So we’re still sticking with the term “cleantech,” eh? Well, six years after launching the focus on this subject for Gigaom, I still don’t have a better description for the next-generation of energy technologies, which include both clean power, and energy efficiency, as well as the better management of resources like water and food. So, yep, again this year, we’re keeping it around, though I’m sure we can all agreed it’s flawed and now a dirty word for venture capitalists. Anyways, onward!

From the outside, 2013 looked like a horror show for cleantech, with high profile bankruptcies of solar and electric car startups, and a continued drop in venture capital funding. However, it actually turned out to be a pretty good year for cleantech outside of the Silicon Valley VC ecosystem. Solar panels turned out to be a rock star, internet companies like Google and Apple wholeheartedly embraced clean power…