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Tuesday, 18 September 2012

EFFICIENCIES FOR VEHICLES

Posted on 06:28 by Unknown
Stop-Start Vehicles; Micro Hybrid Technologies, Batteries, and Ultracapacitors: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts

3Q 2012 (Pike Research/Navigant)

“During the past decade, driven largely by an effort to meet legislated carbon emissions reduction goals for vehicle fleets, automakers have introduced technologies that enable internal combustion engines (ICEs) to turn off automatically when vehicles are stopped…

“…[S]top-start vehicles are also known as micro hybrids, idle stop vehicles, and a variety of names branded by automakers, and in many cases the technology is bundled with other fuel efficient technologies. These vehicles can offer significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, although the actual savings depend heavily on the drive cycle.”

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“Stop-start vehicles require more robust batteries and starter systems than are found in internal combustion engine vehicles and are priced at a small premium over ICEs but considerably less than hybrid vehicles. With the most aggressive environmental goals in the world, Europe has seen by far the greatest selection of vehicles with stop-start technology and, not surprisingly, the greatest volume of vehicles sold…

“North America has experienced a relatively slow penetration of the technology due to less stringent emissions reduction goals and an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing cycle that underestimates the benefits of the technology. Worldwide, Pike Research expects more than 41 million of these vehicles to be sold annually by 2020 – nearly a tenfold increase over 2012 sales…”Tweet

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Monday, 17 September 2012

HOW THE EV WILL GROW

Posted on 05:58 by Unknown
Electric Vehicle Geographic Forecasts; Plug-in Electric Vehicle Sales Forecasts for North America by Metropolitan Area, State/Province, Region, and Selected Utility Service Territories

3Q 2012 (Pike Research/Navigant)

“Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are forecast to reach 400,073 annual sales in the United States and 107,146 in Canada by 2020, but the real story of these sales is in the cities and utility service territories where the vehicles will be located…

“…[This Pike Research/Navigant] report breaks down these sales by state and across cities with more than 500,000 residents in the United States, plus forecasts for Canadian provinces and the seven largest cities in Canada…”

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“…[It] forecasts that California, New York, Florida, and Texas will lead the way in PEV sales. By 2020, Hawaii is expected to have the highest penetration rate of PEVs as a percentage of all light duty vehicle sales. Among metropolitan areas, New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are anticipated to have the largest sales of PEVs through the decade…

“…In Canada, the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia, which account for 75% of the Canadian population, will represent 97% of Canadian PEV sales by 2020. Toronto and Montreal will lead Canadian PEV sales…”Tweet

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WIND EXPELS EXELON

Posted on 05:58 by Unknown
An Argument Over Wind

Matthew l. Wald, September 14, 2012 (NY Times)

“…Last week, the American Wind Energy Association expelled [major energy secotr player] Exelon [which owns some two percent of U.S. wind capacity] as a member because the company opposed a renewal of the [production tax credit]…The association says that if the tax credit expires, some 37,000 jobs will be eliminated next year and that deliveries of new turbines will spiral to zero…

“…Exelon says the tax credit is distorting energy markets because the credit itself is larger than the average value of electricity produced in the Midwest. Surges of wind energy late at night during periods of low electricity demand are driving the market price of electricity below zero, according to independent statistics. [Wind industry advocates say negative pricing is rare and highly localized and simply points up shortcomings in transmission capacity]…[With] the Obama administration favoring an extension…and Mitt Romney opposing it…the credit’s fate may be resolved by the November election…[Wind adovacates argue that the production tax credit does not directly affect market prices. But opponents say that when new generation is added in a way that creates sudden surpluses, the market impact is clear…Either way, low prices are a boon for consumers, the wind industry said.]”

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“…Texas [recently] had a shortage of generating capacity as a result of a market distortion…[because if] wind developers can make money even when prices are negative…it discourages others from building other kinds of power plants…The problem for Texas is that wind generation does not coincide with peak demand…State power planners estimate that for every 100 megawatts of wind machines installed in the state, only about 8 megawatts will be available on peak days.

“The tax credit, which applies to projects that are completed by Dec. 31, is 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour. [The wind industry noted that companies that burn coal and natural gas get a subsidy too, in that they are allowed to dump pollutants into the air without paying for the damage]…Depending on the tax status of the wind farm developer, the credit can be worth as much as $34 per megawatt-hour…[Exelon] said that in the last two years, the average price of a megawatt-hour at the Northern Illinois Hub , one of the main spots on the grid in eastern North America where electricity is priced, has ranged from $28 to $31…” Tweet

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THE 7 POINT NEW ENERGY FUTURE

Posted on 05:56 by Unknown
Claiming the Future: A Seven-Point Action Plan for Repowering America

Ron Pernick, September 4, 2012 (Clean Edge)

“Mitt Romney’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention…ought to serve as an urgent wake-up call to anyone that cares about America’s energy, environmental, and economic future…[C]lean tech is…the stuff of major multinationals such as GE, Toyota, and Siemens who are investing and making billions of dollars…[and of startups] working to innovate electric vehicles, solar power finance, and plastics recycling; and of young Americans…working to advance clean technologies, address climate change, and build thriving…ventures.”

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“…[R]enewables energy production isn’t a marginal industry; it’s expanding rapidly in importance and penetration…Perhaps this growth is exactly why some entrenched interests – and the politicians they fund – are working so hard to demonize clean tech, spread misinformation, and demoralize its supporters. But…renewables are overwhelmingly supported by citizens of all stripes and affiliations in poll after poll.

“…Our research shows that the world’s industrialized nations could pursue…Large-scale deployment of both centralized and distributed renewables, including solar, wind, and geothermal…The targeted use of current and next-generation natural gas power plants…Aggressive investments in a smart, two-way grid…The cost-effective and low-hanging fruit of energy efficiency…”

“…[T]he majority of U.S. citizens believe that our nation’s future should be firmly planted in advanced energy technologies, not the polluting fossil fuels that powered the last century. For the sake of our nation, let’s hope that whoever is sitting in the White House in January 2013 will support the efforts of Americans across the country in moving forward, not backwards, and in emboldening America’s technology-driven, problem-solving culture. Nothing less than our nation’s economic competitiveness and the health of future generations relies on it…”Tweet

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Wednesday, 5 September 2012

YINGLI GREEN COULD BE SUN KING 2012

Posted on 06:13 by Unknown
Yingli Green poised to become the no.1 PV module supplier for 2012

Ray Lian, 31 August 2012 (PV Tech)

“…[I]t is now becoming possible to form a picture of what the 2012 PV shipment rankings will look like…[T]he landscape of global PV module manufacturing has changed significantly in the past few quarters, with gross margins in the single-digit percentage range at best. So, in such a difficult environment for all upstream PV manufacturers, who will prevail at year-end[?]…

“Based on existing company guidance and…estimates of projected module shipments by company through to the end of 2012…[a] most-likely top-10 list for 2012…seems more like a reshuffle of 2011, with JA Solar replacing Kyocera at the 10th position being the only notable change…[I]it shows that JA Solar has now successfully repositioned from a (dominantly pure-play) cell supplier to a leading PV module supplier, and avoided the inevitable ‘squeeze’ of being a legacy pure-play midstream player…”

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“…[Yingli may take] the No.1 position for the first time ever – a position that was previously occupied by Suntech and First Solar…Yingli is also set to challenge the world record of PV module shipment within any calendar year, and become only the second company to post an annual shipment level that exceeds the 2GW-threshold. (Suntech was the first in 2011 with 2,096MW of shipment, and Suntech is likely to be ranked No.2 in 2012).

“Trina Solar, First Solar and Canadian Solar are likely to occupy the next 3 ranking positions in 2012…[J]ust 50MW of difference may change the relative positions. A similar situation is likely for SunPower, Jinko Solar, and Hanwha SolarOne, competing for 7th place…Sharp Solar is likely to be the only Japanese company…Seven of the top-10 companies for 2012 are China-based manufacturers. And the other 3 are characterized by having dominant manufacturing presence across Southeast Asia and Japan…[M]odule shipment from the top-10 companies will be equivalent to almost 50% of global module demand in 2012, increasing from 46% in 2011...one consequence of the global PV shakeout…”

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FOR SALE – THE WORLD’S BIGGEST WINDMAKER

Posted on 06:13 by Unknown
Contemplating A Vestas Marriage: Money, Strategy And Legal Loopholes

Mark Del Franco, 30 August 2012 (North American Windpower)

“Embattled wind turbine maker Vestas has been the subject of numerous takeover rumors over the past few years and has been suspected as a takeover target of companies ranging from Chinese manufacturers - such as Ming Yang, Sinovel and Goldwind - to wind turbine suppliers, such as GE and Alstom…Vestas turned away such speculation without comment…[but] gave credibility to the newest name to emerge as a potential partner: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)…[which includes] Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas (MPSA), which manufactures 1 MW and 2.4 MW wind turbines…

“…[2012 looks like it will be] a record year for turbine installations in the U.S…[but] orders for 2013 have virtually stopped as the wind industry awaits a decision on the extension of the production tax credit (PTC)…In January, the company announced it would eliminate 2,335 positions [at its U.S. factories] by the end of the year. And, in releasing its most recent financial results, Vestas indicated it would lay off 1,400 more employees…”

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“Brian Redmond, managing director at Paragon Energy Holdings, is not surprised by Vestas’ strategic-partnership talks. An expected slowdown in U.S. turbine orders is leading to capacity consolidation throughout the wind industry, he says…Meanwhile, Dan Shreve, director and partner at MAKE Consulting, speculates that both companies could benefit from synergies in the offshore wind space…

“…[B]y virtue of its…2010 acquisition of U.K.-based Artemis Intelligent Power, MHI could assist Vestas in the offshore wind space, Shreve points out…[T]he question lies in…whether the joint venture would take steps to commercialize [the Artemis] hydraulic drivetrain or move forward with Vestas' more traditional turbine architecture…Like Vestas, MHI's wind division has struggled lately... in part, from a protracted patent-infringement dispute with GE…[A] joint-venture partnership could provide a mechanism for MPSA to get around its legal issues…”

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ELEMENTS OF THE SMART GRID

Posted on 06:12 by Unknown
Smart Grid Requires Utilities To Merge IT And OT Worlds

28 August 2012 (Renew Grid)

“Uncertainty as to how new information technology (IT) systems should be incorporated into network operations continues to slow the advancement of smart grid technologies and is driving the need for greater collaboration between the IT and operational technology (OT) sides of the business, according to a new report from Pike Research.

“The need to support smart meters has already driven significant change in the utility IT landscape with the introduction of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and meter data management systems (MDMS) and the replacement and upgrading of existing billing and customer information systems (CIS)…[but] the evolution of the smart grid from the initial deployment of smart meters to a dynamic, intelligent network supporting bi-directional communications between utilities and customers is only just beginning.”

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“Other focal points for IT transformation include distribution management systems (DMS) and the merging of enterprise IT and OT to improve operational efficiencies and move toward the goal of a closed-loop network management operation…[Advancements] are being driven by new application requirements such as electric vehicle charging systems, demand-side management applications and distributed generation management, including virtual power plants and microgrids…

“The worlds of IT and OT teams have historically been distinct within utilities. IT has been primarily focused on business process and customer management systems. Operational systems for managing and monitoring power networks have been the domain of operational teams…[but] the smart grid requires a more holistic view of how a utility operates at both a business and field level…[and] greater cooperation between IT and OT teams…The importance of ensuring the security of the electricity grid…cannot be underestimated…”

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