China Gets Rolling on Carbon Trading

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23316

China's prime minister confirmed the country will increase the amount of non-fossil fuel energy it uses to 11.4% by 2015, and will "vigorously" develop renewable energy as part of its 5-Year Plan. 8.4% of China's electricity came from non-fossil fuel sources in 2010....

...
China's five year plan also calls for reducing carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product (carbon intensity) 17% by 2015.

To achieve that, China's planning agency, The National Development and Reform Commission, informed seven provinces and cities they need to set emissions caps to prepare for the country's pilot carbon trading program.  They must submit proposals explaining how they will allocate emission permits to achieve the caps, establish a dedicated fund to support the carbon market, and develop a detailed implementation plan, according to Reuters.  Beyond the seven official pilots, 100 other regions and cities want to start carbon exchanges.  Guangdong province has already received approval for its plan....

China is also seriously considering a carbon tax.

For now, China's massive use of coal continues to outstrip its growing use of renewable energy. Coal still provides 70% of electricity, almost half of that burned on our planet. If current use continues, it's on track to consume five billion tons of coal a year by 2020, up from 3.2 billion tons in 2010, reports The Guardian.

Alarmed by the rapid increase, the National Energy Administration is calling for a cap on energy consumption - below 4.1 billion tons of coal equivalent a year by 2015.

In related news, China approved a $913 billion, 300 megawatt offshore wind farm off the coast of its northern Hebei province, to be online before the end of 2015.  China could soon issue a second RFP for 2 GW of offshore wind. The plan is to have 5 GW by 2015, amounting to 5% of total wind capacity.

Here are details of China's 5-Year Plan: http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22006

FOR FULL STORY GO TO:
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/23316 
www.SustainableBusiness.com
January 17, 2012

As Price of Oil Soars, Users Shiver and Cross Their Fingers

http://is.gd/HQT2lh

When David Harris built his 2,000-square-foot hilltop home nine years ago, he wanted to put in natural gas, but the utility wouldn’t run a line to his house. Like many people here, he was stuck using heating oil.

Mr. Harris added a wood stove to help cut costs and now uses only about one-third of the oil the house would otherwise need. But that did not stop a deliveryman for Crowley Fuel from handing him a $471.21 bill earlier this month for a refill that should get him to April.
...
While natural gas prices have plummeted to 10-year lows, heating oil prices have been steadily rising for years and are expected to reach record levels this winter, precipitated by higher costs for crude oil and the shutdown of several crucial refineries in the Northeast and in Europe. The Energy Department projects a price of $3.79 a gallon over the next few months, more than a dollar above the winter average for the last five years. Analysts do not expect much relief in the longer term, either, because global oil prices are expected to stay high amid political instability in the Middle East and rising demand from developing countries.

With electricity prices also down, utilities are trumpeting that bills will drop this season for customers using gas and electric heat. Con Edison announced this week that residential gas heating bills in New York were expected to drop 11.5 percent this winter, and in New Jersey, PSE&G said that it would cut February bills for residential gas customers by an average of $30.

“The people who have been unable to switch off of heating oil will be increasingly penalized in the coming years,” said Jay Hakes, a former administrator of the Energy Information Administration and now the director of the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum....

Nationwide, the average household using oil spent $2,298 on heat last year, compared with $724 spent by gas users and $957 spent by electricity users, according to the Energy Department.

This year, heating oil users are expected to spend 3.7 percent more than last year, while natural gas customers are expected to spend 7.3 percent less and electricity users will spend 2.4 percent less, according to the department.

Cheap natural gas was part of the appeal for Gus Kontoudakis, who spent about $3,000 to switch from oil at the home he rents out in Plainfield, Conn. The boiler was due for replacement anyway, he said.

...
But many oil users — living in places like Alaska, Maine and even affluent parts of Manhattan — do not have that option. Some are simply too far from a pipeline. For others, converting to natural gas is unaffordable, with costs that can run to tens of thousands of dollars for each home. As a result, they are trapped in a cycle of spending more and more for heat while those who use natural gas and electricity are generally spending less and less.

That dynamic is at work in households across the economic spectrum, but the cost gap looms as a crisis for the poor, experts warn, since the federal government has cut financing for energy assistance programs.
...

The use of heating oil, which rose after World War II as a replacement for coal, has been on a long decline. As the use of virtually every other fuel has increased, the number of households that use heating oil has dropped from about 20 percent in 1975 to roughly 7 percent today, spurred by new home construction and population shifts to the West and South, closer to natural gas fields and pipelines. Government incentives for installing insulation also cut consumption of heating oil.

For decades, the prices of oil and gas moved virtually in tandem, but in recent years, vast increases in American gas supplies have made gas decisively cheaper.

Meanwhile, heating oil could grow more scarce in the Northeast this winter, the Energy Department warned last month. Companies have been closing refineries that produce heating oil because of declining profit margins. Sunoco and ConocoPhillips recently announced the idling of two major refineries in Pennsylvania, and a third refinery owned by Sunoco may close next summer.

Encouraged by the low prices for natural gas and government and utility incentives, more oil customers have been looking to make the switch.

Thomas Dziki of Richmond Hill, Queens, said it was a $750 bill to fill up his 150-gallon oil tank last winter that prompted him to call National Grid to convert. He spent about $8,500 to switch his three-story home to gas. Now, his monthly bills are in the $30 to $50 range ...

For larger buildings in New York City, there is increased pressure to switch because of a new pollution regulation that will phase out the use of the heavier heating oils.

But conversion costs can be prohibitive, in part because Con Edison, the local utility, has to rip up the street to run pipes larger than those used for cooking gas.

Nancy T. Schmitt, an energy-sector investment adviser whose Upper East Side co-op burns the densest form of oil.... But by one estimate, she said, it would cost $2 million to connect her complex to the existing lines. Con Ed has been working to help organize buildings into clusters for conversion, to lower costs and diminish the inconvenience.
...

By Diane Cardwell and Clifford Krauss
FOR FULL STORY GO TO:
http://is.gd/HQT2lh
The New York Times
January 21, 2012

With Incentives Cut, is Going Solar in Arizona Still Worth it?

http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/news/with-incentives-cut-is-going-solar-in-arizona-still-worth-it/

When it comes to sheer number of solar installations, Arizona comes in third among states, following California and New Jersey.

Until last December, Arizona’s incentive programs were among the best in the nation, with public utilities offering generous per-watt rebates in addition to a state rebate.
...

In December, however, the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state’s regulatory board, agreed to allow utilities to decrease rebate amounts.

Public utilities are mandated by law to invest in renewable energy, and since 2006, electric utilities in Arizona have been partially meeting that mandate by offering customers who install residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems rebates, based on the system’s size.

Some rebate programs were as high at $3 per watt. Those rebates, when combined with the federal tax credit incentive program and the state’s $1,000 rebate program, made going solar in Arizona highly affordable.

Beginning in 2010, however, utilities began to pressure the Commission to approve reductions in rebates for residential and commercial installations. Utilities like the Tucson Electric Power Company, who recently received financing for the construction of a 6.1-megawatt solar energy plant, are seeking to meet renewable energy mandates through large-scale solar farms.

In December of 2011, the Commission responded by agreeing to allow utilities to decrease rebates and to continue to decrease them as more residential solar systems are installed....

Is Solar Still Worth it? Answer: Yes

... In sunny Arizona, an average size for a home solar system would be about 3 kilowatts and cost about $25,000, before rebates. The federal incentive program would cut up to 30 percent of that cost. The state rebate would shave off another $1,000, leaving a total of $16,500.

Most of the Arizona utilities are currently paying $.75 per-watt rebates, reducing the cost further to $14,250.

Residents could expect to recover the installation costs in around six to nine years through savings on their monthly energy bills. After that payback period, homeowners with home solar systems can enjoy years and years of free electricity, knowing that each kilowatt hour generated by their systems helps reduce the nation’s reliance on gas-emitting fossil fuel generation.

To take full advantage of the existing incentive programs, however, Arizona residents need to act soon. The new tiered system for the utility rebates allows the per-watt rebate to be reduced to $.10 per watt.

In addition, funds are limited for the current year, and it is likely that cuts will continue to the program next year....

FOR FULL STORY GO TO:
http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/news/with-incentives-cut-is-going-solar-in-arizona-still-worth-it/
Calfinder http://solar.calfinder.com Nationwide Home Solar Power Contractors and Information
posted by Brittany
via/hat tip Cleantechies blog http://blog.cleantechies.com

Competition to Reduce Energy Use Results In Savings for Six Brooklyn Neighborhoods - NYSERDA Sponsored Energy Competition Saves Residents Money While Changing Their Habits

http://is.gd/jRbl43
Residents in six Brooklyn neighborhoods participating in “Reduce the Use in District 39” have demonstrated how awareness, education and competition can lead to money-saving energy reductions.

The program was a year-long energy savings competition sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Con Edison and the office of New York City Councilman Brad Lander.

A total of 158 households in Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens and Borough Park took the challenge. On average, they cut their electricity usage by 4 percent over the course of the competition, compared to the previous year. Their overall savings was $2,542 and 12,108 kilowatt hours (kWh), the equivalent of the amount of electricity needed to power approximately two average-sized homes for a year.

“The competition made the participants look at their energy use in a new and different way – in comparison to their neighbors, friends, and other social connections,” said Francis J. Murray, Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. “It shows that this type of program can make a difference in the way people use energy. Competition coupled with awareness is a strong motivation to reduce consumption.”

Innovative initiatives, such as this contest, are becoming more common nationwide, as using behavioral economics to lower energy consumption can be a way of impacting many homes that otherwise would be difficult to reach. Participants were provided with monthly reports on how much energy they used, how much they had reduced from last year, and how their numbers compared to their neighbors’ results. They also received energy-saving tips to help them reduce their electricity consumption and ideas to improve the energy performance of their homes.
...
Two Park Slope residents won special awards – one for the household with the “Smallest Footprint” (lowest total electrical usage), and the other for “Biggest Reduction” (the greatest reduction from last year).

The “Smallest Footprint” award went to Lloyd Hicks, whose household used only 213.7 kWh per person during the competition.... The “Biggest Reduction” winner was Katherine Degn who reduced her household’s energy use by 49 percent compared to the previous year. “The competition and its monthly updates made me constantly aware of my energy consumption, more so than my monthly electric bills,” she said. “And I liked seeing my usage relative to Councilmember Brad Lander’s, so that gave me some sort of comparison.”

Residents achieved reductions by turning off lights, shutting off multiple appliances at once with advanced power strips, reducing the number of computers in use, cooking in microwaves and toaster ovens rather than full-sized ovens, using Con Edison’s free programmable thermostat initiative for central AC, and pulling down shades and closing windows during the summer days.

In addition to the Park Slope winners, Sarah Goodman of Windsor Terrace was a co-winner in each category, as she installed photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on her home in 2010 and reduced her electric bills to nearly zero. PV systems convert sunlight into electricity and generally offset 70 to 80 percent of a home’s electricity needs.

“Reduce the Use in District 39” was NYSERDA’s second pilot neighborhood energy-savings competition in Brooklyn. For more information about how you can be a part of future NYSERDA-sponsored energy competitions, contact competition@nyserda.org.  For more information on NYSERDA’s residential energy efficiency programs, visit  nyserda.ny.gov/residential. For more information on Con Edison's energy efficiency programs, visit www.conEd.com/greenteam Link opens in new window - close new window to return to this page.  or call 1-800-870-6118.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) www.NYSERDA.org
Press Release dated November 21, 2011

An Energy Supergrid for Europe Faces Big Obstacles

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/business/global/17iht-rbog-grid17.html
Advocates of renewable energy say an electricity supergrid could enhance the clean-power industry by connecting power sources like wind farms in Scotland and solar arrays in Spain or North Africa to the population centers of Europe.

The technical arguments for a significantly expanded and upgraded power network in Europe are clear, they say. Yet the political, regulatory and economic obstacles are formidable.

... Doug Parr, chief scientist at the British arm of Greenpeace [noted]... “it’s not garnering political weight and support”...

With its windy weather, Britain could be a big beneficiary of better international power connections....

Britain is working ... to negotiate the North Sea Countries Offshore Grid Initiative, a planned network of underwater cables that would connect offshore wind farms and other power sources to nearby countries.

The project, likely to take decades, is seen as a potential building block for a broader European grid....

Some cross-border power connections exist, but many European countries still produce and supply most of their own electricity.... Experts say a richer cross-border network will reduce power prices for consumers and make supplies more secure by promoting competition and distributing surplus production more efficiently.

Renewable power advocates say improved connections are essential for making sources like wind and solar practical on a large scale. Potential energy-producing areas, like the windy coasts of Scotland and Ireland and the deserts of North Africa, are often far from larger cities with their power-hungry consumers.

Broad networks could also help ease one of renewable energy’s biggest problems: intermittency. When the wind drops in Britain, it may still be strong in Germany, or the sun may be shining in Tunisia....

The Energy and Climate Change Committee of Britain’s main parliamentary chamber, the House of Commons, said in a report in September that a drastically improved grid would be crucial for the viability of the country’s plans for significant investment in offshore wind power.
...
But the report listed several caveats about the development of a Europe-wide grid, saying the cost would probably be high and the challenge of coordinating national energy regulations would be daunting.
...
The decades-long time frame for investing in energy infrastructure inevitably contrasted with the shorter-term focus of politicians.

Because energy is a heavily regulated sector, one of the biggest obstacles to building a supergrid is the long negotiations required to bridge differences among individual countries’ rules.

Budget woes, too, may limit the availability of investment from Brussels and national capitals.

Still, some advocates said poor economic conditions could actually make it easier to raise private financing.

“There are pension funds and many investors looking for safe returns,” Julian Scola, spokesman for the European Wind Energy Association in Brussels, said by phone. “Electricity infrastructure, which is a regulated business with regulated returns, ought to and does provide very safe and very attractive investment.”
...
The estimated price tag varies widely; James Cox of Poyry, a Finnish engineering and management consulting firm, said a wide-reaching grid could cost 100 billion euros, or about $127 billion.  A study by Poyry in March said that better regional interconnections would only partially solve the intermittency problem because weather patterns could extend over large areas.... Over all, he said, more links made economic sense. But winning permission for transmission projects can be difficult....

The European Union wants to create a unified electricity market, and Brussels is debating a bill that would streamline permit-granting for power transmission and provide more than 9.1 billion euros.
...
New linkups are therefore likely to happen piecemeal.... Mr. Parr of Greenpeace U.K. said. “It could get very expensive if it’s not done right.”

By Beth Gardiner
FOR FULL STORY GO TO:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/business/global/17iht-rbog-grid17.html
The New York Times www.NYTimes.com
January 16, 2012

Swedes go green in India

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/swedes-go-green-in-india/2607

... The Swedish embassy unveiled a ... solar panel system which will generate approximately 10 percent of its total energy consumption.

....
The 288 panels presently generates 17.487 KW of power with a total capacity of 75KW per hour on a clear day.  The panel has generated 2998 KW since it started a month ago. The system has, so far, avoided 1499 kg of CO2 emissions.

Per-Erik Ekman, who manages the Embassy property, said that the only labor required was to clean the panels once a week. The panel cost about $420,000 and the embassy will save approximately $14,000 on its annual electric bill.
...
The Swedish embassy in India plans to generate one-third of its power needs from renewable energy sources in 2012. The Swedes have set a worldwide target of a 26 percent reduction of total energy consumption in Swedish properties around the globe.

... Officials here say that water harvesting today amounts to 5,000 cubic meters annually, which prevents depletion of groundwater level in the area. The target is to reach a positive water-balance (consume less than what is collected and recharged) by 2013.

By Betwa Sharma
FOR FULL STORY GO TO:
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/swedes-go-green-in-india/2607
Smarter Planet www.smartplanet.com
January 12, 2012

On the Horizon, Planes Powered by Plant Fuel

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/on-the-horizon-planes-powered-by-plant-fuel
The use of jet fuel from renewable sources is now well demonstrated, but it costs more than double what fuel made from petroleum does, according to airlines, aircraft companies and suppliers. One way to cut the cost may be to tinker with the plants that biofuel is made from.

Take jatropha, for example. Lufthansa said last week that it had completed a series of more than 800 flights by an Airbus A321 that shuttled between Hamburg and Frankfurt while burning a 50 percent biofuel mix in one of its two engines. The biofuel was derived partly from jatropha, a tropical shrub with an oil-rich nut, and it cost about two and a half times what ordinary petroleum-based fuel does.

On Monday, the United States secretary of agriculture, Thomas Vilsack, speaking at Boeing’s headquarters in Chicago, identified a major impediment to the biofuels endeavor: the cost of harvesting and delivering the feedstock for biorefineries, the factories that make fuel from plant material.

Biologists and financiers are focusing on the problem. On Tuesday, a San Diego company, SG Biofuels, plans to announce $17 million in new financing from venture capital sources to continue its work on raising the yields from jatropha.

The company is trying to do for jatropha, whose fruit is inedible, what agronomists have done for food crops like wheat and corn, swapping genes among strains to produce varieties that are hardy and higher-yielding. The company said it had already raised yields of jatropha oil to 250 to 350 gallons per acre, double the normal output.
...
It was spread around the tropics by Portuguese sailors who believed it had medicinal properties.
...
Lufthansa used a mixture of jatropha and camelina, which is widely grown in the United States, and animal fats. After six months on the 50-50 blend, the engine appeared to be functioning normally, the airline said.
...
Carbon dioxide emissions declined about 60 percent, gallon for gallon, with the biofuel, Lufthansa said....

Some airlines have reported an even higher differential.

Of the cost, 80 to 85 percent involves the feedstock....

Lufthansa said it spent $8.4 million on the six-month test, with the European Union paying about one-third of the expense.

... Billy Glover, Boeing’s vice president for environment in its commercial airplane sector, said the company hoped to stabilize its greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 by using more efficient planes and more biofuels, while still allowing air travel to grow. By 2050, he said, the industry’s goal is to reduce emissions by 50 percent.

(In theory, the Obama administration’s goal is to cut American greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by that date, although the economy is not on track to accomplish that.)

Mr. Vilsack, the agriculture secretary, has been traveling the country preaching the virtues of fueling airplanes from farms. He said that his department would help establish eight to 10 biorefineries producing both vehicle fuel and aviation fuel.

The feedstocks will be specific to the region where the refineries were built — in some places, the nonfood parts of the corn plant, and in others, algae or switchgrass, he said. The department will subsidize the price of feedstocks to help bring the cost closer to competitive levels for the airlines, he said. The Navy has been lined up as a customer.
...
by Matthew Wald
FOR FULL STORY GO TO:
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/on-the-horizon-planes-powered-by-plant-fuel
The New York Times Green Blog http://green.blogs.nytimes.com
January 17, 2012

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Receives High Performance Energy Efficiency Award from NYSERDA

http://is.gd/2wiUw8

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) recognized Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) with a High Performance Building Plaque for energy-saving investments that will reduce energy costs by $223,513 annually.

RPI’s construction of Phase I of its East Campus Athletic Village, a new basketball arena and stadium adjacent to the Houston Field House on the Troy campus, was supported by $404,491 in NYSERDA incentives, which leveraged $3.1 million in other investment. The project’s energy-efficiency improvements included high-efficiency lighting, demand control ventilation, variable speed drives on a cooling tower fan, fan motors and water pumps.

The energy savings—1,173,020 kilowatt hours—is equivalent to the amount of electricity consumed by 170 single-family homes annually and will be realized by the institution every year for years to come.

The facility’s energy efficiency improvements will reduce energy consumption, decrease demands on the utility’s distribution system, increase occupant comfort and decrease the environmental impacts of the construction process.  The improvements also helped RPI achieve LEED Gold certification.
...
NYSERDA High Performance Building Plaques are presented to hospitals, colleges and universities, schools, businesses and other organizations that have constructed or substantially renovated buildings to perform at least 30 percent above the New York State Energy Conservation Construction Code.  RPI’s East Campus Athletic Village is rated to perform 33 percent above code.

Plaques were also awarded in the Capital Region to Arbor Hill Branch and New Scotland Avenue Branch as these buildings are slated to perform 36.3 and 44.6 percent above code respectively.

Since 2009, NYSERDA has provided more than $1.8 million to help reduce electricity consumption by approximately 15.3 million kilowatt hours in 9 new construction projects throughout Rensselaer County - the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of nearly 2,228 single-family homes.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) www.NYSERDA.org

Press Release dated January 19, 2012

Electricity generation from the first wind farm situated at Ras Ghareb, Egypt

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032111005855
Abstract:
Egypt is one of the Red Sea and Mediterranean countries having windy enough areas, in particular along the coasts. The coastal location Ras Ghareb on the Red Sea has been investigated in order to know the wind power density available for electricity generation. To account for the wind potential variations with height, a new simple estimating procedure was introduced. This study has explicitly demonstrated the presence of high wind power density nearly 900 kW/m2 per year at 100 m of altitude for this region. Indeed, the seasonal wind powers available are comparable to and sometimes higher than the power density in many European cities for wind electricity applications like Vindeby (Denmark) and also America.

New technical analysis for wind turbine characteristics have been made using three types of commercial wind turbines possessing the same rotor diameter and rated power to choice the best wind machine suitable for Ras Ghareb station. As per the decreasing the cut-in wind speed for the wind turbine used, the availability factor increases for a given generator. That it could produce more energy output throughout the year for the location.

The aim of this research, was to predict the electrical energy production with the cost analysis of a wind farm 150 MW total power installed at Ras Ghareb area using 100 wind turbines model (Repower MD 77) with 1.5 MW rated power. Additionally, this paper developed the methodology for estimating the price of each kWh electricity from the wind farms. Results show that this wind park will produce maximum energy of 716 GWh/year. The expected specific cost equal to 1.5 € cent/kWh is still less than and very competitive price with that produced from the wind farms in Great Britain and Germany and at the international markets of wind power. The important result derived from this study encourages several wind parks with hundreds of megawatts can be constructed at Ras Ghareb region.

by Ahmed Shata Ahmed; Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Port Said University, Egypt
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews via Elsevier Science Direct www.ScienceDirect.com
Volume 16, Issue 3; April, 2012; Pages 1630–1635
Keywords: Wind power density; Availability factor; Generation cost of electricity

High Prices Will Limit Sales of Electric Vehicles in 2012

http://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/high-prices-will-limit-sales-of-electric-vehicles-in-2012

Many potential buyers will hold off on purchases of electric vehicles (EVs) during 2012 due to the premium pricing of the vehicles, according to a new white paper from Pike Research. Nissan raised the price of the Leaf for 2012, and while the 2012 Chevrolet Volt will sell for $1,000 less, the car comes without several features that were previously standard but are now options.  According to data from Pike Research’s annual Electric Vehicle Consumer Survey, the optimal price for a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) to engage consumers is $23,750.  With the 2012 Toyota Prius PHEV ($32,000), the Honda Fit BEV ($36,625), and the Ford Focus EV ($39,995) all north of $30,000 (before federal incentives), consumers hoping for an affordable EV ride have been left wanting.  These relatively high selling prices will constrain the market for PEVs in 2012.  The white paper, which includes 10 predictions about the EV market in 2012, is available for free download on Pike Research’s website.

“Vehicles on sale in 2012 will not benefit from recent cost reductions in batteries,” says research director John Gartner.  “The batteries in these vehicles were ordered before 2012, so any flexibility in reducing vehicle pricing will not occur until 2013 or 2014 at the earliest.  Nevertheless, the global market for plug-in electric vehicles will grow to more than a quarter million vehicles in 2012 – a number sufficient to put an end to the ‘are they for real?’ speculation that has surrounded this market.”

Pike Research’s industry predictions for 2012 include the following:

• Car-sharing services will expand the market for EVs and hybrids.
• Battery production will outstrip vehicle production.
• The Asia Pacific region will become the early leader in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems.
• Third-party EV charging companies will dominate public charging sales.
• Employers will begin to purchase EV chargers in large numbers.
• EVs will begin to function as home appliances.

Pike Research’s white paper, “Electric Vehicles: 10 Predictions for 2012”, analyzes ten key trends that will influence the development of the electric vehicle market in 2012 and beyond.  Conclusions and predictions in this paper are drawn from the firm’s ongoing Smart Transportation research coverage, with forecasts included for key market sectors.  

During 2012, Pike Research estimates that global PEV sales will surpass 257,000 units.

The market for vehicles that can provide power to a building or the grid will be in its infancy in 2012 and will be driven primarily by fleets that can derive the most value from a vehicle’s battery. Asia Pacific (47% global share in 2012) will dominate this market because the higher penetration of PEVs in the region will create a sufficient amount of power potential for the grid.

A full copy of the white paper is available for free download on the firm’s website.

Pike Research www.PikeResearch.com
Press Release dated December 16, 2011

Another Pike release on December 19th at http://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/the-market-for-electric-vehicle-telematics-will-reach-1-4-billion-by-2017 entitled "The Market for Electric Vehicle Telematics Will Reach $1.4 Billion by 2017" noted that:

For early plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), one of the key features for customers is not a component of the drivetrain, but rather, the telematics package.  Giving the driver the ability to check on the battery and the rate of charge, telematics serve as a lifeline of sorts to help alleviate concerns over the limited range of electric vehicles (range anxiety).  In addition, many manufacturers are developing applications that can provide details on where the closest charging stations are within range of the current battery level of charge.  According to a new report from Pike Research, nearly nine out of ten PEVs sold this year will include at least a basic telematics package, and that percentage will likely grow to 94% by 2017.  Annual revenue from worldwide sales of electric vehicle telematics will total $1.4 billion by 2017, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts.

A key group of players in the EV telematics supply chain will be wireless equipment manufacturers coming from outside the automotive industry, who are accustomed to more compressed product development timeframes than the carmakers use.

“The hardware manufacturers are experiencing a bit of a culture shock,” says senior research analyst Dave Hurst, “as automotive development generally targets an 8 to 10-year lifespan, compared to a 2 to 3-year lifespan for other wireless devices.  For this reason, despite the fact that much of the data being transferred in PEV telematics can be done easily with a slow GSM connection, most hardware manufacturers are targeting 3G services with their modems to ensure compatibility with the wireless network long term.”

In addition, while basic telematics packages that offer simple data connections for emergency services, breakdown calls, charging station locations, and diagnostics/vehicle monitoring will be standard features on most PEVs by 2017, many consumers will want more elaborate, connected vehicle telematics, which can provide live traffic, weather, streaming content, and cloud computing-based applications.  Pike Research’s analysis indicates that, by the end of the forecast period, 80% of PEVs will come with connected vehicle systems installed.  Those costlier packages will push average revenue per user (ARPU) for electric vehicle telematics to $13.27 by 2017, up from $10.65 today. 

Pike Research’s report, “Electric Vehicle Telematics”, analyzes the market opportunity for telematics in plug-in electric vehicles, including market forces, technology, government influence on the market, and key drivers of the growth and profiles of key market players.  The report includes plug-in electric vehicle sales, sales of basic and connected vehicle telematics, and global revenue forecasts through 2017, segmented by world region.  An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

A Pike release on December 13th at http://www.pikeresearch.com/newsroom/electric-vehicle-charging-equipment-sales-to-reach-4-3-billion-worldwide-by-2017 entitled "Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Sales to Reach $4.3 Billion Worldwide by 2017" noted that:

Sales of electric vehicles are expected to accelerate strongly over the next few years, and along with them will come rapid growth in deployment of charging equipment for the vehicles.  Two years from now, more than 80 different models of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) will be found on roadways across the globe, and by 2017, more than 5.1 million PEVs will be sold globally.  In many markets, the majority of customers who purchase a PEV will purchase charging equipment for their home.  At the same time, many cities and states are promoting the use of PEVs and installing EV charging systems as a means of reducing urban emissions.  According to a recent report from Pike Research, more than 1.5 million locations to charge vehicles will be available in the United States by 2017, with a total of 7.7 million locations worldwide.

This will translate into revenues of more than $4.3 billion for makers of electric vehicle charging equipment by 2017, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts, up from $400 million in 2011, representing a compound annual growth rate of 49%.

“Prices for EV charging equipment will fall by 37% through 2017 as costs are driven down by competition from large electronics companies as well as volume production,” says research director John Gartner.  “With each new electric vehicle model that gets launched, makers of charging equipment, city planners, and retailers gain an increased sense that EVs are here to stay.  This will encourage both the production and purchase of charging systems.”

The deployment of EV charging equipment will also have implications for electric utilities’ business models.  The impact of power delivered through EV charging units could shorten the lifespan of some neighborhood distribution equipment, such as transformers or power lines.  Some utilities are offering less expensive EV charging rates and time of use (TOU) pricing, with power purchased overnight costing a fraction of the peak power price.  The benefits of off-peak charging will encourage nearly all equipment purchases to be smart charging units that can be programmed remotely.  A number of pioneering utilities are beginning to invest in information technology (IT) and other smart grid equipment to accommodate the increased load.

Pike Research’s report, “Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment”, examines the growing global market for electric vehicle charging equipment and provides market analysis and forecasts for residential, workplace, public, and private charge points.  The study also analyzes the key emerging sectors of direct current (DC) charging equipment and wireless EV charging stations.  Key industry players are profiled and detailed charging equipment forecasts, segmented by world region and key countries, extend through 2017.  An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

Userful to Demo Ultra-Low-Cost School Computing Solution at BETT 2012

http://userful.com/press/bett-multiseat-linux

Userful, "the world leader in Linux desktop virtualization", will be demonstrating the next generation of their Userful MultiSeat™ solution which turns one Linux computer into multiple high performance independent computer stations using the HP t200 thin client device, a multiseat device that can be connected either via USB or Ethernet using Userful's software. Userful MultiSeat enables schools to deploy more than twice as many computers for the same cost, while enabling multiple users to use different applications at the same time from one host computer, each with their own monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The new product truly redefines the cost of a full featured high performance computer.

Userful MultiSeat enables schools to quickly deploy large numbers of computer stations for a very low cost, whether in the classroom, computer lab, or school library. It is easy to set up, use and maintain, and provides teachers with the tools they need to give their students a high quality computer-based education. It dramatically reduces electricity use, paying for the computers in power savings alone in 4 years or less, and reduces environmental heat, noise and pollution at the same time. It also reduces infrastructure costs, by requiring fewer cables and fewer electrical outlets, and enables schools to reinvest by starting new computer labs with the computers recovered as a result of a MultiSeat computing upgrade.

"Userful is shaping the future of economically and environmentally sustainable educational computing," said Tim Griffin, President of Userful. "We've already done the world's largest ever desktop virtualization deployment, and one of the largest digital inclusion initiatives in the world. Userful is the perfect solution for anyone who wants the benefits of desktop virtualization, without the price tag."

More than 50,000 schools worldwide are already using Userful MultiSeat to provide millions of students with computer access. Userful has proven to be the computer solution of choice for governments with digital inclusion mandates to provide school age children with computer access, on limited budgets. Countries such as Brazil, who have already successfully deployed over 500,000 Userful computer stations to schools in every municipality, have shown that with the combined cost savings of Userful MultiSeat, Linux, and open source software, it is feasible to provide every student with a comprehensive education using computers, regardless of whether they live in a city or a remote indigenous village with little infrastructure. The Brazilian Ministry of Education has reported saving 60% in up-front costs, and 80% in annual power savings as compared to their previous PC-per-station solutions.

Userful MultiSeat Linux allows each student to individually control their own computer station and applications. To the students, it seems like they each have their own dedicated computer. In reality they are all sharing the resources of a single host computer. It's high performance, and set up is Plug-And-Play. Ten students can engage in multiple activities such as watching a full-screen video, exploring Google Earth, conducting research on the internet or using a word processor. It is easy to add new computer stations and teachers can easily expand the number of stations in their lab or classroom in minutes. Since it's Linux based, hundreds of educational software applications are available at no charge, including classroom computer management software for teachers. Teachers also don't need to worry about downtime. In the event that a host computer fails, teachers can simply move (hot-swap) the station cable to one of the other computers in the lab/classroom and the students can resume working.

Every ministry of education worldwide is eligible for a free 90 day pilot so that educators can easily experience first hand the high performance, and ease of use of the solution.

To arrange a demo, meeting, or interview at BETT, please e-mail karl@userful.com, or phone +1.403.289.2177 x218

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For more information, visit http://userful.com/products/userful-multiseat-linux

For more information on the HP t200 multiseat device, visit: HP t200 Product Information
http://userful.com/press/bett-multiseat-linux
Press Release dated January 3, 2011

Wind energy success story at risk with 54,000 American jobs in the balance

http://www.awea.org/newsroom/pressreleases/Navigant_study.cfm

A study released December 12, 2011 finds that with stable tax policy the wind industry can create and save 54,000 American jobs in the next four years, including growing the wind manufacturing sector by one third to 46,000 American manufacturing jobs. This will keep the wind sector on track toward supporting the 500,000 jobs by 2030 projected in a report by the U.S. Department of Energy during the George W. Bush administration.

The report completed by Navigant finds that if Congress allows the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind to expire, jobs in the wind industry will be cut in half, meaning a loss of 37,000 American jobs and a one third cut to American wind manufacturing jobs, while private investment in the industry would drop by nearly two thirds. Meanwhile, extending the PTC will create 17,000 American jobs, Navigant finds. The report can be found here.

“American manufacturing jobs are coming back, with tens of thousands of new jobs from wind power,” said Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). “But these jobs could vanish if Congress allows the Production Tax Credit to expire, in effect enacting a targeted tax increase, and sending our jobs to foreign countries. Congress must act now to keep this American manufacturing success story going.”

With the support of a stable PTC, wind energy is powering one of America’s fastest growing manufacturing sectors. Over the last six years, U.S. domestic production of wind turbine components has grown 12-fold to more than 400 facilities in 43 states, shifting manufacturing jobs from overseas back to the U.S.

The Navigant study finds that wind energy’s geographically diverse manufacturing base would spread job gains around the country. States that would see significant job and private investment gains from a PTC extension include Colorado, Texas, Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon, North Dakota and Ohio.

“We have made a significant investment during the last three years creating several hundred jobs for the state of Illinois to support the wind industry domestically,” said Terry R. Royer, CEO of Winergy Drive Systems Corporation. “With the uncertainty of the PTC extension, we are seeing the hesitation of our customers to make continued commitments for orders in late 2012 and 2013. An immediate extension is needed to support the investment we have made in our operations and secure the jobs that have been created.”

But, with a job-killing tax increase on the horizon and the PTC's future uncertain, businesses are hesitant to plan future US wind projects, American manufacturers have seen a drop in orders, and layoffs have already started.  For the purposes of the American wind industry manufacturing sector, which needs lead time to make its products, the PTC effectively expires at the end of this year.

Bipartisan legislation recently introduced by Representatives Dave Reichert (R, WA-08) and Earl Blumenauer (D, OR-03) seeks to grant a four-year extension to the existing Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy (H.R. 3307, the “American Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit Extension Act”). This legislation has garnered the support of 36 cosponsors including 11 Republicans.

This legislation recently received the endorsement of a broad, coalition of more than 370 members, including the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Edison Electric Institute, the Western Governors’ Association, the United Steelworkers and many members of the environmental community. A four-year PTC extension also has the support of the bipartisan Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition comprised of 23 Republican and Democrat Governors from across the U.S.

About the Production Tax Credit:

The PTC is a tax incentive that helps keep electricity rates low and encourages development of proven clean energy projects. Private investment generated over the last four years of relative PTC stability averages $17 billion a year.

The wind energy PTC will expire in 2012 unless Congress takes action. Failure to extend the PTC would lead to job losses and will put the brakes on the progress America has made to include clean, affordable, homegrown energy as part of the U.S. electricity portfolio.

Facing the threat of the PTC expiring, wind project developers have become hesitant to plan future U.S. projects and American manufacturers have seen a marked decrease in orders. The wind industry is facing the recurrence of the boom-bust cycle it saw in previous years when the PTC was allowed to expire. In the years following expiration, installations dropped by between 73 and 93 percent, resulting in major job losses.

American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) www.AWEA.org

Press Release dated December 13, 2011