Clean technologies are emerging as a significant economic opportunity, while also promising the mitigation of global climate change and promoting energy independence. CleanTech subsectors include alternative fuels, energy storage, energy efficiency, water, environment, energy/electricity generation (i.e. solar, wind, hydrogen, geothermal and hydro power) and industry-focused products (agriculture, construction, transportation, materials, consumer products).

Advantage Capital has invested in a number of environmentally innovative businesses across the country:

	GridPoint, Inc., a leading cleantech company that is part of the firm’s Washington, D.C.-area portfolio is the pioneer of an innovative smart grid platform that aligns the interests of electric utilities, consumers and the environment through an intelligent network of distributed resources that controls load, stores energy and produces power. The platform’s architecture enables utilities to deploy proven technologies while creating a practical path for integrating new technologies such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. For consumers, the platform provides protection from power outages, increases energy efficiency and integrates renewable energy, paving the way for the commercial success of solar and wind energy sources.
	Hoku Scientific, Inc. in Honolulu, Hawaii (NASDAQ: HOKU) is a clean energy technologies company that develops and manufactures fuel cell membranes. The company is expanding its business to include the production of solar modules and polysilicon for the solar energy market.
	SOMS Technologies, Inc. in Valhalla, New York, is the manufacturer of the microGreen(TM) oil filter, a patented “green” technology designed to keep oil cleaner for a longer duration. The microGreen oil filter design utilizes two filters while maintaining the standard spin-on canister form factor. It replaces conventional oil filter assembly without requiring any modifications to the engine or filter housing. By continuously filtering a small portion of the engine oil through the secondary microfilter system, the microGreen filtration system allows a vehicle to operate up to 30,000 miles without changing the engine oil, benefiting both consumers and the environment.
	Producers’ Choice Soy Energy LLC is building a soybean processing plant and biodiesel production facility in Moberly, Missouri. The soybean crush will process up to 250 tons of soybeans daily for biodiesel conversion, as well as 65,000 tons of extruded soybean meal each year. Site construction is currently underway and the new facilities are expected to open in early 2009.
	Virent Energy Systems, Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin is leading an historic shift from a fossil fuel economy to a renewable carbohydrate economy. The company’s process pioneers the commercial production of biofuels and bioproducts which are both sustainable and economical. The carbohydrate biomass can be quickly and efficiently converted into fuel and chemicals using Virent’s patented process, generating twice the net energy per acre as traditional processes and producing clean, carbon-neutral energy.

Additional clean technology, energy-related and green investments in Advantage Capital’s portfolio include: