Publications

October 2007 (Revised April 2009)
Case

TH!NK: The Norwegian Electric Car Company

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and David Kiron

On August 1, 2007, 61-year-old Jan-Olaf Willums' plane was flying along the Greenland coastline on his way back to Norway after intense discussions with several prominent U.S. venture capital investors, among them Kleiner Perkins and Rockport Capital Partners, about... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Venture Capital; Innovation and Invention; Product Launch; Market Entry and Exit; Environmental Sustainability; Pollutants; Auto Industry; Green Technology Industry; Europe; Norway

September 2009 (Revised January 2012)
Case

Suntech Power

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

Suntech, a Chinese manufacturer of photovoltaic cells and solar panels, is the third largest solar company in the world. About 90 percent of its sales have been in Europe—especially Germany and Spain. But with its new "pluto" technology, and with new governmental... View Details

Keywords: Solar Power; Renewable Energy; Globalized Markets and Industries; Competition; Market Entry and Exit; Business and Government Relations; Expansion; Strategy; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry; China

February 2015 (Revised June 2016)
Case

Solar Geoengineering

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III and Stephanie Puzio

On December 8th 2013, as Dr. David Keith was leaving the set of the Colbert Show, he couldn't help but replay the interview over and over in his mind. Did he actually get his point of view on solar geoengineering across or had he just added to the stereotype that he... View Details

Keywords: Geoengineering; Carbon; Carbon Emissions; Energy; Nuclear; Nuclear Energy; De-extinction; Climate Change; Engineering; Entrepreneurship; Innovation and Invention; Energy Sources; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry

March 2024
Teaching Note

Teaching Note: Transforming a Region: Gothenburg's path from Shipyards to E-Mobility

By: Christian H.M. Ketels and Orjan Solvell

This TN provides guidance on how to leverage the case on Gothenburg's economic evolution and the role of the regional economic development agency in this process. Gothenburg is an old industrial city that has been hit by a number of deep shocks in its history. Its core... View Details

Keywords: Regional Policy; Regional Growth; Cluster; Economic Development; Transition; Economy; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry; Sweden

November 2011
Teaching Note

Cape Wind: Offshore Wind Energy in the USA (TN)

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

Keywords: Energy Sources; Green Technology Industry; Energy Industry; United States

1 Dec 2010
Panel Discussion

Venture Capital Investments in Clean Energy

By: Ramana Nanda

Keywords: Energy; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry

November 1998 (Revised July 2012)
Case

Explo Leisure Products

By: Richard G. Hamermesh

Tim Trowac and Dave Rahall, two former investment bankers, skillfully execute the leveraged buyout of a golf ball recycling company after working intensely on their due diligence, writing a business and financial plan, and developing the investment memorandum. Six... View Details

Keywords: Selection and Staffing; Leveraged Buyouts; Business Plan; Performance; Management Teams; Business Strategy; Financial Strategy; Business and Shareholder Relations; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry

September 2012
Background Note

Carbon Credits

By: Forest Reinhardt, Jost Hamschmidt and Mikell Hyman

Keywords: Carbon; Waste Management; Carbon Credits; Emission Reduction; Europe; Japan; Wastes and Waste Processing; Renewable Energy; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry; Europe; Japan

November 2011
Teaching Note

AEP: Carbon Capture and Storage (TN)

By: Richard H.K. Vietor

Keywords: Energy; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry

February 2015 (Revised December 2016)
Case

Poseidon Carlsbad: Desalination and the San Diego County Water Authority

By: John Macomber

Extreme drought conditions in California have significant impacts on the ability of the San Diego County Water Authority to provide adequate water for current users. Water shortfalls also could curtail the economic development of one of the fastest growing regions in... View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Partners and Partnerships; Resource Allocation; Public Sector; Private Sector; Environmental Sustainability; Policy; Infrastructure; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry; California

01 Jan 2020
What Do You Think?

Why Not Open America's Doors to All the World’s Talent?

This may have sparked the rage leading, on at least one occasion, to the murder of an H-1B visa holder. Another concern is the tight control that the sponsor holds over an individual during the process. Sponsoring companies may commit to helping a talented immigrant... View Details

Keywords: by James Heskett; Technology

August 2009 (Revised August 2010)
Case

Calera Corporation

By: Joseph B. Lassiter III, Thomas J. Steenburgh and Lauren Barley

Brent Constantz, founder, CEO, and president of Calera Corporation, felt a surge of optimism as he gazed at the recently commissioned prototype flue gas processing line at Calera's R&D facility in Moss Landing, California. It was late May 2009, and Calera was an... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Entrepreneurship; Product Design; Product Development; Environmental Sustainability; Commercialization; Green Technology Industry

Find at Harvard

April 2024
Teaching Note

Harvard University and Urban Mining Industries: Decarbonizing the Supply Chain

By: Shirley Lu and Robert S. Kaplan

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 123-076. View Details

Keywords: Carbon Emissions; Blockchain; Supply Chain; Green Technology; Climate Change; Environmental Sustainability

October 2023
Supplement

Rheaply: Circularity For Every Business Supplement 2

By: Rembrand Koning and Alicia Dadlani

Pitch deck explaining the later vision of the company that was presented by the CEO to potential investors. View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Social Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurial Finance; Mission and Purpose; Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry; United States; Illinois; Chicago

12 Jun 2023
Blog Post

Creating Emerging Markets Sustainability Series - Leapfrogging Traditional Agricultural Development in Africa

fashion? Researchers believe it is. According to the Founding CEO of the Climate Action Platform for Africa (CAP-A), the continent “can follow a low/free emissions growth path by leapfrogging directly to green pathways without legacy... View Details

September 2023 (Revised March 2024)
Case

ReMo Energy: Sizing Up Investors

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Tom Quinn

In 2023, executives with ReMo Energy (founded 2020) were deciding which size ammonia plant to build as their first project. Their innovative model produced ammonia—useful for making fertilizer and for energy storage—from renewable energy, and they had received funding... View Details