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By Rona Fried, Ph.D. In October, Maxwell Technologies (Nasdaq: MXWL) announced it had begun volume deliveries of Boostcap ultracapacitors to Continental AG to be incorporated into their new stop-start system for Peugeot-Citroën diesel passenger cars. Stop-Start is here! Peugeot-Citroen plans to sell about a million cars equipped with this technology over the next three years. Why is stop-start important? Because it’s a very inexpensive way to significantly reduce emissions and increase gas mileage in conventional vehicles. The technology comes standard in hybrids – it’s now being adapted to work in all vehicles. It could be standard equipment for all new cars by 2020. Stop-Start systems eliminate idling. When you put your foot on the brake to stop a car, the system turns the engine off. When your foot touches the accelerator, the engine starts again. This simple technology reduces gas consumption by 10% in average city/highway driving to almost 20% in congested city traffic. Although various energy storage technologies are being developed for advanced vehicles, Stop-Start systems are widely viewed as an affordable, effective technology that’s available now, and will therefore be one of the first to gain mass acceptance for all vehicles. That’s important because although advanced vehicles – […]
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Economic Conditions Still Challenge Renewable Energy Growth Farm Renewable Energy Production Shows Big Growth DOT Seeks $3.2B in Transit Infrastructure for FY 2012 DOE, Masdar Test Solar PV Coating Technologies Economic Conditions Still Challenge Renewable Energy Despite record global investment in renewable energy in 2010, the continuing impacts of the global financial crisis are placing renewable energy markets in a state of flux, according to a recent analysis by Ernst & Young. The company’s latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices, released on February 28, still place China in the top spot, thanks largely to the country’s 64% growth in wind power capacity in 2010. China reached 42 MW of wind capacity in 2010, but Chinese companies are dealing with falling stocks, inflationary pressures, weak research and development capabilities, and limited grid capacity that may not be able to continue supporting the country’s rapid growth in both wind and solar power. Ernst & Young has received reports of unconnected wind power capacity in China. The US closely trails China, which gained status by extending its Treasury grant program through 2011, but its renewable energy markets still face long-term uncertainty. Across Europe, the picture is mixed, with tightening government budgets, falling technology […]
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The last two years have been tough on young companies that need to raise capital, but 2010 ended strongly and 2011 promises to be even better. Worldwide cleantech investments peaked at $11.8 billion in 2008, then dropped off significantly to $6.8 billion in 2009, but thanks to strong growth during the last quarters of in 2010, the year ended with $8.8 billion in total investment (Bloomberg New Energy Finance). Until the second half of 2010, venture capital (VC) funds had difficulty raising money, and since few companies were sold or had IPOs during the depths of the recession, they weren’t able to collect returns, resulting in many fewer new investments. Instead, VCs made follow-on investment rounds in their portfolio companies aimed at keeping them alive during difficult times. They also piggybacked on U.S. government grants and loan guarantees associated with the Stimulus Bill, which skewed investments into more mature cleantech companies. Deals Flowing Again But in December 2010 there were some major deals: Abound Solar (thin-film) raised $110 million; Opower (energy management software) raised $50 million, and France’s Europlasma (waste to energy) raised EUR 25 million. In the early days of 2011, VCs have already made some important investments, boosting […]
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DOE Budget Details: $3.2B for Renewables, Efficiency DOE Supercomputer Designs Efficient Big Trucks Major Southwest Transmission Project Gets Loan Guarantee Comment Period for Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind Sites USDA Boosts Rural Wind Energy with Loan Guarantee Global Wind Capacity up 22% in 2010 Cars Can Cut Carbon Emissions 50% by 2030 DOE Requests $3.2 Billion for Renewable Energy, Efficiency in FY 2012 On February 14, President Obama unveiled a $29.5 billion budget request for DOE covering fiscal year (FY) 2012, including $3.2 billion for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The proposed budget aims to strengthen renewable energy sources, boost clean energy research, and cut expenses. Overall, the DOE budget would grow 12% over 2010 levels while cutting a number of programs and administrative costs (We use FY 2010 numbers as a comparison because Congress didn’t pass a FY 2011 budget – the federal government is running on a stopgap budget resolution reflecting 2010 levels). DOE is requesting a 44% increase over EERE’s current appropriation of $2.2 billion. Boosts for EERE programs include: 135% more for geothermal technology 115% more for building technologies 93% more for vehicle technologies 88% more for solar energy. 61% more for wind 57% […]
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by James Eckler In the future, small and regional banks will grow more than large banks, even though we have lost 300 banks a year over the past decade, and losses will probably accelerate. Regionals will have to look for ways to be more flexible than the big banks. The focus of this article is on how regional banks can add new divisions that support a transition to renewable energy and a country that’s less dependent on imported oil, while supporting export expansion and job growth. The Problem: Growing Energy Demand, Decreasing Imported Oil The U.S. needs to decrease imported oil for power by increasing renewable energy sources for electricity and transportation. While we are decreasing imported energy, we need to handle domestic demand increases and as well as provide renewable energy to support export expansion and employment growth. We have two options. We can do like we did with the telecommunications industry and fund a capital-intensive industry with high cost debt arranged privately, or we can allow banks to arrange for debt financing. Bank Holding Company laws permit banks to work in conjunction with project developers to fund the "non-operating side" of new renewable energy plants. U.S. energy rates […]
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Clean Energy Can Meet Global Energy Needs by 2050 DOE, DOI Announce Offshore Wind Initiatives Better Buildings Initiative Announced SunShot Seeks Cost-Competitive Solar by 2020 DOE: $27M in Solar Manufacturing, Advanced PV Next Generation Commercial Air Conditioners Get Support DOE Offers Loan Guarantee for Advanced Biofuels Clean Energy Could Meet Most Global Energy Needs by 2050 A combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy can meet most global energy needs by 2050, according to a report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Two years in the making, The Energy Report: 100% Renewable Energy by 2050 finds that most of the world’s energy needs can be met with renewable energy, with only isolated residual uses of fossil and nuclear fuels. The report examines how the world can shift to clean energy sources, drawing mainly on technologies available today. Energy efficiency can drive global energy demand 15% below 2005 levels in 2050, even with population increases and higher industrial output, freight, and travel. Shifting energy use from liquid fuels to electricity derived from renewable energy sources connected to a smart grid is the other major path. Based on a detailed analysis by energy consultancy Ecofys, the report projects an 80% reduction in […]
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World’s Largest Solar Project Receives DOE Loan Guarantee 300,000 Homes Weatherized in Recovery Act Milestone DOE, Commerce Department Form Renewable Energy Modeling Partnership DOE Promotes Clean Energy in Tribal Communities EPA Grants E15 Fuel Waiver for 2001-2006 Vehicles Delayed NASA Solar Sail Satellite Finally Orbits Oil Prices to Average $99 a Barrel by Late 2012 World’s Largest Solar PV Project Receives DOE Loan Guarantee A 290 MW thin-film solar project – expected to be the world’s largest – received a $967 million DOE loan guarantee. DOE’s backing will support construction of NRG Solar’s Caliente Solar generating facility in Yuma County, Arizona. The project, which will use First Solar thin-film solar panels, is scheduled to be completed in 2014. It will power about 100,000 homes and create 400 solar jobs. The Agua Caliente Solar project will deploy fault ride-through and dynamic voltage regulation, technologies that are new to US solar plants. The technologies improve the reliability and predictability of electricity generated by solar plants and supplied to the electricity grid. PG&E will purchase power generated from the project for California consumers. DOE, through the Loan Programs Office, has issued loan guarantees or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees totaling more than […]
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After discussions with a wide range of stakeholders – policymakers, builders, developers, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders, and homeowners – Earth Advantage identified the following trends in green building for 2011. The trends range from green homes becoming easily affordable to community-based energy, from smart appliances to lifecycle analysis of materials. 1. Affordable green. Many people associate green, energy-efficient homes with higher costs, but that’s changing. New business models, technologies, and high performance materials are bringing green homes within reach of all homeowners. Free or low cost energy audits are now widely available, and as homeowners become more aware of the benefits of simple, inexpensive retrofits, energy efficiency upgrades are increasingly commonplace. Through programs like Solar City’s lease-to-own business model, homeowners can get solar on their roofs without an up-front payment. Habitat for Humanity builds affordable LEED and Energy Star-certified homes across the US for as little as $100,000. 2. Healthy Competition on Energy Consumption. Sharing among "friends" on Facebook and other social networking sites may soon include a healthy competition for who uses the most and least energy in exchange for rewards. Earth Aid, for example, lets you track home energy usage and earn rewards for energy savings […]
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Detroit International Auto Show Spotlights Hybrids, EVs Argonne Lab Licenses Advanced Battery Cell for Volt 9th Commercial Solar Project on Public Lands Approved Final Permits Granted for Cape Wind Project $74M for Fuel Cell Research and Development Asia Economic Recovery Drives Up Global Oil Demand Detroit International Auto Show Spotlights Hybrids The 2011 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which opens to the public January 15-23 after industry previews, will put hybrids in the spotlight. Ford is displaying two next-generation hybrid vehicles: its C-MAX Hybrid and its first production plug-in hybrid, the C-MAX Energi. Both are based on the new Ford C-MAX five-passenger multi-activity vehicle. The models will be built alongside the 2012 Ford Focus and Focus Electric at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. Ford, which revealed its Focus Electric last week, announced at NAIAS that it would add 7,000 U.S. jobs over the next two years to support this growth, and that it’s specifically seeking engineers who specialize in electrification. See the Ford press releases on new hybrids and job expansion. Ford’s Focus Electric goes on sale in late 2011, competing with the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, which went on sale in December 2010. The Focus […]
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New solar technology uses less silicon to bring down the cost of solar energy. By Tim Young Even though solar power is recognized as a non-polluting, unlimited source of energy, we still generate less than 1% of total energy consumption from this renewable source. Although solar has the power to revolutionize the way the world consumes energy, it’s not being used to its full potential. For solar to become an integral part of the world’s energy supply, costs have to come down and efficiency has to increase. Today’s most efficient solar cells hover around 15% – only a small amount of energy from the sun is converted into electricity. That means large numbers of expensive solar panels are required to generate meaningful amounts of electricity. Instead of focusing on improving the efficiency of solar cells, Santa Barbara, Calif.-based HyperSolar has a patent-pending technology based on photonics (the science of guiding light) – it concentrates sunlight on a solar cell in much the same way as a magnifying glass would. By marrying the principles of solar concentration and cutting edge photonics techniques, HyperSolar is developing the world’s first thin and flat solar concentrator for direct placement on top of existing solar […]
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