Two green technologies have made it to the Top 10 list for investors.

International consulting firm Frost & Sullivan includes Green IT and solar power in its short list of emerging technologies that are expected to have a global impact along with strong returns on investment.

Green IT made the list because it offers major reductions in electricity needed to power business computer centers. During a session dubbed its Global Top 10 Hot Technologies to Invest, Frost & Sullivan’s Beatrice Shepherd says Green IT appears to be a great investment because 18% of the world’s energy is consumed by IT departments.

Taking a bite out of IT overhead is expected to generate huge demand for energy-saving products and services. “We anticipate a lot of developments in this technology in the short term,” she says.

A type of solar cell also makes it to the top of Frost & Sullivan’s investment list, CIGS solar.

Investors should love this technology, she says, because of its promise of low manufacturing costs and high yields to investors. Costs are expected to drop by 45% within four years, which could lead to “massive” deployments and growth opportunities.

However, whether solar remains a clean, green technology could be debatable. CIGS stands for copper, indium gallium (di)selenide. How the industry handles the pollutant and waste discharges from this semiconductor material will be critical in whether the public sees solar as clean or not.

The full press released was published on the Medical News blog.

Tags: energy efficiency, Frost & Sullivan, Green IT, solar power