• (Self-promotion alert) Orion Energy Systems has taken in a $4.5mm Series C from Expansion Capital Partners. The Plymouth, WI- based company has established a strong position in the energy efficient lighting and services space (if you want to know what Orion ES does, just read the column I wrote for Matt Marshall's SiliconBeat site last week -- Orion does a lot of what I described in the lighting example). Orion's systems, as well as those of other energy efficiency technology providers, could go a long way to helping ease our current grid and generation capacity shortages here in California and elsewhere. Energy efficiency is the forgotten low-hanging fruit in the clean energy sector...
  

• Speaking of energy efficiency, one technology that has an important role to play is M2M communications and wireless sensing. Of course, as we've discussed before, M2M communications and sensors are cross-sector enabling technologies that impact a lot of cleantech applications, not just energy efficiency. Thus, it's interesting to note today's announcement by Tendril Networks of their $5.25mm Series B, along with their appointment of a new CEO. Tendril provides software for the operation of wireless sensor networks. Vista Ventures led the round, which also included existing investors Access Venture Partners, Appian Ventures, and angels.

• Newmarket IT, which offers several services including e-waste management, announced the commitment of $50mm in growth capital from Catterton Partners. The capital is going to be used in part to expand capacity, including the acquisition of a large facility in Austin, TX.

Other news to note: Some entertaining reading on the SolFocus deal... Some entertaining reading on the hydrogen economy... What would reduced marginal electricity costs do to many clean energy technology markets? Interesting coal-fired supply and demand argument made in this article... Manure-fueled (note: not -sourced) ethanol in the latest announced biofuels project finance deal... Joel Makower writes a very compelling take on cleantech and China [8/9 update: on the same topic, here's another good read]... Finally, microbial fuel cells powered by wastewater.