California-based algal biotechnology company looks to produce renewable oil at large scale with new financing, among 18 deals we spotted in the past seven days.

Two new funds to benefit cleantech innovation, plus Japan’s Teijin acquires a U.S.-based nanostructured materials company.

Samsung makes a $15M equity investment to develop nano-architected materials for the electronic and thin film solar markets this week.

More than half of this week's deals are in the UK, with the largest VC round going to a provider of wastewater treatment technologies and services.

The Asian Development Bank has said it will invest another $1 billion in renewable energy projects and private equity funds devoted to cleantech around the region. The ADB has been a strong backer of clean energy in recent years, investing over $10 billion in the sector.

Growth Energy has joined forces with Pro Ag Marketing to install two blender pumps in Kirwin and Kensington, Kan. The Kirwin Blender pump station, branded Pro Ag Marketing, is located at 222 NE 4th St and the Kensington facility, named Corner Corral Cenex, is located at 108 U.S. 36.

The Michigan utility Detroit Edison got the go-ahead for two electricity contracts totaling 20 MW sourced from landfill gas and wood waste. The Michigan Public Service Commission approved the contacts today.

Forest Concepts LLC, a research and development company that studies forest products and wood-based raw materials just received 1 million from the U.S. government to continue its research on second-generation biofuel manufacturing technology.

The Gulf oil spill catastrophe is an ongoing tragedy. And while the well seems to be capped now, we will surely see the harm from the spilled oil unfold for many months and years to come. From all tragedy springs opportunity, however, and one positive impact flowing from BP's unfortunate accident is a renewed focus on energy and climate change, at least in some more sane parts of our country.

With over 75 countries, states and provinces around the world with some kind of feed-in tariff, policymakers and researchers in the U.S. are considering the role for the policy in America.

With the Green Energy and Economy Act (GEEA) last May, the Ontario government launched the most ambitious feed-in tariff (FIT) program for renewable energy development in North America. The combination of stable prices under 20-year contracts for renewable sources is resulting in a groundswell of green energy development in the region.

On behalf of the Energy Commission of Nigeria together with Eauxwell Nigeria Limited, the Berlin-based Renewables Academy last week carried out a renewable energy training seminar in Abuja, Nigeria. Nearly 120 decision-makers and practitioners participated in the seminar. "Capacity building is very important because change is mainly caused by people. Therefore, if we are to change energy consumption patterns to utilize renewable energy, then people with appropriate knowledge and expertise are required" explained Prof. A.S. Sambo, Director-General and CEO of the Energy Commission of Nigeria.

The San Francisco-based algae company Solazyme closed a Series D round of financing for $52 million this week. The funding round comes almost exactly two years after the company raised more than $45 million in August of 2008.

Ethanol manufacturer, POET announced that it is ready to begin conducting research – for the third year in a row -- on harvest technologies in corn fields near Navasota TX. The company right now uses corn cobs and light stover to produce cellulosic ethanol at a pilot plant in Scotland, S.D.

POET this week will begin harvest research in corn fields near Navasota, Texas to learn more about biomass collection for cellulosic ethanol production.

Two interesting press clippings came across my desk this week. The first recounted the effects of the abnormally high temperatures in July on the East Coast electricity system. If you didn't follow this, the main story was that as temperatures soared Conn Ed had to invoke every tool at its disposal to reduce demand so that its customers did not suffer from blackouts due to high use of air conditioners. This included having ball games postponed (to reduce the load from flood lights) and using demand response on those with smart meters to shave what had become an enormous peak of demand.

A biomass energy approach that stresses multiple, smaller generation plants scaled to make use of local fuel supplies harvested sustainably would make biomass projects more appealing to communities and more beneficial to local economies over the long haul, said Bill Gabler, Project Director of New Hampshire-based Clean Power Development at a Biomass conference in Boston yesterday.