Don't just use electricity, use it more efficiently.

Investors seem to be getting that message loud and clear from Folsom, Calif.-based SynapSense and Washington, D.C.'s GridPoint. Both companies took in some extra cash, giving a lift to their latest funding rounds.

SynapSense, which makes technology for the monitoring and optimization of energy use in data centers, upped its Series B financing to $11 million with a secondary closing, up from $10 million.

Smart grid company GridPoint raised an extra $16.5 million in its Series D round, bringing its total to $48.5 million.

Water also made a healthy showing this week, with New Mexico's Altela raising $7.1 million, and New York's Stonybrook Purification closing the first tranche of its $4.1 million Series A.

Deals we saw this week:

• Folsom, Calif.-based SynapSense upped its Series B financing to $11 million with a secondary closing. Sequoia Capital joined Emerald Technology Ventures and existing investors American River Ventures, Nth Power and DFJ Frontier in the round. SynapSense, which makes technology for the monitoring and optimization of energy use in data centers, originally closed $10 million in Series B.
• Washington, D.C.'s GridPoint raised $16.5 million in additional Series D funding. The round total is now $48.5 million, with Goldman Sachs and Susquehanna Private Equity Investments serving as co-lead investors. The smart grid technology company said other new investors include New Enterprise Associates, Perella Weinberg Partners, and Robeco.
• HSBC Investments said it plans to launch a climate change fund next month. The new fund will invest in companies that focus on clean energy, energy efficiency and water waste and pollution control. The fund will hold about 60 companies taken from the firm's Global Climate Change index.
• Albuquerque, N.M.-based Altela raised $7.1 million in Series A funding, led by CCS Income Trust, a Canadian environmental and energy services company. Altela, which makes thermal distillation systems for water desalination and purification, plans to use the cash to expand its factory and move into new markets. CCS invested $5.2 million, with $1.9 million coming from existing shareholders (see Cleantech.com's Water purification attracts investors).
• Stonybrook Purification closed of the first tranche of a $4.1 million Series A investment led by Battery Ventures. Founding investor T2 Venture Capital also participated in the round, along with new investors Modern Water and TianDi Growth Capital. The company is developing a process to increase the performance of high flux membranes for water purification, filtration, and desalination applications (see Cleantech.com's Water purification attracts investors).
• London-based SiC Processing, which recycles and supplies slurry for the solar wafer industry, completed a 53.4 million euro round of financing. The funding was led by zouk ventures, with investments from Merrill Lynch Corporate Principal Investments Group, CC Private Equity Partners, Masdar Clean Tech Fund, Foursome Investments, as well as existing investors and the Heckmann family. SiC said it would use the cash to fund further international expansion.
• San Ramon, Calif.'s Chevron reportedly put $75 million into its venture capital arm's latest fund. Chevron Technology Ventures previously invested in wind turbine, organic photovoltaic, and other cleantech companies. Chevron invested $60 million in the venture group's first and second funds, and $50 million in the third.
• Hayward, Calif.-based Mendel Biotechnology completed a financing round with an undisclosed amount from ZBI Ventures, Capricorn Investment Group, and CFM. Mendel said Monsanto also made an additional investment. Mendel plans to use the financing to support the growth of its new BioEnergy seeds and feedstock business.
• Newalta Income Fund, a Calgary, Alberta-based industrial waste management and environmental services company, received a two year, CDN$425 million credit facility. The funding comes from a lending syndicate of seven banks led by CIBC. Newalta said it would use the facility to fund growth capital expenditures as well as for general corporate purposes.
• San Francisco's MMA Renewable Ventures closed commitments for its Fund III, a leveraged solar energy project finance fund, with tax-advantaged equity investments from an affiliate of Wells Fargo & Co. MMA plans to use the capital to finance, own and operate 10 to 15 megawatts of new distributed photovoltaic projects for customers across the U.S.
• Warren, R.I.-based TPI Composites, a manufacturer of large-scale composite structures for the wind energy, transportation, and military vehicle markets, raised $22 million in Series A funding. The round was led by NGP Energy Technology Partners, with investments from Angeleno Group and return backer Landmark Growth Capital Partners.

Browse previous deals here.

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