By Terry McDonald, May 2, 2011

Bloom Energy fuel-cell generation systems installed at Adobe Systems Inc. facility.

U.S. venture capitalists invested $1.14 billion in cleantech companies in Q1 2011, a 54% increase compared with Q1 2010, in 69 deals, compared with 79 deals in Q1 2010, according to an Ernst & Young LLP analysis based on data from Dow Jones VentureSource.

The energy-electricity generation segment, led by strong solar investments, raised $450.3 million through 16 deals in Q1 2011. The solar sub-segment accounted for 39% of the total dollars raised for the quarter with $362.7 million. 

A late-stage round of financing by MiaSole, a Northern California manufacturer of copper indium gallium selenide thin-film photovoltaic solar panels, was the largest deal of the quarter. The company raised $106 million in a late-stage round of financing.

The energy storage sector had the second largest dollar totals raising $262.4 million through 14 deals. Battery companies drew in $121 million of this investment, while fuel cell companies attracted $106 million. Two deals accounted for 64% of the dollars raised in the energy storage segment overall, including Bloom Energy, a California provider of fuel cell-based power generators, which raised $100 million.

The segment comprising focused products and services ranked third with $161.9 million raised. The largest deal in this segment was completed by Myriant Technologies, a Massachusetts developer of biocatalyst technologies for conversion of renewable feedstocks that raised $60 million.

The alternative fuels segment, led by biofuel companies, raised $160 million, and the energy efficiency sector raised $95 million in Q1 2011, down 49% from the $187 million raised in Q1 2010.

This is a cross-post from EnergyBoom.com.

EnergyBoom is a global leader in energy news information, offering expert analysis on the world economy’s transition to cleaner, more efficient and more secure sources of energy. 

Original Post: http://www.energyboom.com/emerging/us-vencap-investments-cleantech-54-q1-2011