Subsidy Cuts Bigger, Sooner than Expected

 While a cut in subsidies was expected by most experts, the degree and timing of the cuts took many by surprise after they were announced in a press conference by German Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen today. Not only did he reveal that the cuts could approach 30 percent, nearly double what many analysts expected, but the proposed cuts were moved up to March 9 instead of the previously planned April 1 in order to prevent a last-minute boom in installations to take advantage of the old rates.

“With the new proposal, the royalty rates are halved compared to 2009. In view of the past two years of greatly increased volume, is the re-adjustment of funding,” Roettgen said. “The  goal is that in a few years, the photovoltaic market will be ready and make do without subsidies.”

The shift in policy could be seen as primarily a reaction to the massive spike in installations that it created. Since 2004, when Germany began to offer the subsidies, Germany has seen a major boom in solar installations, with last year bringing 7,500 megawatts in new projects bringing Germany’s totals to 25,000 megawatts. The reductions, which came from a joint effort by Roettgen and Economy Minister Philip Roesler, are geared towards phasing out subsidies over time and scaling back the expansion of the industry. Another consideration may be issues with the nation’s peak capacity. One issue with solar is that it can be inconsistent, failing to provide energy during cloudy weather or night time and forcing Germany to turn to other sources.

Solar Stocks Take a Hit

The surprise cuts in subsidies meant that solar companies across the board saw shares plummet Thursday. Industry leader First Solar (FSLR), which relied on Germany for 46.8 percent of its core market installation capacity at the peak of the boom, lost almost 8.25 percent in earlier trading. First Solar is rapidly trying to shift into installation of larger solar plants and away from subsidized markets, a move it began late last year. Shares of Trina Solar Limited (TSL) were hit even harder, falling over 11.25 percent. Trina also took a hit on its earnings report, released before market open, which showed losses that were more than double the same quarter last year. Also losing ground were Suntech (STP), which was off over 8.25 percent, Yingli Green Energy (YGE), which lost nearly 11 percent, and LDK Solar (LDK), which dropped just over 2.75 percent.

While 2011 figures have yet to come in, we know that the global small wind turbine market grew from 105.9 MW in 2006 to 275.8 MW in 2010. GlobalData's recent report – Small Wind Turbines (less than 100kW) – Global Market Size, Analysis by Power Range, Regulations and Competitive Landscape to 2020 – predicts even higher growth in the coming years, spurred by increasing incentives announced by various governments and by growing end user awareness. End user price is the most crucial factor affecting the growth of the market in both developed and developing countries. Also important are rebate programmes, property tax exemptions, financial incentives, annualised net metering and permitting issues.

According to the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), it is difficult to assess the total number or capacity of small wind turbines, but in China alone there are roughly 300,000 small wind turbines generating electricity. In the US, the small wind turbine market grew 53% in 2010 to reach US$139 million; installations totaled 25.6 MW, up from 20.9 MW in 2009, according to a report by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). RenewableUK identifies over twenty manufacturers of small wind turbines in the UK alone.

The payback period of a small wind turbine is a major aspect of owning a system. This period depends largely on wind resource quality, tower height, siting, prevailing energy costs and turbine performance. Against this backdrop, with increasing incentives by governments and increasing energy security concerns, the report predicts that the small wind market will grow significantly from 275.8 MW in 2010 to 3726.5 MW in 2020 at a CAGR of 29.7%.

Global power generation from small wind turbines increased from 119 GWh in 2006 to 310.3 GWh in 2010 at a CAGR of 27.1%, and is expected to increase from 310.3 GWh in 2010 to 4203.8 GWh by 2020 at a CAGR of 29.8%.

Cost Analysis

The report assesses the cost of building a wind turbine according to its type, size, design and location. Installation cost is affected by the costs of construction, transportation, location, maintenance and transformers.

Of the major cost components, up-front or capital cost constitutes the primary cost of the wind turbine. Other components of the up-front cost include, for example, the cost of electrical equipment, grid connection and foundations. Up-front and capital costs constitute about 75%-90% of the total wind farm development cost depending on the speed of the wind, the supply of wind turbines in the market, and the arrangement of the wind turbines in the farm.

Land cost or land rent is the second largest component of wind energy development, constituting about 4% of the total cost. Other identified costs relate to electric installations, consultancy, financial costs, non-electrical infrastructure and control systems. Further development is hampered by a lack of available small to medium sized turbines. The factors contributing to this limited availability are: a focus on the development of large turbine models which have a greater worldwide demand; a lack of hardware availability due to shortages of raw materials; and difficulty in obtaining certification for establishing new or additional manufacturing capacity.

Installation costs include transportation, construction and interconnection cost. Transportation costs differ with the size of the tower: the larger the tower, the greater the transportation cost will be. New tower technologies such as self-erecting designs are in development and have the potential to bring down transportation costs.

Turbine value is also affected by the cost, availability, and supply of spare parts. Some turbine components, such as gearboxes, require regular maintenance. The maintenance requirement and hence the cost of such components also depends on their design.Tough turbines are designed to operate in extreme weather conditions but they involve a tradeoff, such as lower efficiency and higher cost. Thus the cost of operating a wind turbine differs according to weather conditions or location.

Global Market Share

Many companies are currently manufacturing small wind turbines. Globally there are over 250 manufacturers of turbines with a rated capacity of less than 100 kW. In 2010, Southwest Windpower of the US sold up to 21.1% of the total number of small wind turbines sold worldwide. Northern Power Systems with 17.7% and Entegrity Wind Systems with 8.2% are followed by Southwest Windpower. Bergey Windpower stands at fourth with 3.9%. As the small wind turbine market is highly fragmented, other manufacturers’ total market share stands at 45.2%.

Proven Energy Ltd of the UK was in fifth place, with a global market share of 3.9%, throughout 2010. In late 2011, however, the company entered receivership after the discovery of a technical fault in its flagship turbine model, the Proven 35-2. According to the company, the main defect was in the manufacture of the rotor shaft, because of which blades could fly off under high wind speeds causing severe safety concerns. It is estimated that Proven Energy sold around 500 turbines of the Proven 35-2 model, which has an average supply and installation cost of approximately £60,000 (US$92,796). This technical snag and the subsequent call by the company to shut down systems led to both capital and revenue losses for end users (an average lost revenue of £8538 ($13,292) per day). The total estimated capital cost lost by end users (agricultural sites, commercial premises and small wind farms) on their investment is around £30 million ($46.7 million). Receivers KPMG sold Proven Energy’s business and assets to Kingspan Renewables Ltd in October 2011.

The Proven Energy crisis will be an eye-opener for other companies operating in the same market space, and there will be greater emphasis on quality from the consumer end and more government scrutiny involved in the certification of small wind turbines in the UK. On a macro level Proven Energy’s problems illustrate the dependence of FiT projects (usually agreements valid for over 20 years) on the long-term sustainability of their technology. This brings the longevity of turbine manufacturers to the foreground, and this requirement could become an entry barrier to new players.

Key Global Market Drivers

Financial incentives and government policies are the main drivers for wind uptake. Governments have introduced or are in the process of formulating policies to promote renewable energy development, which is the main force behind the explosive growth of the wind power market worldwide. There are three main markets for small wind technology.

In the US, the wind market is primarily driven by federal tax credits and state-level RPS, the key regional market on the continent. PTCs have traditionally played a vital role in boosting US wind power capacity, making the country the largest wind power market in the world. The extension of PTCs for three years and the introduction of federal ITCs in 2009 are expected to fuel the growth of wind installations in the US. High up-front cost has been the major concern among small wind power users. Financial incentives reducing installation and operation costs are the key to stimulating interest among buyers. The introduction of ITCs is expected to give a huge boost to the small wind industry, while policies targeted at reducing investment costs will be effective in increasing mid-sized wind installations.

the energy losses from both is no small thing,
it can be measured by the heat they produce,
millennialresearchcorp.com has the answer
and has proven it,,,
but the world leaders and big business will not go that way unless forced,
and we are doing just that slow but sure,

One Stop Green, LLC is proud to announce a new partnership with Plants On Walls.
Perfect for a location short on soil space, the Plants On Walls system takes
gardening to a new frontier. Their line of products takes a horizontal garden
and makes it vertical.

Perfect for a location short on soil space, the Plants On Walls system takes
gardening to a new frontier. Their line of products takes a horizontal garden
and makes it vertical.

The Plants On Walls felt panels come in many different sizes and can be combined
to cover almost any surface. This uniquely adaptable system can be used as an
external vertical garden or brought indoors to add a splash of color to interior
wall faces. There is even a stand-alone option with a water recirculator.

Using buildings, normally an inhospitable surface, for the next frontier of
plant life has been shown to cool down cities by increasing the amount of green
space and the increased plant life also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere.

One Stop Green, LLC facilitates environmentally friendly improvements to
residential and commercial properties through distribution of green, energy
efficient equipment. They offer every product needed for sustainable energy
independence; enabling homeowners, businesses and commercial property owners to
master their usage by reducing waste, producing renewable energy from within,
and implementing efficient energy consumption methods. Their goal is to provide
user friendly and practical long-term solutions to existing inefficiencies in
your present system(s). Their carefully selected products and professional
installers offer a higher level of satisfaction and service for our customers.

http://news.yahoo.com/one-stop-green-partners-plants-walls-001611885.html

Hello All,

One Stop Green (featured in Yahoo) is offering FREE digital subscriptions to
various `green e-zines' just for signing up for our free weekly newsletter!

Please note the regions that you can subscribe to these from:

US / Canada:
Renewable Energy World North America magazine serves professionals in the
utility-scale renewable energy industry with in-depth articles, columns and
features.

Every issue examines major trends that are driving wind, hydropower, solar,
geothermal and biomass adoption and integration by utilities across North
America. Look to each issue for analysis of the financial trends affecting the
renewable energy industry.

US ONLY:
Focused on the design of energy efficient products and processes, EE&T is
developed to address the needs of a new type of engineering expert, one who
works in an emerging field of design and technology.

Energy Efficiency & Technology has responded to these new demands and has been
accepted as the industry resource to provide hard-hitting editorial content with
scope and depth that will aid engineers in creating energy-efficient products
and operations. It serves as a forum for information exchange and discussions of
all aspects of the design, manufacture, and application of devices, circuits,
and systems related to the efficient use or conversion of energy.

Worldwide:
Renewable Energy World effectively promotes all aspects of renewable energy
technology in the worldwide marketplace.

Renewable Energy World provides authoritative articles, case studies and
essential news on global developments in the renewable energy sector. Every
issue includes features on wind power, solar thermal, photovoltaic's and
biomass. Regular coverage is also devoted to geothermal, energy storage, small
hydro, and hybrid systems.

Here is how it works: Simply visit www.OneStopGreen.com and sign up for our
weekly newsletter in the bottom left corner where we share the most recent news
as well as discussions, product updates, and tips on green living!


Once you sign up, we'll send you a link to confirm and download your FREE
subscription to any one or all of the green magazines mentioned above – it
really is that easy!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and we hope these magazines
are of benefit to you and your company!

www.OneStopGreen.com

http://news.yahoo.com/one-stop-green-partners-plants-walls-001611885.html

Hello All,

One Stop Green (featured in Yahoo) is offering FREE digital subscriptions to
various `green e-zines' just for signing up for our free weekly newsletter!

Please note the regions that you can subscribe to these from:

US / Canada:
Renewable Energy World North America magazine serves professionals in the
utility-scale renewable energy industry with in-depth articles, columns and
features.

Every issue examines major trends that are driving wind, hydropower, solar,
geothermal and biomass adoption and integration by utilities across North
America. Look to each issue for analysis of the financial trends affecting the
renewable energy industry.

US ONLY:
Focused on the design of energy efficient products and processes, EE&T is
developed to address the needs of a new type of engineering expert, one who
works in an emerging field of design and technology.

Energy Efficiency & Technology has responded to these new demands and has been
accepted as the industry resource to provide hard-hitting editorial content with
scope and depth that will aid engineers in creating energy-efficient products
and operations. It serves as a forum for information exchange and discussions of
all aspects of the design, manufacture, and application of devices, circuits,
and systems related to the efficient use or conversion of energy.

Worldwide:
Renewable Energy World effectively promotes all aspects of renewable energy
technology in the worldwide marketplace.

Renewable Energy World provides authoritative articles, case studies and
essential news on global developments in the renewable energy sector. Every
issue includes features on wind power, solar thermal, photovoltaic's and
biomass. Regular coverage is also devoted to geothermal, energy storage, small
hydro, and hybrid systems.

Here is how it works: Simply visit www.OneStopGreen.com and sign up for our
weekly newsletter in the bottom left corner where we share the most recent news
as well as discussions, product updates, and tips on green living!


Once you sign up, we'll send you a link to confirm and download your FREE
subscription to any one or all of the green magazines mentioned above – it
really is that easy!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and we hope these magazines
are of benefit to you and your company!

www.OneStopGreen.com

http://news.yahoo.com/one-stop-green-partners-plants-walls-001611885.html

Renewable Energy Surpasses Nuclear in the US

According to Monthly Energy Review, published by the Energy Information Administration, renewable energy production has surpassed nuclear energy production in the US.

During the first three months of 2011, energy produced from renewable energy sources (biomass/biofuels, geothermal, solar, hydro, wind) generated 2.245 quadrillion Btus of energy equating to 11.73 percent of U.S. energy production. During this same time period, renewable energy production surpassed nuclear energy power by 5.65 percent. In total, energy produced from renewables is 77.15 percent of that from domestic crude oil production.

While nuclear energy has seen a slight increase in power generation, for the most part it has remained steady.

Thank you for your readeship.  We have grown to more than 15,000 subsribers and
thousands of you visit our website daily for daily and unbaised news on EV and
Plug-in Hybrids News.

Everything from this website is free, including the iphone app
<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evcharger-locator/id371851665?mt=8">EV
Charger locator</a>.

You may read news also using your smart phones: iPhone, iPod Touch, Android,
Blackberry Storm, etc.

Notable News in the last few days:

USA: GJ city looks to accomodate electric cars
A Saudi ingredient in Coda's EV melting pot
USA: Iraq Veteran Joins Growing Army of Chevrolet Volt Owners
Europe: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Available For Rent In Austria
USA: New electric car fast charging station opens in Cottage Grove, 7 other
Southern Oregon cities
USA: Chevrolet Volt's poor sales victim of poor marketing
USA: Sandburg College to offer electric car course
USA: CODA Automotive Dealers Sell First All-Electric Vehicles
USA: 2013 Volkswagen Golf Electric Vehicle Launch Moved Up
USA: KVCC unveils new electric vehicle charging stations on Texas Township
Campus
USA: Monthly meeting: Mitsubishi i – Steve and Sean from Capitol Mitsubis
USA: FedEx To Deploy Smith Electric Step Van
UK: So what's all the buzz?
USA: Change Starts At Home
Nissan Leaf – Range Calculator
USA: Is Tesla The Next Ford?
USA: Tesla: Come Check Out Our SUV
Prius c Launch Kicks Off With Strong Sales
USA: DESIGN West preview: Tesla CTO keynoting on EV innovation
Europe/USA: Electric VW Golf Coming to U.S. in 2013
USA: After 15 months, driver loves life with his electric Nissan Leaf
USA: Kandi's New Energy Vehicle Receives Registration Tax Exemption and
Recommendation Under Energy-Saving and New Energy Vehicle Demonstration and
Promotion Project
USA: First big piece of West Coast `Electric Highway' gets fast chargers for
electric vehicles
USA: One-stop shopping now may include electric vehicle recharging
USA: AAA adds plug-in vehicle charging stations to TripTik map services
USA: I-5 in Oregon gets charging stations for electric cars
Canada: Lomiko Metals Inc. Appoints Dr. Dietmar Siebholz to Board of Advisors
USA: Electric Cars vs Regular Cars
USA: Th!nk update & Tesla Model X and Model S on Display at Santana Row


Other free services:

References: http://www.4evriders.org/  (new 2/27/2010)
Quarterly Newsletter subscription:
http://www.4evriders.org/newsletter-subscription/
Smart phones such as Phone, iPod touch, Android, and BlackBerry Storm can read
news on iPhone: http://www.4evriders.org
EV charger locator for US and UK on iPhone:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evcharger-locator/id371851665?mt=8
Charging Locator for US and UK: http://www.4evriders.org/locator
News available in more than 40 languages (click the Translate button on the
right navigation bar)
EV Guide: http://www.4evriders.org/ev-guide/
Subscribe to this  news feed at http://www.4evriders.org/feed/
Search news archive: http://www.4evriders.org/ (top right corner)

Want to partner with 4EVRides.org?  Check it out at
http://www.4evriders.org/partnership/

Want to help?  (We are staffed by volunteers, and any help or donations are
appreciated and wil  be well spent to sustain this
non-profit mission).
Volunteers Needed: http://www.4evriders.org/volunteer/
Please donate online using your credit card or PayPal account at
http://www.4evriders.org/donate/
Shop online at http://astore.amazon.com/4evrorg-20.

You may contact us at http://www.4evriders.org/contact-us/

David Lo, Founder
http://www.4evriders.org

Germany’s $263 Billion Renewables Shift Biggest Since War

By Stefan Nicola - Mar 19, 2012 7:34 AM ET
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-19/germany-s-270-billion-renewables-shift-biggest-since-war.html

Not since the allies leveled Germany in World War II has Europe’s biggest economy undertaken a reconstruction of its energy market on this scale.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is planning to build offshore wind farms that will cover an area six times the size of New York City and erect power lines that could stretch from London to Baghdad. The program will cost 200 billion euros ($263 billion), about 8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in 2011, according to the DIW economic institute in Berlin.

Germany aims to replace 17 nuclear reactors that supplied about a fifth of its electricity with renewables such as solar and wind. Merkel to succeed must experiment with untested systems and policies and overcome technical hurdles threatening the project, said Stephan Reimelt, chief executive officer of General Electric Co. (GE)’s energy unit in the country.

Utilities running gas-generating plants in Germany lost 10.92 euros a megawatt-hour today at 12:16 p.m. local time, based on so-called clean-spark spreads for the next month that take account of gas, power and emissions prices. That compared with a profit of 20.95 euros in October 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. U.K. generators earned 2.06 pounds ($3.27), down from a profit of 7.02 pounds in October.

“Germany is like a big energy laboratory,” Reimelt said in an interview. “The country has a political and societal consensus to drop nuclear power but lacks a clear technological solution.”

Already, the program is expanding markets for Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP), the world’s biggest solar panel maker, and Vestas Wind Systems A/S (VWS)., the largest maker of wind turbines. It’s hurting utilities from RWE AG (RWE) to EON AG (EOAN), which have stepped up cost-cutting to curb losses from closing nuclear stations early.

 

An Australian man named Robert Bast seems to have taken it very seriously because he spent the not inconsiderable amount of $ 350,000 to prepare for the coming end of the world.


TechnologyNews

Over the past decade I have been thinking about the environmental crisis from a
philosophical perspective. Along the way I've picked up a BSc (1) in
Environmental Studies and a PhD in Philosophy. Some of my conclusions: 1) The
human species is the saviour of life on Earth and not the destroyer. 2)
Human-induced global warming is in the interests of life. You can find more info
on my blog if you are interested in this kind of thing:


http://neilpaulcummins.blogspot.co.uk/

You can download it here, www.energy-ingenuity.com/id37.html It is a show and tell type documentray that cannot be denied.  Energy from Magnets is nothing!  Magnetism is taught in 3rd grade science!  How long do you want it to be kept from you and your children?  Please help!  I am not that smart, but I am smart enough to know, I need help!