QUICK NEWS, July 18: NEW HEIGHTS FOR NEW ENERGY; STEALTH WIND ROTOR BEATS RADAR; VC SOLAR MONEY WAITS, WATCHES; GEOTHERMAL HOPEFUL

NEW HEIGHTS FOR NEW ENERGY
Continued Global Growth of Renewable Energy in 2010
12 July 2011 (Renewable Energy Policy Network)

"The REN21 Renewables 2011 Global Status Report…shows that the renewable energy sector continues to perform well despite continuing economic recession, incentive cuts, and low natural-gas prices.

"In 2010, renewable energy supplied an estimated 16% of global final energy consumption and delivered close to 20% of global electricity. Renewable capacity now comprises about a quarter of total global power-generating capacity…"

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"Global solar PV production and markets more than doubled in comparison with 2009, thanks to government incentive programmes and the continued fall in PV module prices.
Germany installed more PV in 2010 than the entire world added in 2009. PV markets in Japan and the U.S. almost doubled relative to 2009…Globally, wind power added the most new capacity (followed by hydropower and solar PV), but for the first time ever, Europe added more PV than wind capacity.

"Renewable energy policies continue to be the main driver behind renewable energy growth. By early 2011, at least 119 countries had some type of policy target or renewable support policy at the national level, more than doubling from 55 countries in early 2005…Last year, investment reached a record $211 billion in renewables -- about one-third more than the $160 billion invested in 2009, and more than five times the amount invested in 2004…"


STEALTH WIND ROTOR BEATS RADAR
Successful research of stealth turbine for radar-sensitive locations
29 June 2011 (Vestas)

Vestas, the world leader in providing high-tech wind power systems…has taken a major step forward in solving a critical wind energy challenge: It has successfully tested a full-scale ‘stealth’ rotor on a turbine, paving the way for wind power plants to be located near many military, airport and other radar systems without interfering in their operations…

"The stealth turbine test…conducted at a UK customer site with technology partner QinetiQ, is part of an ongoing research collaboration that began in 2006. Preliminary test results…showed that a Vestas V90 turbine with stealth rotor achieved a targeted reduction in radar cross-section of approximately 99 percent, or 20 decibels, compared with standard turbines…"

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"With an estimated 20 gigawatts of wind power capacity currently blocked worldwide by concerns about radar interference, Vestas’ stealth turbine research has validated a potentially important addition to the operational, technical and political mitigation tools available today…

"The stealth turbine solution uses a portfolio of radar absorbing materials that are integrated into the current manufacturing processes for turbine components and can be designed to operate at aviation and maritime frequencies. These modifications do not affect the performance or appearance of the turbines, which meet current visual standards…The full-scale test… follows more than five years of research…"


VC SOLAR MONEY WAITS, WATCHES
Mercom Capital Group Reports Second Quarter 2011 Funding and M&A Activity for Solar; VC Funding in Solar Dips in Q2 with $354 Million Compared to $658 Million in Q1 2011, Record Quarter for Solar M&A
July 11, 2011 (Mercom Capital)

"…Venture capital (VC) funding in the solar sector dipped [in Q2], coming in at $354 million, compared to $658 million in Q1 2011. Even with lower funding, the number of deals remained steady with 26 deals funded in Q2 2011 compared to 25 deals in Q1…

"The top five funding deals included a $94.4 million raise by Suniva, a manufacturer of high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells and modules in Series D funding; Enecsys, a grid-connected solar micro inverter manufacturer raised $41 million in Series B; Agile Energy, a developer of utility-scale renewable power projects, raised $24 million in Series B; Semprius, a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) module manufacturer raised $20.6 million in Series C and SolarReserve, a developer of utility-scale solar thermal power projects, raised $20 million in a Series C round."

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"Photovoltaic (PV) technology companies attracted the most funding in Q2 with $107 million going into just three deals. Balance of System (BOS) companies were the most active in terms of number of deals with $89 million going into six deals.

"Forty-seven different VC investors participated in 19 disclosed deals. VC firms that recorded multiple rounds included Emerald Technology Ventures, Foundation Capital, GE, Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Rockport Capital and Good Energies…It was another record quarter for M&A activity with Q2 coming in at $1.9 billion for 11 transactions, compared to $1.4 billion in Q1 2011. The most notable transaction was the 60 percent acquisition of SunPower, a manufacturer of high efficiency PV panels by French oil and gas giant, Total, for $1.4 billion…"


GEOTHERMAL HOPEFUL
Short on Cash and Know-How, U.S. Geothermal Industry Stumbles
Jenny Mandel, July 12, 2011 (NY Times)

"…[L]ast week, stock analysts downgraded Nevada Geothermal Power [NGP]…The company's fall mirrors a larger trend in the domestic geothermal industry…dramatic drops in stock prices that reflect challenges in executing important projects…The five major, publicly traded North American geothermal companies…are valued at a fraction of what they were a year ago, with operational problems at several of them.

"Ormat Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ORA) is…down by almost 25 percent over the past year. Ram Power Corp. (TSE:RPG) is down almost 80 percent…Alterra Power Corp. (TSE:AXY)… is trading below a dollar per share, and U.S. Geothermal Inc. (AMEX:HTM)…[has fallen] by more than a third from its peak…"

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"…[M]any other geothermal boosters…[insist] there are plenty of undeveloped sites in the United States to continue to expand the industry…[O]thers say there is a shortage of really promising sites…with the best ones already taken…

"The Geothermal Energy Association says the combination of new industry players, new technologies and new demand for renewables amounts to powerful momentum for geothermal energy…The trade group counts 123 projects currently under development in the United States, a 12 percent increase over last year and a portfolio that could eventually bring more than 5,000 megawatts of new power online…"