Silver Spring Networks Tops Global Cleantech 100 Ranking

The Guardian and Cleantech Group  have released their second annual Global Cleantech 100 report that highlights the most promising private clean technology companies in the world. The report is segmented by geography and by industry sector.

The study reveals that Silver Spring Networks is the highest ranking 2010 Global Cleantech 100 company. Rounding out the top ten North American companies, in addition to Silver Spring Networks, are Amyris Biotechnologies, Bridgelux, BrightSource Energy, eMeter, Enphase Energy, Hara, Opower, Solar City and Zipcar.

Silver Spring Networks also topped the report’s “2010 Lust List,” a subset of the Global Cleantech 100 companies that are consistently admired by non-stakeholder peers with no dissenters, according to the report. Four other companies made the list: Zipcar, Opower, Bridgelux and BrightSource Energy.

The selected companies are the most likely to make the most significant market impact over the next five to ten years.

The Global Cleantech 100 sample pool consisted of 4,616 nominations, resulting in a list of 3,138 companies from 50 countries.

The final list of 218 companies were presented to a panel of 60 experts including leading investors such as Emerald Technology Ventures, Generation Investment Management, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, New Enterprise Associates, SAM Private Equity, Sequoia Capital, and VantagePoint Venture Partners. Companies also are represented on the panel including BASF, GE, Honeywell, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, and Veolia.

Of the 100 companies in the 2010 Global Cleantech 100 list, only 43 were in the 2009 list. High turnover is consistent with the infancy of cleantech innovation, say report researchers.

A key finding shows that North America’s share increased from 55 percent to 57 percent of the overall findings, as well as Asia-Pacific’s from 3 percent to 7 percent, at the expense of Europe and Israel, whose overall share declined from 42 percent to 37 percent.

The U.S., led by California, remains the dominant country, which reflects its leadership in creating venture capital-funded, innovation-based, technology companies, according to the report.

The study also reveals that energy efficiency has overtaken solar as the hottest sub-sector this year, with 15 companies on the list. Biofuels matched solar, with 14 companies.

However, renewable energy generation technology companies’ share of the Global Cleantech 100 fell from 37 to 33 this year.

The report also finds that smart grid is the most active partnership space within the cleantech sector, while Google, GE, IBM, PG&E, and Siemens, are the most active partners with 2010 Global Cleantech 100 companies.