Greentech Media

Until now, the market for so-called "small wind" has been nonexistent. But, as the market shifts in favor of clean energy, interest in systems that produce 1 to 10 kilowatts of wind power has grown. And Southwest Windpower is well-positioned to cash in on this new market with its new SkyStream 3.7. The system is an intelligently designed small wind turbine for homes and small businesses that costs around half the price of a solar-power system with comparable power output. It has the potential to speed the drive toward distributed generation and move wind farther into the mainstream.

At 20 years old, Southwest Windpower doesn't fit the mold of a classic Silicon Valley startup, but such is the nature of the greentech market today. The company's shift in focus, from selling wind turbines into niche markets to tapping into the potentially gigantic consumer market, qualifies it for our list. The payoff here for Southwest and its new investors is in the ability to mass-manufacture these units and to deliver them to anyone with an acre or more of land. What may start as a low-cost renewable energy source for the treehugger set in towns and villages could conceivably bloom into a more mainstream solution in some suburbs or developments. Of course, there are obstacles to the growth of the small wind market, namely…obstacles (trees, roofs, neighbors, birds, bureaucrats), but we believe Southwest has positioned its company and this product well enough to make our list - and to make an impact.