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For Buyers, Carbon Labels Tap into Worry on Warming

URL: http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/09/11/for_buyers_carbon_labels_tap_into_worry_on_warming/ Website: http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/09/11/for_buyers_carbon_labels_tap_into_worry_on_warming/     

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Expansion Capital Closes $100M Cleantech Fund

Expansion Capital Partners, LLC, has announced the final closing for the firm’s Clean Technology Fund II, LP with more than $100,000,000. Founded in early 2002, Expansion Capital was the first fund focused exclusively on expansion-stage, CleanTech equity investments. Clean Technology Fund II is backed by the founding families of a dozen Fortune 1000 companies, numerous family foundations, several corporate strategic investors and leading financial institutions. Mark Donohue, the firm’s founder stated: “We are gratified by the investor confidence in our management team. This fundraising success reflects our strong portfolio of seven announced investments by Fund II. This capital will allow us to partner with more CleanTech entrepreneurs, as we work to grow companies into respected industry leaders, while creating real, sustainable value for shareholders and our planet.” Expansion Capital’s management team includes General Partners Bernardo Llovera, formerly of GE Equity, and Diana Propper de Callejon, a co-founder of EA Capital, and Mark Donohue. The firm’s Principals include Kjartan Jansen and Alex Sloan. The team features 75 years of private equity, CleanTech, investment management and entrepreneurial operating experience, combined with proven track records as successful venture capital and technology investors. Bernardo Llovera, General Partner, stated: “The confidence of our investors has […]

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Endicott Biofuels Completes $40M Financing

Endicott Biofuels, LLC (EBF) has closed a $40 million private equity financing for the construction of a “second generation technology” biodiesel and bio-derived products plant that will feature a high level of feedstock flexibility. The full equity financing commitment, provided by Haddington Energy Partners III LP, will allow EBF to proceed quickly through the construction and commercial operation of this first plant. EBF plans to build additional bio-fuel and bio-derived product facilities throughout the U.S. within the next two to five years. It expects to break ground in 2008 on its first plant and intends to wholesale the fuel to the developing bio-fuel brokerage market. EBF is also looking to develop relationships with potential feedstock suppliers and fuel purchasers, such as large diesel fuel consumers or large oil companies. Biodiesel can be used at 100 percent concentration as a petroleum diesel substitute, or in concentrations as low as 2 percent as a diesel fuel additive to reduce sulfur emissions and improve engine lubrication. Biodiesel is significantly cleaner than petroleum diesel and is made from a variety of organic materials such as vegetable oils, animal fats and other renewable agricultural products and waste products. Biodiesel and other bio-derived fuels such as […]

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JA Solar Secures a New Long-Term Wafer Supply

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. has entered a long-term wafer supply agreement with JiangSu Shunda Semiconductor Develop Co., Ltd, and has revised the prepayment terms of its wafer supply contract with JingLong Group. Under the terms of the Shunda agreement, Shunda will supply JA Solar with silicon wafers starting immediately. The monthly supply will increase through the duration of the 41-month contract. Total deliveries under the agreement can reach about 1.2GW. JA Solar will make a total prepayment of RMB 350 million (approximately US$46.4 million in three installments) for future deliveries. Shunda is a wholly owned subsidiary of JiangSu Shunda Group Corporation located in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province. JiangSu Shunda Group is a leading high-technology enterprise focusing on the PV market. The company’s rapid expansion in recent years has enabled it to produce polysilicon, mono-crystalline ingots, and wafers. Separately, in line with industry standards JA Solar has revised the monthly prepayment terms under its existing contract with JingLong Group. According to the revised contract, JA Solar made the full prepayment to JingLong Group of RMB 300 million (approximately US$39.8 Million) on August 31, 2007. JingLong Group will apply the prepayment against shipments to JA Solar on a ratio of RMB 10 […]

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Hotel Chains Grapple With Meaning of Green

By Tamara Audi As director of Element, a brand of environmentally conscious hotels being developed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts World Wide Inc., Nicholas Lakas picks his way across a landscape of so-called green products each time he steps into his office. Among the items: salt and pepper shakers billed as 100% recyclable; piles of towels and sheets made with organically grown fibers; boxes of organic snacks; and a countertop slab made from recycled materials. “We get so many products, so many phone calls,” Mr. Lakas says. “I have nowhere to put it, and we are always looking at it and evaluating it.” He is shopping for environmentally friendly products — from plates and light bulbs to heating and air-conditioning systems — to be used in the first hotel in the planned chain of 90. Starwood announced the brand a year ago, pitching it as an environmentally and socially conscious hotel room at a reasonable price. The Hilton Portland & Executive Tower in Oregon meets the Green Seal standard; cards issued by the “Green” Hotels Association; a hotel chair by Furnature, billed as organic and chemical-free. As more hotels try to become more environmentally friendly, in part to satisfy customers […]

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