When I was first asked to discuss the future of clean technologies for Israel Venture Capital Journal, I immediately thought about the challenges and, from the investor’s point of view, opportunities in solar innovations. In truth, what I really thought about were rooftops and the remarkable success of transforming more than 70 percent them into millions of micro power plants. What a marvel, and, I surmised, what a lucrative investment!

Inevitably, I began to ponder the obvious. Why don’t we have that technology in the United States and why aren’t the Israeli’s, one of the world leaders in the manufacture and management of what is already a mature industry, covering rooftops from California to South Carolina with PV systems?

The answer to the first issue is that the United States is slow to adapt energy alternatives because, until recently, we have lived in the comfortable blindness that we could afford our oil dependency. It has not helped that the current administration refused until just now to even acknowledge global warming as an issue, even as his former rival Al Gore was making the case with his film An Inconvenient Truth.

But politics are not the only or even the main stumbling block. The real culprit has been the constant tug-of-war between investing in existing large-scale utility companies and small-scale distributive technologies. Bigger and better, as usual, has won out so far, but the rules of the game may be changing.

Remember the old phrase that decorated bumper stickers and tee shirts in the 1980s and 90s—“Think Global, Act Local?” It appears that the Green Revolution has rekindled the sentiment, albeit in a different fashion. Today, recognition of global interdependence is taken as a fundamental political and economic principal rather than a peace-loving aspiration. Local, too, has been redefined. The problem is that how.

Local markets in the U.S. at least are subject to federal, state, city, and even county regulations—and incentives. For instance, the federal government initiated the Million Solar Roof Initiative run by the U.S. Department of Energy in 1997, hoping to reach its goal by 2010. [Need current statistic] Other states, most notably California, have followed through with their own initiatives, which typically include tax incentives TK.

The result is a highly fragmented market with a wide array of developers and customers. The answer to the simple question “who is your customer?” ranges from government, to commercial or residential builder, to individual roofing companies.

A recent article that appeared in Professional Roofing Magazine by Riaz Hasan, the accessories product manager for Firestone Building Products Co. LLC in Indianapolis, Indiana, offers a fascinating view of the roofscape. After noting that few commercial roofing companies have the skill to install PV systems and that you need deep pockets at present to play in this growing market, Hasan states: “Unfortunately, it only makes sense to install PV systems in key states with rebates to be profitable. Once the prices of solar cells decrease and standardized installation systems enter the roofing market, most roofing contractors will be able to install these systems.”

Of course, the roofer is a subcontractor to building developers. But they are also resellers and technology consultants. You wouldn’t tell your plumber what brand of pipe to buy, or would you? If the U.S. cannot sort out who the players in the market are, how can Israeli companies and start-ups? The answer may lie in tackling not the market but marketing, while the opportunity rests in timing and the visionary quest of President-Elect Barak Obama.

For this president, his defining moment is the ability to harness the literal and metaphorical energy of planet in order to redefine future prosperity. Timid he is not; and though his rhetoric is lofty and inspiring, it should not be mistaken for mere words. Energy independence is No.1 on the agenda of the next administration.

President-Elect Obama has stated that he will pursue policies that support multiple, existing local solutions, as well as invest in long-term innovations. While this does not mean that the tangle of regulations and incentives will be unraveled, it does suggest that he will seek to aggressively lower barriers in order to expedite growth and competition.

Israeli companies are well positioned to take advantage of these openings. As a special partner with deeply integrated ties in solar technologies, Israeli solar thermal companies should begin building their brands in the United States through targeted advertising, sponsorships, and trade delegations. The U.S. in every market is intensely brand-conscious which is the major oil companies spend billions to spruce up their image as saviors of the planet.

In spite of the current economic meltdown, marketing is a cost effective way of targeting a specific audience to begin building brand confidence. It is also an easy way to relay multiple messages to different segments of the pipeline.

A quick look at the homepage for the National Roofing Contractors Association, which represents more than 4,600 roofing contractors, should provide some incentive. In October, TK members were invited to a Tk-day tour of European roof-integrated PV systems.

As U.S. companies learn all the time, science and even management expertise may be the backbone of a successful enterprise. But in order to sell your products and services, you must first find your customers.