Can Open Source Help Cleantech Innovation?

by Lisa Hoover - Dec. 29, 2010Comments (0)

From cloud computing to e-recycling programs, environmental responsibility is a driving force behind many of today's great ideas. In fact, clean technology is quickly becoming an industry unto itself and it's only fitting that there may come a time when such a noble cause pairs up with the giving nature of open source software. David Niebauer, a San Francisco-based attorney who represents clean energy and environmental tech companies, thinks that time is now.

In a thought-provoking essay over at CleantechBlog, Niebauer says the advancement of clean technology is critical in order to live sustainably on this planet, but its research and development will continue at a snail's pace unless scientists and engineers find a way to speed up the process. The open source business model, he says, may be the answer.

While acknowledging that not every cleantech innovation is a good candidate for open source licensing or collaboration, Neibauer offers two examples of its viability. The first encourages the distribution of research and data results among scientists to "harness the Internet for collaboration and information sharing in ways that would inspire a new community of investigators." He says open access to data may lead to derivative technologies and, ultimately, new industries focused on sustainable living, renewable energy, and more.

Another area that may overlap the world-changing discovery," writes Neibauer, "but is distinct in many ways, is innovation in distributed generation (DG). DG describes technologies and processes that allow energy to be generated at or near where it is used. These technologies are generally small-scale, permitting direct application by businesses and homes. The universe of present technologies is small (e.g., wind, solar PV, combined heat and power (CHP)) and the cost is still higher than subsidized central power, but this could change radically in the years ahead.

"Here, an open source software distribution model is the best analogy. I can conceive of DG technology developers, in particular, utilizing a modified dual licensing approach for patents, similar to what is presently employed by software developers employing copyright law. In the software model, the developer offers two separate licenses. One is royalty-free, but contains limitations. The other is a commercial license (including a royalty) with full functionality. Free use carries certain conditions – typically, all modifications or derivatives must also be made public and open to all, and companies are prohibited from using the free version as a component of any product or solution they commercialize. The commercial license generates traditional royalty fee revenue. Supporting the open license generates more service-oriented revenue."

When you consider that open source collaboration is already in widespread use in other types of scientific research, Neibauer's ideas represent the next logical step. In fact, the European Business Council for Sustainable Energy has been noodling these concepts for several years now with initiatives that target eco-innovation and open hardware projects. As Niebauer says, "The world awaits not only the technologies of tomorrow, but the business models and practices that will usher in this new world."

Image: Dohduhdah