QUICK NEWS, November 10: BUILDINGS WITH BUILT-IN SUN; UTILITY NETWORKS STILL VULNERABLE; LONDON BRIDGE IS LIGHTING UP W/LED

BUILDINGS WITH BUILT-IN SUN
New Building Norms Can Drive BIPV Mainstream, with 6.6 GW Market in 2021; Building-integrated photovoltaics will likely move beyond its current aesthetic niche much sooner, by 2016 with a market size of $6 billion…
4 November 2011 (World of Photovoltaics)

"Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) can become mainstream with an estimated 6.6 GW installed in 2021 as the European Commission’s Net-Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) standards lead to likely widespread adoption across the continent, according to a report from Lux Research.

"In the most likely scenario, BIPV will move beyond its aesthetic niche sooner – by 2016 it will climb to over 1 GW with an estimated $6 billion market in that year. But it has the even greater potential to then rise more than six-fold to 6.6 GW in 2021, as European nations scramble to meet norms that mandate new buildings to be NZEBs by 2020…"

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"…BIPV installations in Europe will be 105 MW in 2011 thanks to BIPV-specific feed-in tariff (FIT) rates in France and Switzerland. The U.S. follows closely at 103 MW due to the large number of LEED-certified buildings in the commercial sector, while Asia lags both with only 12 MW. In 2013, Europe will overtake the U.S. in installed capacity and skyrocket by 2016 to an 85% market share, driven by NZEB norms.

"…[T]he levelized cost of electricity (LCOE)…will help determine winning applications. Roofing in California, for instance, can provide an LCOE from $0.13/kWh to $0.15/kWh, while siding in Germany is over $1/kWh…Multicrystalline silicon technology offers the best LCOE for roofing, with copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin film not far behind. For façades, cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film is the obvious winner, while for commercial building siding, CIGS beats out its only major competitor, amorphous silicon (a-Si) in all geographies…"


UTILITY NETWORKS STILL VULNERABLE
Utilities are Making Progress on Smart Grid Cyber Security, but 2012 will Continue to be a Year of Major Challenges
November 8, 2011 (Pike Research)

"…[Pike Research’s white paper, Utility Cyber Security] finds that utilities’ cyber security challenges are nowhere close to being resolved, and the industry will continue to face a number of serious hurdles in the coming years…"

[Bob Lockhart, senior analyst, Pike Research:] “Utility cyber security is in a state of near chaos…After years of vendors selling point solutions, utilities investing in compliance minimums rather than full security, and attackers having nearly free rein, the attackers clearly have the upper hand. Many attacks simply cannot be defended. That said, Pike Research has observed a dawning awareness by utilities during the past 18 months of the importance of securing smart grids with architecturally sound solutions. There is hope.”

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"…[T]he utility cyber security market will be characterized by a frantic race to gain the upper hand against the attackers, while at the same time strong competitors attempt to outdo each other…Pike Research [identifies the five most promising smart grid cyber security technologies and key trends]…

"…[C]yber security investments will be shaped by regional deployments…Industrial control systems, not smart meters, will be the primary cyber security focus…Security ‘by obscurity’ will no longer be acceptable…[T]he lack of security standards will hinder action…[O]lder devices will continue to pose challenges…System implementation will be more important than component security…"


LONDON BRIDGE IS LIGHTING UP – W/LED
GE Gets Green Light to Illuminate London’s Tower Bridge With LED Tech
November 8, 2011 (GE)

"…GE and its UK partner EDF Energy have received a formal approval to install GE’s new energy efficient LED technology and a cabling system to illuminate the 800-foot [London Bridge]. The new lighting will replace a 25 year old legacy system and help cut the amount of energy required to light the landmark by 40%...

"The new system is designed to enhance the architectural features of the 117-year old bridge. GE’s multi-color LEDs with variable intensity will illuminate the bridge’s Victorian gothic turrets, granite and stone towers as well as an aerial walkway and suspension chains. Kinga Kalocsai of GE Lighting says that the new lighting will ‘emphasize the lines of force’ of the bridge…"

Far from falling down, London Bridge will light up the New Energy Age (click to enlarge)

"The flexibility of the lighting design will allow London officials to transform the bridge into a centerpiece for other celebrations and special event’s such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and New Year’s Eve festivities…

"The bridge lighting will be installed by the French firm Citelum, which has designed lighting for landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia."