I have always been skeptical of clean tech startups that rely entirely on their green credentials to stay in business. Government subsidies come and go - solar energy veterans will recall the carnage that resulted from the Reagan administration. And while many people claim to wear green badges on their chest, few are inclined to follow up with dollars from their wallets.

Thus it was refreshing to learn that Verdiem, a PC power management software startup, combines a green marketing posture with compelling economics. Their solution allow IT admins to centrally control the power settings of PCs in their network, so the PCs are off when not needed. This simple trick delivers annual savings of about $30 per PC, and comes with reporting tools that calculate metrics like reductions in carbon dioxide emissions - good fun for now, but potentially crucial should the government decide to pass green legislation.

Verdiem has distribution partnerships with HP and Dell, as well as strategic partnerships with energy companies that rebate as much as 50% of the cost of Verdiem's solution. My team was sufficiently impressed with their management, technology and business model to provide funding for an extension they are developing for Microsoft's Systems Center Config Manager.

Verdiem recently closed a sale to a Fortune 100 financial services firm, their first major commercial customer, and I was curious to learn how the deal got done. While the financial services sector is known for sharp pencils and sophisticated cost/benefit models, I was told that while the firm really liked the cost savings, what tipped the final decision was the positive PR they expected to generate from "protecting the environment".

So while startups with economically unviable green products will unlikely be in business for long, startups that create tangible economic value can benefit tremendously by packaging their core value proposition within a green wrapper.