Silicon Valley might have a corner on electronics, but a dark horse has been creeping up the ranks of clean tech innovation...Britain! In fact, the land of the London Fog was recently placed 10th in a new global ranking of the 38 countries providing the best conditions for clean-technology start-ups.

Here are three UK companies making quite a commotion with their creative and practical clean technologies. Keep an eye out for them!

1. Seawater Greenhouse

The Seawater Greenhouse provides enables year-round crop production in some of the world’s hottest and driest regions. This is accomplished using seawater and sunlight, which can be harnessed for a fraction of normal irrigation costs. The technology imitates natural processes, helping to restore the environment while significantly reducing the operating costs of greenhouse horticulture.

2. Naked Energy (pictured at top)

This company imagines a world in which no homeowner will ever have to choose between solar PV and solar thermal ever again. Naked Energy's Virtu vacuum tube technology is a hybrid solar module that generates both electricity and heat from the convenience of your rooftop. Performance testing of the panels is happening now Imperial College London and will be published early 2012. Early indications are that 'Virtu' produces unprecedented power output and is a step change in solar technology.

3. Zeta LED

The definition of a bright idea, the folks at Zeta Controls have created an LED bulb that looks different than any other. Offering just 13% of running cost of normal 60 watt incandescent bulb, the LifeBulb contains no mercury or harmful components and is completely recyclable. And it looks like it was plucked off the set of Star Wars.

Want to learn more about the up and coming British clean tech industry? Check out Clean and Cool Mission 2012 or stop by Cleantech Forum San Francisco over the next few days.