Plug-in vehicles may make up 22% of US auto sales by 2030
Plug-in electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, have the potential to make up 9% of auto sales in 2020 and 22% in 2030 (1.6 million and 4 million vehicle sales respectively), according to research company Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Achieving such growth levels, however, will be dependent on two key factors - aggressive reductions in battery costs and rising gasoline prices. In the short term, price will be the most significant limitation to the uptake of both plug-in hybrid vehicles like the GM Volt and fully electric vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf. The median base price of autos sold between July 2009 and June 2010 in the US was $21,800. By comparison, the Nissan Leaf will cost $26,280 after federal subsidies (including an allowance for charger installation), which is a higher price point than three quarters of all new auto sales.
Does Owning the Meters make you Smarter?
Smart metering and sub-metering can be added to most buildings for relatively low cost and almost immediately. It is an investment that will keep paying for itself over and over and even when the smart grid does become a reality it will be a second source of opinion, and when the utility will not share their information, you can.
Japan Declares War on Canada
On Monday, September 13, the Japanese launched an attack on Ontario's Green Harbor, i.e. the province's Green Energy Act. Rather than attacking a naval base with hundreds of military aircraft, Japan has launched a suit against Canada and Ontario through the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The reason for the attack? The Japanese do not want to have thousands of new green jobs and companies manufacturing alternative energy components over here, supporting thousands of Ontario families, when these same jobs could be created in Japan.
Commercializing A New Solar Technology
Morgan Solar Inc. was founded in 2007 by brothers John Paul and Nicolas Morgan, with angel investment from their father, an experienced CEO in the field of global management consulting and information technology. In 2006, John Paul began to prototype Morgan Solar's Light-Guide Solar Optic - a novel way of capturing, directing, and concentrating sunlight. Soon after, Nicolas left his position as Business Development Manager at Fon Technologies, a Web 2.0 start-up in Spain, to join the company full-time. The Light-Guide is the fundamental technology behind Morgan Solar's Sun Simba concentrating solar panel, which is set for commercial launch in late 2011.
SolarWindow™ Technology
New Energy Technologies, Inc., publicly traded under the symbol NENE on the OTCBB, is focused on the research, development and eventual commercialization of emerging next-generation alternative and renewable energy technologies. Among our current research and development activities is the development of the first-of-its-kind SolarWindow™ technology, which enables see-thru windows to generate electricity by 'spraying' their glass surfaces with New Energy's electricity-generating coatings.
Solar Projects at MG&E - Video
Solar technology is on the fast track! In this report, see some exciting new projects that are putting the sun to work for all of us.
Back Up For Solar Hot Water System An Over Looked Area
Often over looked is the significant effect a back up system can have on the overall performance of a solar hot water system. In a recent letter sent to Solar Industry Magazine I point out some design considerations.
Comfort + Convenience = Waste
The Department of Energy estimates that 25 percent to 30 percent of all energy used in public schools
across the U.S. is wasted.
7 Projects Paving the Way for Ocean Power
What if we could tap the power of the ocean to produce electricity? Companies including Lockheed Martin, Wavebob and OpenHydro are working on technologies to capture energy from waves, tides, currents and the ocean’s thermal gradients on a scale that could eventually make the sea a major contributor to the nation’s clean energy supply. Despite its promise, however, to provide continuous electricity — a benefit that solar and wind don’t offer — development of so-called “hydrokinetic” technology (relating to the kinetic energy of moving fluid) has run into technical and fundraising difficulties. For example, the California Utilities Commission rejected a power purchase agreement from utility Pacific Gas & Electric to buy electricity from a project by Finavera Renewables, saying the technology was too unproven and costly. So far, few studies have looked into the environmental impact of ocean and tidal power equipment worldwide. As researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington State explained recently, some of the limited studies have taken place outside the U.S., focusing on wildlife not commonly found in the estuaries and oceans hugging this country. Source: Josie Garthwaite – GigaOM
Will India be a bigger concentrated solar thermal power than China?
As the founder of CSP Today and organizer of the 1st CSP Today India conference in New Delhi, Belén Gallego is often asked about the future of the CSP industry in India. She has written a piece about the opportunities in the Indian market published recently in CSP Today. Having lived in India for 2 years, it is difficult for me to be impartial when assessing the opportunities in the CSP industry. I believe very firmly in the great capacity of Indians to learn fast and reduce costs –they are specialists in making things cheaper maintaining quality standards. Much as I try, I can´t think of anything that the CSP industry is more in need of. While last year there was very little talk of India becoming one of the biggest markets for CSP, today the question on everybody’s lips is: Will India be a bigger CSP power than China? From an economic and development perspective, India’s economy is performing very well, averaging 8.5% growth this year. Its growth rate could overtake China’s by 2013 - if not before - according to a recent article by The Economist. While China’s growth has been largely state-directed, India’s is driven by 45m entrepreneurs. Private firms have had to compete with the world´s best - and many have discovered that they can. Read full article here.
US solar is poised for $100bn growth surge
Rapidly declining equipment costs combined with stronger government support have set the stage for explosive growth in the US solar market over the next decade, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the world’s leading provider of research and analysis in clean energy and the carbon markets. Solar-powered generating capacity – using photovoltaic and solar thermal electricity technologies – could reach 4.3% of the nation’s power capacity by 2020, depending on the industry’s ability to attract an estimated $100bn of investment. The US today has just 1.4 gigawatts of installed solar power capacity, ranking it fifth globally. But that could rise to 44 gigawatts by 2020, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. In a new report, forecast capacity from large-scale solar thermal projects is projected to rise from 0.4 gigawatts currently to 14 gigawatts by 2020. For photovoltaics, the group anticipates a 34% annual growth rate to 30 gigawatts by 2020. Full Story.
Message from AWEA CEO Denise Bode regarding attacks on 1603 Program
Recently a number of news stories and politically motivated TV ads have run across the country that falsely attack policies critical to keeping Americans working in wind power -- a bright spot in the economy, which has kept 85,000 Americans working during the recession. These stories and campaign ads have challenged renewable energy tax credits (the 1603 tax credits) which have been one of the most effective public policies in existence for saving American jobs. In the recession, project development and financing was difficult to obtain and costly. Many wind projects in mid-development could not complete financing. As a result, wind investment stalled with some projects stopping mid-construction; laying off construction workers and leaving wind towers and blades on the ground. The 1603 tax credit program restarted stalled projects and saved thousands of jobs at risk. Every job saved was an American job. 100% of projects that receive investment tax credits through 1603 are built in the U.S. as required by the Recovery Act. The program also supports America’s growing manufacturing and supply chain industries. U.S. wind turbine domestic manufacturing has grown 12-fold, with an increase in domestic content from 25% only a few years ago to over 50% now, and nearly 400 American manufacturing facilities making wind components. Full Press Release.
The Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize Competition
The intention and purpose of the Progressive Automotive X-Prize could actually not be higher… to simply see who could produce a vehicle that could achieve a 100mpg rating without cluttering up the atmosphere with noxious gasses.
Soaring Photovoltaic Demand Drives Record Levels of Equipment Spending
Chinese and Taiwanese Manufacturers Account for 80% of Q3'10 Incremental Capacity
Grid Interconnection Solutions for Solar and Wind Power Plants
AMSC Launches SolarTie™ Grid Interconnection Solution for Utility-Scale Solar Power Market.
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Solar Power - Featured Product
Introducing RockIt Smart Slide
Introducing RockIt Smart Slide - the ultimate solution for fast and easy installation of the rail-less RockIt racking system on composition shingle roofs. Smart Slide conforms to UL 441 and TAS 100 (A)-95 for wind and wind-driven rain, providing a super-strong watertight seal that is achieved through compression, in most cases without the need for additional sealant. The waterproofing sealant is embedded deep into the granules of the shingle, thanks to the integrated flexible foam layer that provides cushioning. This ensures a secure fit that conforms to any architectural-style shingle. With UltraGrip Technology™, you can rely on a secure installation, as it absorbs the movement created by thermal expansion and contraction. The pre-installed sealing pads are compatible with all composition shingle roofs, making it the ideal choice, even in ambient temperatures as low as 5 degrees.
