The fatal flaw for green-tech companies

We all can easily agree that we need to do something to reduce our use and inevitable reliance of fossil fuel.

There is so much buzz about green technology.

But as Michael Kanellos reports for news.com there is a fatal flaw for green-tech companies.

Michael writes:

"Clear your mind. Now, create a mental picture around the words "energy executive."
Then do the same around "Internet employee."

In the first example, a paunchy and nondescript image probably came to mind: something like Dick Cheney before he became famous, an author of management books, or that guy with the "Group 4" boarding pass who hovers around the gate a half hour before the plane is ready to start boarding.

The second example was probably hipness personified: the kind of people who pay $125 to a stylist to make them look more confused and disheveled than a finalist on Project Runway.

That quick test underscores a serious, but often unmentioned, problem with the green-tech market. And that problem is this: it's often not going to be as cool or lucrative as one might predict.

Why? Look at what they sell. Solar and wind companies sell equipment that generate electricity--not exactly the sexy products that make good cocktail conversation. And the electricity they produce functions in the same way as electricity that comes from coal-burning power plants. The same goes for new types of water filters or green cleaning products, which also perform tasks that are old news. Biomass home heating systems? They're a dung fire in disguise.

The majority of green companies, in short, sell commodities you need, but don't desire. Your neighbors will come over to see your solar panels, but they may only clamber up on the roof once to see them. And unless your kids lodge a Frisbee atop the roof, you probably won't go up there either." More