Investors are seeing the light at Element Labs, CeeLite and Orion Energy Systems (Nasdaq: OESX).

Element Labs, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based provider of light emitting diodes for entertainment, architecture and signage raised $12.8 million, and Blue Bell, Penn.'s CeeLite switched on $4 million in funding for its light emitting capacitors.

Riding the public market, Plymouth, Wis.-based Orion Energy Systems, a maker of energy efficient lighting systems, raised $100 million after pricing its shares in the middle of the expected range.

Cleantech for pathogens also pulled in funding, with Livermore, Calif.-based Purfresh, formerly known as Novazone, grabbing financing less than two months after presenting at the Cleantech Forum XIV in Toronto.

The provider of chemical-free, ozone-based products to kill water and food-borne pathogens raised $25 million in a Series C round.

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Deals we saw this week:

• San Jose, Calif.-based Fat Spaniel, which provides monitoring services for renewable energy systems, plans to announce a new round of financing soon. "Expect to the company to start growing pretty significantly,"Chris Beekhuis, president and CTO of Fat Spaniel told Cleantech.com. No word on an amount or who's involved. The company closed $7 million in Series A financing in 2006 led by DFJ Element and Chrysalix Energy.
• Element Labs, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based provider of light emitting diode solutions for entertainment, architecture and signage applications raised $12.8 million. Expansion Capital Partners led the Series B preferred round, with existing investor Sierra Ventures and lender Gold Hill also participating in the funding.
• Livermore, Calif.-based Purfresh, formerly known as Novazone, a provider of clean solutions for food and water, raised a $25 million in a Series C financing round. The funding was led by Chilton Investment along with existing investors Foundation Capital, Grauer Capital, Chrysalix Energy and one additional unnamed strategic investor. The company's chemical-free, ozone-based products are used to kill water and food-borne pathogens, including E. coli and salmonella.
• CeeLite, a Blue Bell, Penn., developer of light emitting capacitors, raised $4 million from the Musser Group and other unidentified investors. The company said it would use the cash to build a manufacturing facility in the Philadelphia area in 2008. CeeLite's paper thin, flexible LECs are used to make street signs and window displays.
• Phoenix, Ariz.-based Najafi, a private investment firm, plans to provide up to $100 million to its new startup portfolio company, Energy Capital Investments. Najafi said Energy Capital will use the funds as investment capital across a range of energy projects including solar, geothermal, biomass and other forms of alternative energy.
• American Capital Strategies, a Bethesda, Md.-based alternative asset management company, invested an undisclosed amount in the formation of SunFuel Midstream, which will acquire, build, finance and operate midstream biofuel infrastructure assets. SunFuel Midstream will be based in Dallas, Texas.
• Plymouth, Wis.'s Orion Energy Systems, a maker of energy efficient lighting systems including high intensity fluorescents, raised $100 million from its initial public offering that priced in the middle of its expected range. The 7.7 million share sale priced at $13 per share. The underwriters, led by Thomas Weisel Partners, have the option to purchase an additional 1.2 million shares to cover overallotments.
• Little Rock, Ark.-based ThermoEnergy (OTC: TMEN), a municipal and industrial wastewater treatment and power generation technology company, signed a definitive agreement to receive a $12 million equity investment from the Quercus Trust. ThermoEnergy plans to use the proceeds to develop a planned Ammonia Recovery Process facility in New York, repay debt, provide working capital for additional ARP plants and its CASTion subsidiary, as well as for general corporate purposes.
• Second Wind, a Somerville, Mass.-based provider of electronics and software for the utility-scale wind energy industry, secured $4 million in a second round of financing. The funding was led by Good Energies, an investor in the renewable energy and energy efficiency industry. Second Wind said it would use the cash to support the launch and rollout of its Triton sonic wind profiler.
• Validus DC Systems, a Brookfield, Conn.-based provider of integrated DC power infrastructure for datacenters and telecommunication facilities, closed $10 million in a first round of funding led by Oak Hill Venture Partners. Validus said its systems can improve data center energy efficiency by 40 percent by using direct current instead of alternating current.
• A new $100 million Israeli cleantech fund called Tamarix Ventures is reportedly being set up by former Formula Ventures partner Shai Beilis and former Star Ventures partner Yaffa Krindal. It would be Israel's largest cleantech venture capital fund. The fund is expected to invest in companies regardless of geographical region, field and stage of development.
• Lilliputian Systems, a Wilmington, Mass.-based developer of fuel cells for wireless electronic devices, raised just over $20 million in additional Series C funding. DAG Ventures led the round, joined by return backers Atlas Venture, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Rockport Capital Partners. The company raised approximately $30 million in a Series C round two years ago.
• Fuzhou City, China-based Gushan Environmental Energy (NYSE: GU), the country's largest biodiesel producer, set a price for its initial public offering of 18 million American Depositary Shares at $9.60 per ADS, below the expected range of $11.50 to $13.50. Gushan is selling 15 million shares, with 3 million being put up by selling shareholders. The company plans to use the expected proceeds of $144 million to expand its production capacity and research and development efforts (see Gushan sets price for biodiesel IPO).

Browse previous deals here.

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