Most of the companies I cover in the “cleantech” space have cool technologies, but when it comes to marketing their innovations many of them fall flat. Sometimes it’s simply the nature of their products, other times it’s simply inexperience, and other times it’s intentional — i.e. publicly and vocally touting a product that’s not ready isn’t the greatest strategy and can backfire.

Then there are companies that have no reason to brag or market but go way overboard, showing a desperation for attention that, in the end, frightens reporters, investors and others away.

Why am I bringing this up? I got a package in the mail the other day that contained a DVD box. On the front it read: “Tox Box… Captures Toxins, Viruses, Bacteria, Dust and Dander… Detoxify the air in your home… Next Generation Electronic Air Purifier.”

It caught my attention.

The DVD inside contained promotional information about this next-generation purifier, a creation of Toronto-based Cimatec Environmenal Technology Inc. It also points to the Web site ToxBox.ca, which is essentially a slick, well-designed online brochure providing details of the technology and telling people they can buy it at Home Depot.

Cimatec’s “media kit” reminded me of the type of creative marketing I witnessed during the dot-com boom. It’s a good sign that the space is maturing, and that marketers are recognizing the mass appeal of technologies/services that can help people clean their air and water, reduce waste, conserve energy and embrace clean power.

It’s not tough to figure out why there’s a market for this stuff. Just today a study was released that reveals “toxic chemicals, such as DDT, PCBs, stain repellants, flame retardants, mercury and lead, are contaminating Canadians.”

According to Dr. Rick Smith, executive director of a group called Environmental Defence, “If you can walk, talk and breathe, you’re contaminated… Canadians are exposed everyday and in incredibly insidious ways to harmful toxic chemicals. We are guinea pigs in a massive, uncontrolled, chemical experiment, the disastrous outcome of which is measured in disease and death.”

Gulp! I’m surprised I’m alive to write this entry. Gotta get myself a Tox Box.

I was delighted to see a press release from Centennial College in Toronto promoting its creation of part-time evening courses in wind and solar technology and installation.

“A shortage of technicians with the right skills has prevented this budding energy sector from growing as quickly as it could,” according to the college, which said the coureses will be focused on urban installations connected to the grid. “Centennial College is addressing the lack of ‘distributed generation’ technicians with two new post-graduate certificates in wind or solar energy generation, conversion and control.”

Herb Sinnock, courses coordinator, says solar-panel installers are apparently having a difficult time finding people with the right skills. Finding the right people is important, given that these systems will be feeding into the local power grid and there will undoubtedly be concerns about their impact on grid stability and integrity of the electricity distribution network.

Centennial isn’t stopping with just these two courses. The college says it is currently putting together a full-time program in “integrated energy systems technology” that could launch by next fall. “The program will introduce post-secondary students to solar, wind, hydro, biomass and other distributed generation systems that can be readily integrated into commercial and residential buildings.”

I’ve been harping on this skills issue for a year now. Fact is, Canada is doing well in the area of renewables (see this new report comparing Canada with other countries), and Ontario is doing better, but much more can be done to capture the momentum. Kudos to Centennial for recognizing the opportunities, both current and future, in this emerging clean-energy sector and assessing the job market in advance of Ontario introducing its much-applauded and highly anticipated “standard offer contract” program. This, of course, will establish feed-in tariffs for small renewable energy systems and blaze a trail for other provinces and states to follow. Expect the program to launch in the first half of next year.

BTW: I’ve also heard the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Energy, established in January, is assessing the skills market in the province to identify any skills gaps in the clean energy sector that will need to be filled.