QUICK NEWS, 4-18: SOLAR POWER PLANTS’ OBSTACLES; MONTANA WINDS SHOULD GO WEST; UTILITY TO BE WIRE BUILDER; BILLIONS IN SMART APPLIANCES

SOLAR POWER PLANTS’ OBSTACLES
What's Holding Back Concentrating Solar Power Projects In The U.S.?
11 April 2011 (Solar Industry)

"The concentrating solar power (CSP) industry in North America has experienced setbacks in recent months, including a number of large CSP projects facing lawsuits or being replaced by solar photovoltaic projects.

"…Business Strategy: Make-It-or-Break-It Time for Concentrating Solar Power…evaluates the challenges faced by the industry and explains why - according to the company - it is too early to give up on CSP.

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"Large CSP plants have been facing challenges due to the difficulty of siting them without disturbing environmentally or culturally sensitive lands, and the difficulty of financing projects that incorporate unproven technologies…CSP plants [also] face serious competition from PV, as PV plants continue to drop in price, are relatively quick to permit and build, and investors are comfortable financing them."

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"According to the report…CSP technology holds three advantages over PV…[1] It delivers higher quality power…[2] it experiences fewer intermittency issues (and can go so far as to provide baseload power if storage is incorporated), and…[3] it has the potential to use integrated storage to align its output with peak demand…

"Although CSP projects enable high efficiencies and low costs, smaller projects are easier to site, permit and finance. In a separate report, IDC Energy Insights analyzes an innovative micro CSP project that uses technology optimized for projects in the 2 MW to 50 MW range. The approach, which incorporates two hours of thermal energy storage, attempts to bring the benefits of CSP to smaller, more manageable, and more financeable locations…"


MONTANA WINDS SHOULD GO WEST
Study: Montana Wind Is Good Fit For Pacific Northwest Power Market
14 April 2011 (North American Windpower)

"…[The Impacts of Integrating Montana Wind Resource on Transmission System Operators and Utilities in the Pacific Northwest by Charles Shawley, technical specialist for Gaelectric North America,] provides empirical evidence confirming the unique features of the Montana wind regime, including its strong daytime (diurnal) and counter-seasonal characteristics to both the existing hydroelectric and wind generation in the Pacific Northwest.

"Wind from Montana is a strong fit to the load in the Pacific Northwest and complementary to existing renewable energy sources; therefore, Montana wind could play a crucial role in facilitating increasing levels of renewable energy in the region, according to the study."

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"Gaelectric is developing a 430 MW wind project in Montana, which is expected to begin construction in 2013.

"Results of the analysis found that central Montana wind…[1] correlates well with the Pacific Northwest winter-peaking utility loads…[2] is counter-seasonal to the current Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) system wind generation and Pacific Northwest hydroelectric generation…"

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"…[3] is complementary on an hourly basis to the existing BPA system wind generation; and…[4] has a significantly higher capacity factor than existing BPA system wind generation.

"Data sources used in the study included the BPA, Western Electricity Coordinating Council, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and proprietary wind measurement data."


UTILITY TO BE WIRE BUILDER
Duke Energy and American Transmission Co. Form Joint Venture to Build Transmission in North America
April 13. 2011 (Duke Energy)

"Duke Energy and American Transmission Co. announced the creation of Duke-American Transmission Co., a joint venture that will build, own and operate new electric transmission infrastructure in North America.

"The companies believe Duke-American Transmission Co. (DATC) is well-positioned to help address increasing demand for affordable, reliable transmission capacity in the United States and Canada. DATC has begun identifying opportunities to build, own and operate new transmission projects that meet potential customers’ capacity and voltage requirements."

What Duke sees: Where there is a need, there is a business opportunity. (click to enlarge)

"DATC will [build, operate and] own all of the transmission assets…Equity ownership of DATC will be split equally between Duke Energy and ATC.

"The joint venture will operate as a transmission utility. As a result, it will be subject to the rules and regulations of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, MISO, PJM and various other independent system (grid) operators, as well as any states in which DATC develops projects. Per the structure of their new joint venture, Duke Energy and ATC may continue to develop transmission projects independently…"


BILLIONS IN SMART APPLIANCES
Smart Appliances; Household Appliances on the Smart Grid: Energy Management and Demand Response Applications, Communications Technologies, Standards, and Key Industry Players
Jon Walton and Bob Gohn, 4Q 2010 (Pike Research)

"…Aggressive mandates established by the Kyoto Protocol and other international agreements are driving governments and industry…Smart grid initiatives around the world are rolling out smart meters with the vision of improved load management, increased reliability, and consumer awareness. Smart appliances have a significant role to play in realizing this vision because they provide the all-important link to the biggest residential energy loads.

"The smart appliance market is on the cusp of transitioning from the development stage to commercialization and growth…There are four key drivers…[1] Dynamic pricing…to elicit changes in the way consumers use energy…[2] Standards…to handle messaging between appliances, the grid, and any other parties involved…[3] Control & privacy…Consumers demand final control…[4] Education…Innovations and best practices need to be shared so that all participants are willing to play."

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"Indications are that the industry is close to resolving two of these issues: standards and control & privacy…Pike Research believes that manufacturers will begin to embed communications technologies in the majority of their product lines…The question of control will continue to be worked out...[E]ducation is an ongoing effort…

"North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe will dominate the smart appliance market throughout the 2010-2019 forecast period. Pike Research expects worldwide smart appliance sales to reach $26 billion by 2019…Asia Pacific and North America in 2019…will account for over 80% of smart appliance demand…"

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"…Canada is well on its way toward achieving 100% smart meter penetration while the United States is just starting to see projects from its massive $4.5 billion smart grid stimulus funding…China will be the leading smart appliance market in the Asia Pacific region…[and] will lead to a $10 billion smart appliance sector by 2019. Australia has a number of projects underway…Smart appliance projects in Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain are evaluating refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, and clothes dryers. The only downside to the EU market is low penetration rates for home energy management tools…

"…Key industry players, including Bosch, Electrolux, GE, Indesit, and Whirlpool, have pilot programs underway…[S]ome manufacturers have taken a wait-and-see approach…Pike Research’s projections call for the market to reach $6.3 billion by 2015 and close to $26.1 billion by 2019…"