By Doug Peeples

SGN News Editor

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Cleantech Group, following up on its recently released 100 clean technology companies to watch over the next five to 10 years, has identified its top three startups to watch.

Announced Tuesday at the Smart Energy International conference in San Francisco, the three startups with the potential to have the most significant market impact in the coming years are, according to Cleantech:

·         Coulomb Technologies, an EV network charging station developer

·         Trilliant, a smart grid communications solutions provider

·        Xtreme Power, a utility power management and energy storage systems developer

Rob Conant, chief marketing officer for Trilliant, said the company has 200-plus customers globally that are involved in smart grid projects and pilots. He noted that Trilliant focuses on working with utilities, and said the real challenge of the smart grid rollout isn’t technology, but regulatory.

Xtreme Power’s Darrell Hayslip, chief development officer, described the company as a battery-based organization that combines energy storage with battery management.  “We’re applying digital technology in an analog world,” he said of his company’s distributed power electronics.  Xtreme Power is involved in a variety of wind, solar, microgrid and transmission and distribution projects.

Cleantech CEO Sheeraz Haji noted that US companies held 58 of the 100 total spots in its 2011 report on clean technology innovators.

Worth noting: Xtreme Power was also a winner in SGN's 11 smart grid companies to watch in 2011, as voted by our readers.