Volkswagon Group, the world’s third largest car manufacturer is looking to Israel for cutting-edge technologies for its cars. Here’s a look at four technologies Volkswagon should consider. Image via Mike Babcock.

Ynet is reporting that the Volkswagon Group, made up of SEAT, Skoda and Lamborghini and others, has hired an Israeli company founded by former minister Yossi Beilin to assist it in its search for Israeli tech companies to work with.

According to the article, Volkswagon, which is the third largest car manufacturer in the world after General Motors and Toyota, is presumably looking at Israeli companies that can help it develop an electric car: “One of the areas in which the technology industries in Israel could aid The Volkswagen Group is in developing the electric car. On Tuesday, Volkswagen announced plans to launch sites around the world to develop electric cars, at an investment of five billion euro.”

Here’s four Israeli technologies that can help Volkswagon with its electric car and other green efforts:

1. Z5

Developed by Zion Badash when he was just 16, the the $208 Z5 is a small device that, once connected to a car’s engine, can reduce gas consumption by 40% and give the car more power. The z5 has attracted the attention of several large car manufacturers around the world that are interested in adding it directly to their vehicles, including Ford and Mazda. The device is currently available online through the Z5 website.

2. ETV

ETV has created a new jet turbine engine that generates electricity that can recharge the battery pack. Different from other hybrid cars,

“it’s always electric power that powers the wheels, whereas with the Prius, sometimes it’s electric power, sometimes it’s the energy generated by the pistons,” says Arnold Roth, COO of ETV.

The company is made up of several engineers from the former Soviet Union who played a significant role in the Russian jet turbine industry.

3. Silicon-powered Battery

A professor at the Technion-Israel Institute of Science published last year his research on a new portable electrochemical battery that can generate thousands of hours of electricity using silicon, an environment-friendly fuel source. The technology is currently several years away, but can eventually be used in the batteries of electric cars.

4. Piston-less turbine engine

Agam Energy Systems has developed a piston-less turbine engine. Using a new kind of compressor, the liquid gas turbine-like engine consumes 1/5 of the fuel while releasing only a tenth of the emissions.

::Ynet

This article was originally posted on Green Prophet.

Israel’s TaKaDu and SolarEdge have developed solutions in the water and solar fields that make current technologies more efficient.

Israel’s TaKaDu and SolarEdge have been named Red Herring Europe 100 winners for 2010. The two cleantech companies are among eight Israeli startups to have made the list which considered financial performance, technology innovation and execution of strategy and other criteria.

Here’s a closer look at both companies:

TaKaDu, founded by Amir Peleg in 2008, connects water and IT by providing a Software-as-a-Service solution that monitors water infrastructure and can detect leaks and prioritize which ones should be repaired first. The monitoring network can impact water savings up to 50%, and can help cities predict and prevent water loss now and in the future.

The TaKaDu system is already hooked up to Australian, European and UK water data and the company has partnerships with IBM and Schneider Electric of France. TaKaDu was one of 10 Israel clean tech companies invited to present at the California-Israel Chamber of Commerce (CICC) Cleantech Tour and Showcase this past April. The company has $3.5 million invested in it to date.

SolarEdge has created “intelligent panels” that work together with a central Power Box, which would replace the passive panels that are the current norm. The PowerBoxes can enable the production of up to 25% more energy and significantly reduce costs.

SolarEdge recently entered distribution and installation agreements with Gadot Solar Solutions and Solco to distribute its technology in Europe and Australia more widely. In March the company was listed by Fast Company as one of the world’s 10 Most Innovative companies in Energy for 2010 and announced its partnership with Flextronics to develop more efficient solar energy harvesting systems. To date it has received over $57 million in funding to, including raising $23 million from GE and other investors last year.

As both companies continue to grow, it will be interesting to see if when they will expand to China.

::Red Herring 100
::TaKaDu company website
::SolarEdge company website

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on GreenProphet.com.

Disruptor: In the past week SolarEdge has announced partnerships to distribute its technology across Australia and Europe and has been named a Red Herring 100 Winner.

Known for its high costs and lagging efficiency, the solar energy field has been one to watch for many but one to take advantage of for very few. New innovations and incentives in the field however, reported on CNET, offer promise for many solar companies looking to establish themselves. One company that seems to have had little difficulty establishing itself is SolarEdge, a solar power harvesting solution provider based in Israel.

Considered a major disruptor in the field, SolarEdge has been in the news over the past few months regarding everything from partnerships with companies such as Flextronics to products. Yesterday the company announced that it has partnered with Solco to help distribute and install its technology more widely in Australia.

According to Solco CEO Mark Norman,

“Our partnership reflects the intensive quest by both companies to create highly efficient and cost-effective PV systems. The combination of SolarEdge technology and Solco’s technical expertise will significantly enhance the energy output of solar power systems installed in Australia.”

In addition to partnering with Solco, SolarEdge has also partnered with Gadot Solar Solutions to distribute and install SolarEdge technology across Europe.

The distribution deal with Gadot will focus on SolarEdge’s PowerBoxes, which optimizes current solar panel systems and monitors their energy. The PowerBoxes can enable the production of up to 25% more energy and significantly reduce costs.

In March Fast Company listed SolarEdge as one of the world’s 10 Most Innovative Companies in Energy for 2010 and last week SolarEdge was among eight Israeli companies named Red Herring 100 winners. The Red Herring criteria included financial performance, technology innovation and execution of strategy. The company has raised over $57 million in funding, including from GE, and has annual solar sales of about $200 million.

::MarketWatch
::SolarEdge

Pythagoras Solar’s new photovoltaic glass unit can lower the cost of energy in commercial buildings and find strong markets in China and India.

Israel’s Pythagoras Solar recently unveiled its new photovoltaic glass unit. The clear glass panes that can be used as windows, curtain walls or skylights double as solar panels and are intended to change the way commercial buildings are built.

According to the company,

“The groundbreaking new technology is the first to combine energy efficiency, solar power generation and appealing aesthetics in a single green building material — a solar window.”

The technology, which converts about 14% sunlight into energy (industry average is 10%), can benefit commercial buildings by lowering the cost of energy by generating solar power and keeping the buildings where its used better insulated.

Although sales of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) material are predicted to exceed $8 billion by 2015, current sales in the market are far below that. Pythagoras’s new design and its new partnerships with Arkema, China Sunenergy and Flextronics, which it announced in the same press release, will help Pythagoras quickly scale its operations as it prepares for commercial production and distribution.

It will face steep competition from Dow Chemical and China’s Suntech Power and limited demand due to high costs and difficult installation.  China and India are considered the two main markets where BIPV is high in demand and will continue to be. BIPV installation is aided in China by a solar PV subsidy program the government passed in March 2009.

Since its founding in 2007, Pythagoras Solar has raised $11 million in seed and venture capital funding. still far below the predicted $8 billion by 2015 is still a tiny niche, about 100-megawatts worth of product last year, according to Paret.helping to better insulate the rooms

Pythagoras Solar came out of stealth mode at the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference this past February.

::MarketWatch

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on GreenProphet.com.

Emefcy technology uses bacteria that can produce electricity from wastewater, such as this lagoon. Photo courtesy of Emefcy

Globes is reporting that Israeli sewage technology company Emefcy has raised $5 million for a commercial pilot. Founded in 2007 Eytan Levy and Ronen Shechter, Emefcy‘s main product, the MEGAWATTER system aids the management of wastewater by reducing energy consumption by applying microbial fuel cells. The cells feed on the wastewater and can produce electricity or hydrogen.

According to Levy,

“The capital raised will help us set up a commercial pilot. We’ve already established laboratory pilots on increasingly larger scales. Progress to a commercial pilot is based on the successful results of the laboratory pilots.”

After this round of investments from Pond Venture Partners, Israel Cleantech Ventures and Plan B Ventures, Emefcy is now valued at $10 million and estimates its target market at $100 billion a year.

In 2009 The Artemis Project, a water consultancy firm, listed Emefcy number four in its Top 50 Water Companies Competition. Other Israeli companies on the list included AquaPure, CheckLight, ProWell Leisco CleanTech and BioPetroClean.

Prior to founding Emefcy, Levy and Shechter co-founded AqWise, also a wastewater management company in Israel.

::Globes

Editors Note: This post was originally published on GreenProphet.com

During the week of April 25, 2010, Google acquired its first Israeli company, LabPixies, a widget publisher. Better Place started to make inroads in China and Al Gore-backed GreenRoad continued to receive attention abroad. For these stories and more, see this week’s 10 Israel-related headlines below.

Cleantech
1. Better Place makes inroads in China

2. Israel to share agricultural know-how with struggling African farmers

3. Israel’s Al Gore-Funded GreenRoad Seeks to Cut Emissions, Bills

Investment
4. Google acquires Widgets powerhouse Labpixies

5. Sapiens Acquires Harcase, a P&C Insurance Software Provider

Information Technology
6. MiniFrame Introduces New SoftXpand Product Suite to Address Multiple Vertical Markets

7. Clouds helping start-ups grow, but lack enterprise capability, investors say

8. Magic Software Looks to the Clouds

Miscellaneous
9. Israel, U.S. ink open skies pact

10. Israel Blesses iPad Saying, “Let The Tablets Go!”

During the week of April 18, 2010, Wibiya announced that it raised $2 million for its customizable web-based toolbars. Forbes magazine named Israel’s Shari Arison, founder of Miya, one of the world’s greenest billionaires and Testuff released a Mac version of its test management software. For these stories and more, see this week’s 11 Israel-related headlines below.

Cleantech
1. 10 reasons Israel is a cleantech leader

2. Israeli researchers develop small, lightweight hydrogen storage tech

3. Israel’s greenest billionaire

4. Israel’s TaKaDu Goes After the Other Grid: Water

Investment and Economy
5. ‘The idea was to use the crisis to strengthen the economy’

6. Trade pact with Israel to give foothold in West Asia

7. Wibiya Raises $2 Million For Customizable Web-Based Toolbars

Information Technology
8. Testuff Launches a Mac Version of its On-Demand Test Management Service

9. Trusteer detects new Zeus (Zbot) password stealing Trojan

Miscellaneous
10. TAU professor tips off US over security flaw in e-passports

11. Israel Reverses iPad Ban

During the week of April 11, 2010, Arava Power announced a major investment plan for 15 Israeli solar fields. Israeli start-ups are still facing a hard time raising funds in Israel and Israeli researchers have developed a way to secure online data using laser technology. For these stories and more, check below for this week’s headlines.

Cleantech
1. Charged Environment

2. Arava Power Will Invest $535 Million in 15 Israeli Solar Fields

Investment
3. Bitesize Friday – Israeli Funding Recap

4. Israel’s Infinity expanding China investment fund

5. Israeli start-ups face funding crunch at home, turn to US and European investors

Information Technology
6. Total security for online data

7. Clarizen Growing SaaS Work, Project Management Channel

8. WeFi for Android Gets Enhanced Maps and Location Support

Miscellaneous
9. Israeli Team Snags Top Robotics Award for Second Consecutive Year

10. Where hi-tech startups meet the economy

During the week of April 4, 2010, Israeli startup Qlipso announced it bought the assets of video web site Veoh Networks. Israeli biofuel company HCL CleanTech is set to open its U.S. headquarters in North Carolina and Autodesk is looking to expand its R&D operations in Israel. For these stories and more, check out this week’s 10 Israel-related headlines below as well as a video of Qlipso’s presentation at Twiistup 7 this past February.

Cleantech
1. HCL CleanTech, an Israeli biofuel company to open U.S. headquarters in Triangle area

2. Test Driving The Better Place Electric Car

Investments and Economy
3. Our economic success story

4. Start-up Qlipso buys Web video service Veoh

5. US giant Autodesk looks to Israeli R&D

Information Technology
6. Doe Run Shortens Downtime With iSolve Virtual Knowledge Manager

7. 3 promising Israeli Startups to look for on MS ThinkNext 2010

Miscellaneous
8. Israel Aid Pays U.S. Dividends That Exceed Cost: Steve Rothman

9. AOL Finally Finds Someone To Buy ICQ (In Russia Or China)

10. Nouriel Roubini – The Economist Who Foresaw the Global Financial Crisis

During the week of March 21, 2010, a plan for Eilat to have Israel’s largest wind farm was revealed. LucidLogix raised $8 million to boost game graphics chips and Wanova’s desktop virtualization software was released. For these stories and more, see this week’s 14 Israel-related headlines below.

Cleantech
1. South Korea Looks to Collaborate With Israel on Renewable Energy

2. Experts to discuss Israel’s leadership in water resource management and conservation

3. Eilat to have Israel’s largest wind farm

Investment
4. LucidLogix raises $8M for boosting game graphics chips

5. Mentor Graphics Acquires Valor Computerized Systems, Ltd.

6. S&P affirms Israel’s A rating, outlook stable

Information Technology
7. uTest Finds 908 Bugs In Web And Mobile Apps Of Major U.S. TV Networks

8. Wanova’s desktop virtualization software now available

9. AnyClip Launches: Aggregates and Syndicates Clips from Films

10. Commtouch Goes On Attack With Outbound Spam Protection

Miscellaneous
11. CCTV to cover Israeli towns

12. A first look at the Simpsons’ upcoming visit to Israel

13. Israel Steps Up Efforts to Bring Back Expat Scientists

14. The World’s Oldest Man (lives in Israel)