Making the Most of Innovation
Companies must bridge the gap between old and new technologies to succeed

Recently we interviewed Professor Daniel Snow of Harvard Business School to discuss his research in absorptive capacity, the measure of how well companies can collect and make use
of new knowledge.    In his recent research, Professor Snow has found that companies that invest in Research and Development on “future technology” are more successful in integrating components of those future technologies, or radical innovations, into their current products.  In this interview, we discussed the impacts of this idea on R&D decisions as well as the challenges startups face to bridge the gap between old and new technologies.

Q. How does this principle apply to startups in cutting edge fields?

"If you’re that startup. . .the lesson is not that you should stay out of the industry.  The lesson is that when you’re thinking about hiring people, staffing your board or hiring executives, you need to have people in there who really understand how the industry works.  The concept of absorptive capacity works both ways.  What it’s really about is being able to absorb, synthesize and make use of technologies that are somewhat removed from the core of what you’re doing.  If you’re in a lab or you’re a small company you need to be able to absorb technologies that are outside of your space of experience.  Even if it’s stuff you think of as boring, older technologies or distribution channels, you have to understand it to succeed"

Full interview

Thermoelectrics for Green Cooling and Heating

Thermoelectrics, solid state technologies that convert between temperature gradients and electric currents, have long been recognized as a potential green alternative to conventional cooling and heating devices. However their performance has changed very little over the last 40 years. Now, thanks to renewed R&D efforts, improved results are being achieved. For example, BSST, a subsidiary of Amerigon Inc., has developed an improved thermodynamic cycle that increases the performance of thermoelectrics up to a factor of two in many applications. When used in conjunction with high power density materials, these devices use less than 1/6 the material of conventional ones, greatly reducing their size, weight, and cost. This greatly expands the range of applications available for the technology, which can replace mechanical temperature control devices for electronics, medical and therapeutic devices, shipping containers, and more.

More information and technical papers

Renewable Energy Grows Up

In a recent RE Insider article published on Renewable Energy Access, Jon Guice assess some of the emerging trends in renewable energy development. In particular he notes a parallel between the scale-up of wind turbines and the increasingly centralized development of solar. Just as windmills began as an energy source tool for small off-grid applications and moved towards today's multi-megawatt turbines, photvoltaics have moved away from remote applications to grid-connected systems and large solar power plants.

Full Article

Power-Gen Renewable Energy
March 6-8, 2007
Las Vegas, NV
This conference, co-sponsored by ACORE, brings together the wind, solar, biofuels, hydro and geothermal sectors to cover the trends and issues impacting the renewable energy industry.

Energy 2.0 The MIT Energy Conference
March 9-10, 2007
Cambridge, MA
The MIT Energy Conference will highlight new initiatives and partnerships together with technologists, entrepreneurs and policy makers who are working to foster innovative solutions to tomorrow's energy challenges.

Cleantech 2007, presented by the Nano Science and Technology Institute
May 23-24, 2007
Santa Clara, CA
Cleantech 2007 is a multi-disciplinary and multi-sector conference on global sustainability addressing advancements in traditional technologies, emerging technologies and clean business practices.

GreenMountain Engineering, LLC is the leading design engineering consultancy serving renewable energy and other cleantech companies. GreenMountain specializes in the design of new devices, products and production systems and is known for innovative approaches to new products and new manufacturing equipment. The firm’s solar power practice—with clients such as Evergreen Solar, SunPower Corporation and DayStar Technologies—encompasses the entire supply chain, from fundamental technologies and cells to modules and systems. GreenMountain Engineering offices are located in San Francisco and just outside Boston in Waltham, Massachusetts.

GreenMountain is hiring!
GreenMountain Engineering is actively seeking talented professionals who are committed to making a difference in the world and environment with their work. For more information and to see full descriptions, visit the Careers Page .

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