make that clear this week when it issued a public statement about the larger repercussions of the fire.

The organization stated that

“Greenpeace wishes to emphasize that this fire is a direct expression of the effects of climate change and global warming which threaten us all.  Climate change is already here and it is taking a heavy human toll!  We are at the beginning of the month of December and are experiencing summer temperatures and no rain.  If there were rains this year, the ground and trees would have been wet and a fire of this sort would not have raged out of control in such a devastating way.  Fires such as these can be expected to take place more frequently and in larger scales as a result of climate change.

Israel must take this warning sign seriously and take immediate measures in order to eradicate the effects of climate change.  Israel must cancel its plans to construct another coal plant, reduce use of fossil fuels, and realize that we are dealing with an international struggle.”

Hila Krupsky, Director of the Energy Department at Greenpeace, said that “the current fire should light one big warning sign for us all.  Even Prime Minister Netanyahu said yesterday that one of the greatest threats we are facing is global warming.  The most sophisticated equipment and the largest army cannot help us with that struggle.  We must understand that in this war, only correct use of energy and reduction of greenhouse gases will limit this scary phenomenon.”

Image via: Jerusalem Post

Read more about the fire in the Israeli Carmel Forest::
Israel Carmel Fire – Taking Stock of How it Happened
Initial Israel Fire Sparks Suspected Cases of Arson
Worst Fire in Israel’s Modern History Continues to Rage Out of Control

The post Greenpeace Responds to Israel Carmel Fire and States “Climate Changes are Already Here” appeared first on Green Prophet.