Shaping Carlsbad’s Cleantech Future

We’re kicking off the year 2025 by exploring the vibrant cleantech and innovation business landscape in Carlsbad – a city known for our commitment to forward-thinking solutions and sustainably minded business ecosystem. Enjoying and protecting our coastal environment is an innate part of the Carlsbad culture, so it tracks that many businesses here are evolving technology to usher in new generations of clean, responsible solutions for industries including transportation, irrigation and power storage. By fostering industries that emphasize sustainability, Carlsbad is making a global impact and driving robust economic growth.  

Among these industry leaders in Carlsbad’s cleantech scene are GKN Hydrogen, Aptera Motors and Calsense. These pioneering organizations each play a crucial role in enhancing Carlsbad’s reputation as a hub for innovation and sustainability. From advancing energy storage and innovative technologies to championing water conservation, their collective impact highlights the city’s culture of supporting groundbreaking ideas to protect our planet. 

In the clean energy sector, GKN Hydrogen is revolutionizing the way we think about energy storage. The company’s advanced hydrogen storage solutions are designed to meet the needs of industries looking to reduce carbon emissions and optimize energy usage. Their products allow companies to store excess energy such as hydrogen, and then either convert it into electricity or heat, depending on the need of the business. With an integrative focus and cutting-edge technology, GKN Hydrogen is empowering other businesses to be more environmentally focused with their own operations, while also optimizing their long-term energy usage. A global enterprise, GKN’s U.S. headquarters are in Carlsbad, and with an energy storage solution that is scalable, safe and transportable, GKN Hydrogen is playing a vital role in facilitating the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy systems across various sectors. 

Similarly, Aptera Motors is transforming the automotive industry by engineering solar electric vehicles that eliminate the need for daily charging. Driven by a mission to inspire motorists to do more than just drive their cars, Aptera stands at the forefront of cleantech innovation. Their motto is: “We believe safe, fun-to-drive solar vehicles are at the heart of managing the Earth’s natural resources for future generations.” Featured in the iconic Star Trek franchise, Aptera has spent over a decade perfecting lightweight, aerodynamic and futuristic designs powered entirely by the sun, offering an exciting new future for sustainable vehicles. Their current model has a range up to 400 miles, and according to stats on their website, the waiting list for the car has 40,000+ reservations from customers in 100+ countries.  

Another Carlsbad company moving the industry forward is Calsense, a smart irrigation company that helps organizations conserve water without sacrificing performance. Inspired by California’s drought of 1986, their innovative systems automatically monitor real-time soil conditions, factoring in weather, water allotment and more, to ensure effective irrigation and water use efficiency. Their products are intended to bridge gaps between landscape design, irrigation and water management – three pieces of a fragmented puzzle that needed to be merged into one system. Calsense’s products are widely used by government municipalities, K-12 schools, corporate campuses and other organizations, with a mission rooted in technology, education and partnership.  

With the new year, new opportunities abound, and as these three companies highlight, Carlsbad is a place where businesses take inspiration from their surroundings and observations, and then they wonder, “how can we do it better?” This ingenuity is matched by a citywide commitment to sustainability for the benefit of our local and global communities. To join Carlsbad’s businesses in these efforts, explore our recruitment tool to get connected with local businesses in need of talent.