2008 RUNNER-UP VERANDA SOLAR

SHINES IN ECONOMIC GLOOM

Times are tough for business, but Postcode Lottery Green Challenge winners - canny entrepreneurs that they are - are surviving the storm. As Eben Bayer gets things rolling in his new factory, 2008 runner-up Capra J'neva's company, Veranda Solar, is moving ahead in spite of potential investors' current conservatism.

"We're semifinalists in the Pacific Northwest Clean Tech Open," Capra says. That could mean more cash is on the way. "And thanks to the Green Challenge award money, we're patent pending on our inverter," she says. (An inverter is a part that converts energy collected by solar panels.)

Recent media coverage from the likes of Forbes.com, Salon.com and The Huffington Post is ensuring Veranda Solar continues to get noticed. We can't wait until their stylish panels go on the market - and depending on investors, Capra says, that could be as soon next spring.

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