I was recently at the Cleantechnology Institute Showcase organized by the UC Berkeley Center for Executive Education and the Environmental Business Cluster.  I felt like a kid in a candy store.  Table after table highlighted technology that’s so new, that few people have heard of them.  I experienced a range of emotions from excitement and goose bumps, to confusion and skepticism.  The evening made walking across the Berkeley campus in high heels definitely worth it!

On the way home, I passed a house with solar panels on the roof and a feeling of boredom washed over me, as I thought about how unexciting a simple solar panel felt now that I’d experienced what’s coming on the horizon.  But then, I reminded myself that at some point in history, that solar panel was very exciting, ground breaking in fact.  I wondered, could celebrating the history of cleantech be as interesting as its latest discoveries?

That’s the intent of a new series of posts on the EcoTuesday blog, titled Daily CleanTech.  It will  honor and celebrate the intrepid scientists and forward thinkers who are the foundation of our blossoming green economy.  As the year goes by, check in for the latest update on these famous days in cleantech history.  You can also follow these updates on Twitter and Facebook too, @DailyCleanTech, though the updates will be abbreviated and hold less information than the post on the EcoTuesday site.

Our first post on Willhelm Hallwachs and his discovery of the photoelectric effect is first up.  Enjoy and please feel free to offer your feedback!