If you’re looking for a new cleantech startup idea, the San Diego Regional Energy Innovation Network (SD-REIN) recently released a report that identifies cleantech market opportunities in the Southern California region.
The report, entitled “Regional Energy Technology Priorities and Needs,” was presented at an SD-REIN meeting on March 9, 2017. It will be used to guide the admission of new startup companies into the SD-REIN accelerator program. As such, it contains a useful perspective on new energy opportunities from the perspective of many would-be partners, customers, and investors of new cleantech companies.
The report identifies a number of trends in the Southern California region and then explains how those trends will drive the need for new clean energy technologies. Here is a short summary:
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High penetration of distributed solar: San Diego County has installed over 700 MW of distributed solar and the level is growing rapidly. Continuing this expansion will require more efficient solar modules and smart inverters, plus new ways to integrate these system through energy storage and energy management software.
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Need for more electric vehicles: California is on pace to reach 620,000 electric vehicles by 2025, which is short of the Governor’s goal of 1.5 million by that date. To get there, the state needs new advances in electric vehicle batteries and expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
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Increasing inland populations: As the population increases in these warmer, dryer regions, the state will need more energy efficiency and demand management solutions.
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Large military footprint: The Department of Defense has been an early adopter of new energy technologies, and presents opportunities for partnering around things like distributed energy resources and microgrids, for example.
As you can see, this is a helpful guide to new clean energy market opportunities in the Southern California region. New startups and new innovation will be needed in all of these sectors in order to facilitate the state of California meeting its various climate change goals. Check out the full report for a complete discussion of these opportunities.
