September 03, 2010
To innovate is good, but to fence it in is better
Posted by Markku Rajala
Solar energy business, especially PV module fabrication, will see – after many years of research, promises and financial incentives – tougher competition and consolidation. PV manufacturing is maturing and becoming “ordinary” business. Germany is already paving the way by lowering the incentives for feed-in tariff. This indicates that PV systems are starting to be manufactured and operated cost-effectively.
PV module manufacturing is still, however, in its infancy. Compared to semiconductor manufacturing, the PV module fabrication suffers from low manufacturing capacities, low manufacturing yields and high waste production. There is plenty of need and room for improvement. This is especially true for the Si-thin film photovoltaic modules: the manufacturers have to take a hard look at the manufacturing costs and cell efficiency (such as doubling or tripling the current efficiencies) – but also at making the manufacturing process more “cleantech”. PV modules are, namely, not intrinsically ‘clean’ products. Highly toxic, energy-consuming and environmentally hazardous materials and processes are used during their manufacturing.
Thus, there exists a need to convert research and inventions into innovations also in the PV sector – and then turn the innovations into success!
I actually hate the word innovation. Or, to be more precise, I hate the way we currently use it. Most often it is used as a synonym for “invention”, quite a different thing. Or – in academic language – it seems to take the place of the word “research”: “open innovation” is mixed with “open research”. We should remember that Chesbrough defined open innovation as “a paradigm that assumes that firms can and should use external ideas as well as internal ideas, and internal and external paths to market, as the firms look to advance their technology”.
It is crucial that open innovation is managed by companies, not by research institutes or universities. Companies know (or at least they should know) the market, can set realistic levels both for the product performance and cost, and can prioritize the required research and development efforts. University professors and researchers, in turn, have outstanding competence in solving the problems provided by the companies. However, they have little capability of turning the research results into inventions -> innovations -> success (actually this is a parallel process as well as serial…). Let’s be honest and face it: both parties benefit from open co-operation.
“Open co-operation” does not mean anything like “open source code”. Although the co-operation needs to be open, the results of the collaboration do not, not at least until they are protected. Most often this is done by applying for a patent. Drafting a patent application requires professional skills, usually those of a patent attorney. Yes, it is expensive. But it is much, much more expensive to the Finnish society, if the research results are leaked out and commercialized abroad. We use roughly 7000 M€ each year for r&d - and perhaps roughly 70 M€ for patenting (including also international patenting, annuities, etc). The ratio could and should be something else than 100:1… Here’s a message to the public funders like Tekes: please pay more attention to improved protection of the results of r&d projects. And here’s one to the researchers and universities: please let the companies help you in patenting!
During the past twenty years, patenting has actually changed dramatically. A patent is no longer just a defensive tool, but instead it is a dynamic tool for active business. A tool that requires immaterial asset management and operational decisions. A global tool, which is as important in China as it is in the USA. If you haven’t planned your IPR strategy yet, do it now!
Markku Rajala
Senior Technology Advisor
Beneq Oy
markku.rajala(at)beneq.com
www.beneq.com
August 24, 2010
CLEANTECH, GO EAST!
Posted by Jussi Nykänen
Environmental markets are booming and we all have seen in conferences that the companies operating in these fields have high expectations for growth. These predictions are backed up by the market figures: the size of emissions trading markets have reached €100 billion a year, the renewable energy markets are around €150 billion a year (investments being higher than the investments in fossil fuel-based power production), the demand for solutions to increase energy and material efficiency is rocketing and so on. For Finnish cleantech companies – the best in the world – the situation looks extremely good.
Or Does It?
I see one cloud in the open sky: Our domestic market is not increasing as fast as one would hope. In spite of some positive signs the penetration of new cleantech solutions to the Finnish markets happens slowly, partly due to lack of sufficient financial incentives, partly due to limited willingness for risk taking, partly due to lack of attitude. Strong political messages and new policies are needed to speed up the development to ensure that the promising companies will fly - prior to competitors taking over the markets. We are not alone in these markets!
From the Finnish perspective it is important to get cleantech up from the ground and promote those rising stars who have the courage to target fast growth. For them the message could be
Go East!
…and do not necessarily stop in Russia. China has made decisions to become number one in environmentally sound technologies. The cleantech markets are expected to grow to some EUR 1000 billion a year. We at GreenStream Network Plc, a company managing EUR 150 million investment vehicles investing in emission reduction projects especially in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency, have around 50 projects at different stages of preparation in China. Wind, biogas, biomass, solar, energy efficiency in energy production or consumption, landfill gas collection, you name it, everything happens in China. For an SME going to China is a big step requiring careful planning and help of expert organisations like Cleantech Finland and FECC. However, I am certain that this step is worth taking as the opportunities are sky-high – maybe comparable to gold rush in the other direction some 150 years ago.
Jussi Nykänen
CEO
GreenStream Network Plc.
August 16, 2010
Changing the logic
Posted by Anu Korhonen
We spend the majority of our time indoors: at work, in school or on the move from one place to another. And I’m sure that you have been into horrible indoor environments and spaces that have given a life long experience. This summer has also made it easy: heat and varying wheather conditions, forest fires with causing fine particle emissions have also drawn attention to the quality of the indoor environment.
Indoor environment affects wellbeing and performance. It also affects the wellbeing of the outdoor environment. Recent regulative changes are addressing especially energy consumption of buidlings. However, at the same time we should also make sure that buildings offer good and safe indoor environment for their users.
Environment assessment methods give tools to evaluate environmental impact of different buildings – a job that otherwise would be difficult by just looking at buildings from outside. Some of the assement methods are also taking into account the human wellbeing. That should be the case always: not to have one or the other, but to have both wellbeing and sustainability.
I would like to share a couple of ideas that have been successful in radically reducing energy consumption, improving indoor environment conditions and reducing environmental impact:
Commercial kitchens consume huge amounts of energy in buildings. Typically it has been accustomed to keep ventilation and air conditioning running 100% regardless of the kitchen activity level. We are changing the logic. Ventilation and air conditioning should work based on demand – so kitchen equipment status should affect ventilation system operation as well.
With Halton’s demand controlled ventilation system energy consumption of a typical kitchen can be cut into half while improving working conditions. At the same time the profitability of a restaurant increases as running costs go down. This is remarkable in an industry where margins are typically low. By cleaning the exhaust air efficiently in the process, makes it possible to place restaurants to locations that otherwise would have been impossible before.
Whatever the application, it is wise to actively manage the indoor environment during building life cycle: from design to construction, from construction to commissioning and from commissioning to use. Simulation of indoor environment conditions and life cycle performance in the design phase makes sure that there are no unpleasant surprises when the building is taken into use.
However, even the best designs might not correspond the reality fully as changes happen constantly. In such cases, fine-tuning the indoor environment to correspond the actual use during commissioning helps. We recommend that the indoor environment should also be actively managed during the building use as changes happen. This way indoor environment problems can be better avoided and user satisfaction stays at a good level. Makes sense, right?
Our aim is to enable wellbeing of people and the environment. We believe that wellbeing is a result of the equation: indoor environment + safety + energy efficiency that is applied during the whole building life cycle.
Anu Korhonen
Director, Brand and Communications
Halton Group Ltd.
anu.korhonen(at)halton.com
www.halton.com
July 01, 2010
Start your engines for better air quality!
Posted by Markku Hakkarainen
When I took the post of Proventia CEO a month ago, I came to lead a company that has had great success stories recently with the tens of thousands of exhaust gas purifiers delivered for Asian and US clean air projects. A remarkable achievement for a small company with headquarters in Oulunsalo – far away from the global emission control markets. Now, as the potential market for the off-road machine industry is rapidly growing, with new legislation in the EU and the US coming into force, we at Proventia must step up with our own strengths: diverse experience, innovative technology, dedicated professionals, flexibility and, above all, the ability to develop and apply new operating approaches in serving global customers – all of these will be keys to success in the future.
What makes the emission control business so interesting is that the most significant market drivers, without any doubt, are legislation and politics! My previous base for instance, was in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the US, thanks to President Obama’s greener environmental policy. The new US president gave a nice boost to retrofit projects in the US last year. Behind the politics are always people and a growing awareness of adverse health and environmental effects of diesel emissions. Cities in Asia, the US, Europe, and in our neighboring countries Sweden, Norway and Denmark, have all established hundreds of what are known as Low Emission Zones. Entering these zones is free only for the vehicles that comply with the local emission restrictions. Unfortunately, when it comes to reducing emissions through legislation, we Finns have not been the forerunners – so far.
Some weeks ago Proventia launched the Emission Control ShowTruck, which will tour Europe with the mission of increasing public awareness of emission cleaning possibilities. On a beautiful Friday in May, the Proventia truck was parked in front of the Finnish Parliament House in Helsinki, where the decision makers had an opportunity to acquaint themselves with emission control technologies. At the moment the truck is touring Denmark, from where it will continue to Germany.
The latest research shows that the diesel pollutant, particulate matter, is in fact the second most potent global warming agent after carbon dioxide. Whereas carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for up to a hundred years, particulates stay in the atmosphere for only a few weeks. This means that reducing particulate matter has an immediate effect on air quality, so let’s reduce these particulates and other diesel pollutants as well! Cost-effective means are available.
We at Proventia work for clean air. Slowing down climate change is our global target. Clean air is everyone’s right!
Markku Hakkarainen
President & CEO
Proventia Group
www.proventia.fi
All posts
