QUICK NEWS, August 28: ROMNEY’S ENERGY PLAN, SUN’S ANSWER; WIND SITING TOOL GETS BETTER; HOMES WIRED FOR EFFICIENCY

ROMNEY’S ENERGY PLAN, SUN’S ANSWER Romney Reveals Plans For U.S. Energy Policy; SEIA Weighs In

24 August 2012 (Solar Industry)

“Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has revealed his detailed plans for energy policy in the U.S. if he is elected president… The Romney Plan For A Stronger Middle Class: Energy Independence stresses domestic production of oil and gas onshore and offshore. Through this strategy, Romney predicts the U.S. can become energy-independent by 2020…

“The paper contains few specific mentions of solar power or other forms of renewable energy. However, several of Romney's proposals for removing regulatory hurdles to developing domestic sources of energy would likely apply to both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources…”

“The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) applauded Romney's plans to reduce red tape at the federal level. Despite efforts by the Obama administration to speed permitting, utility-scale solar energy projects have been no stranger to regulatory hurdles and long-permitting timelines…SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch [said] SEIA plans to continue to work with lawmakers of all political stripes in an effort to reduce barriers to energy deployment, from the national level down to the local level.

“…Citing infamous failed solar manufacturer Solyndra and job losses in the wind energy sector, Romney called for a reduced, revised role of government spending in the renewable energy sector…[T]he private sector can take the lead on energy technology advancement, and government-related investment in energy should focus on…basic, early-stage research for new technologies…SEIA voiced approval of Romney's acknowledgement that the federal government can help develop new energy sources but pointed out that all energy sources - including oil and natural gas - receive federal support…”

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WIND SITING TOOL GETS BETTER Mapping Tool Helps Wind Energy Companies Screen Early For Critical Habitat, Potential Wildlife Impacts

August 23, 2012 (American Wind Wildlife Institute)

“The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI)…[have upgraded] the AWWI Landscape Assessment Tool (LAT), the state-of-the art wind-wildlife GIS mapping tool that they have jointly created. The LAT is designed to help wind energy developers with early screening for possible wildlife and habitat impacts…”

[Joe Fargione, Lead Scientist, The Nature Conservancy:] "The wind-wildlife mapping tool…just got more powerful with the addition of critical habitat overlays for 225 endangered species including numerous species of plants, insects, mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles…”

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“Critical habitats are areas that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designates ‘as necessary to the survival or recovery of an endangered or threatened species,’ and which therefore ‘may require special management and protection.’ The LAT upgrade features critical habitat maps for the species for which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated such habitat and produced corresponding GIS layers.

“In all, LAT users can now display web-based maps drawn from over 700 data layers including land use and ownership, the potential distribution of endangered and threatened species, and other relevant wildlife and habitat data. The LAT is intended to be used by wind energy companies as they undertake preliminary, ‘Tier 1’ assessments of potential sites…”

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HOMES WIRED FOR EFFICIENCY Networked Home Energy Management Devices and In-Home Displays Utilizing ZigBee, PLC, HomePlug, and Wi-Fi Connectivity: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts

3Q 2012 (Pike Research/Navigant)

“Home area networks (HANs) are localized systems of hardware and software that enable…consumers to access consumption information that, when acted upon, can result in reduced use of energy and lower costs. The HAN is seen as one of the last zones of technologies that complete the modern smart grid…[by leveraging] consumption information provided by smart meters…to HAN devices that can take advantage of the information – often resulting in both energy and cost savings for the consumer.

“…[HANs] adoption has been slowed by a number of factors, including consumer indifference, the cost of new equipment, and evolving technology standards. Utilities themselves have taken a relatively slow approach…[and] concentrated initial efforts on the deployment of smart meters. A few utilities in North America have started to promote HANs…In Europe, HAN adoption has been sluggish…with the exception of the United Kingdom, where regulatory mandates require basic HAN gear to be part of new smart meter deployments…”

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“…[Networked home energy management (HEM) shipments will grow steadily, starting with worldwide volumes of nearly 18,000 in 2011 and growing to almost 4 million in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 81.8%. North America will lead, followed by Western Europe, as government mandates stimulate shipments…[I]n Asia Pacific…a 2011-2020 CAGR of 109.7% is expected. This growth is due in part, to Japanese utility giant TEPCO, which is seeking bids for deploying approximately 17 million smart meters by 2019; the smart meter deployment will drive increased HAN volumes…

“Combined overall revenue…will grow from more than $24 million at the beginning of the forecast to $1.1 billion in 2020 at a CAGR of 53.4%. The total revenue for displays is expected to be greater than revenue for networked HEM because of lower prices and larger volumes]…”

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