With the state of the financial market these days, it can be difficult for any company out there to feel optimistic. Even so, innovation doesn't take a time out just because the financial seas are turbulent.

Over at our Green Light blog, our reporters and guest bloggers have been busy scouring the greentech world for juicy gossip and other items fit to blog.

Here's a quick look at notable posts from the past week:

Alta Devices: Kleiner's Latest Stealth Solar Company
Sources gave Editor-in-Chief Michael Kanellos a tip about Alta Devices, a stealthy solar startup that allegedly has received funds from Kleiner, Perkins.

Sulfuryl Fluoride: Another Greenhouse Gas to Worry About
A new study found that sulfuryl fluoride, a fumigant used in agriculture and for killing termites, contributes to global warming about eight times longer than previously thought, wrote Jeff St. John.

Polysilicon Production Grew in Q4 for Solar, Reported SEMI
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International has found that polysilicon producers shipped about 12,600 metric tons of their products in the fourth quarter of 2008, up 7 percent from the previous quarter, reported Ucilia Wang.

Fast Batteries
MIT researchers have developed a lithium material that dramatically shortens battery charging times and changes the equation for electric cars, wrote Eric Smalley, the editor of Energy Research News and a Green Light guest blogger. 

High Quality, Affordable EVs Made in China?
Former Tesla exec Darryl Siry offered a look behind the scenes at a manufacturing strategy meeting held at a hotel bar in Detroit.

You Mean More Than One Dealership? Electric Car Maker Think to Expand
The Norwegian electric car maker Think is rebounding from having to temporarily shut down by launching an aggressive expansion plan, which includes bringing its cars to the U.S.

Carbon Software Firms to Benefit From Confusion
The carbon financial market could on day grow to $1 million but controlling all the data collected during carbon management could create problems, reported Fredrik Wass.

Honda's Revamped Hybrid Coming; Just Under $20K
The automaker is bringing its Honda Insight back from the great beyond, with a price that is competitive to the Toyota Prius.

Greentech Investing Not Dead: Element Partners Raises $486M
The times might be turbulent, but investment deals are still going through. Case in point: VC firm Element Partners raised a chunk of cash to focus on energy and resource efficiency.

Want to Know a Chemical's Toxicity? Check the EPA's New Online Database
The Environmental Protection Agency's new database allows users to dig up information on over 500,000 man-made chemicals, thanks to data culled from more than 200 public sources.