With so many business ventures vying for a piece of the green economy pie; it’s hard for investors to know which firm will be the next SunPower, and which will be the next Solyndra. AlwaysOn, a business media and social networking company in Silicon Valley, CA, has narrowed down the list to 200 companies we should definitely keep an eye on.

Partnering with heavy-hitters such as Morgan Stanley, Hewlett-Packard and Goldman Sachs; the AlwaysOn editorial team has identified the top 200 private companies that are making big industry safer, more efficient and environmentally friendly, while also creating viable high-growth business models for the new green economy. This year’s “GoingGreen Global 200” companies were selected for “developing game-changing approaches and technologies that are likely to push outside the bounds of existing markets and away from entrenched players.”

The team based their assessments on a set of five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and media buzz. In industries ranging from renewable energy and energy efficiency to waste management and materials solutions, these companies are providing the technology platforms, energy sources, waste solutions and software services needed to make the transition to a clean energy future.

Specific award categories include: biotech, biofuels and agriculture; clean energy (not solar or biofuels); data center efficiency; energy management, smart grid and energy efficiency; energy storage systems; green automobiles and transportation; green materials and green building; resource recovery and waste management; solar energy; and water technology and treatment.

The winners of the competition will be honored at the fifth GoingGreen event, taking place September 27th-28th at San Francisco City Hall. The entire list of awardees can be found here – and we’ve listed below eight considered ones to watch:

Alphabet Energy

alphabetenergy.com

San Francisco, CA

CityRyde

www.cityryde.com

Philadelphia, PA

EcoFactor

www.ecofactor.com

Redwood City, CA

LovingEco

lovingeco.com

Santa Monica, CA

Storm Energy

stormenergy.net

Panama City, FL

SunTherm Energy

www.sun-therm.com

Merced, CA

SwitchGenie

www.switchgenie.com

Stacy, MN

zNano

www.znano.biz

San Jose, CA