QUICK NEWS, December 18: AFTER THE STORM, BRINGING SOLAR HOME; FEDS BACK GREAT LAKES WIND; THE EMERGING WIRELESS CAR CHARGING MARKET

AFTER THE STORM, BRINGING SOLAR HOME Solar Panels for Every Home

David Crane and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., December 12, 2012 (NY Times)

“…Residents of New Jersey and New York have lived through three major storms in the past 16 months, suffering through sustained blackouts, closed roads and schools, long gas lines and disrupted lives, all caused by the destruction of our electric system. When our power industry is unable to perform its most basic mission of supplying safe, affordable and reliable power, we need to ask whether it is really sensible to run the 21st century by using an antiquated and vulnerable system of copper wires and wooden poles.

“…[P]ortable gas-powered generators…[are] dirty, noisy and expensive…[and] have no value outside of a power failure. And they’re not much help during a failure if gasoline is impossible to procure…[W]e believe there is a better way to secure grid independence for our homes and businesses…Solar photovoltaic technology can significantly reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and our dependence on the grid. Electricity-producing photovoltaic panels installed on houses, on the roofs of warehouses and big box stores and over parking lots can be wired so that they deliver power when the grid fails.”

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“Solar panels have dropped in price by 80 percent in the past five years and can provide electricity at a cost that is at or below the current retail cost of grid power in 20 states, including many of the Northeast states…[but] the investor-owned utilities that depend on the existing system for their profits have little economic interest in promoting a technology that empowers customers…[and] state regulatory agencies and local governments impose burdensome permitting and siting requirements that unnecessarily raise installation costs [25 percent to 30 percent]…a higher percentage of the overall cost than the solar equipment…

“…More than one million Germans [with streamlined permitting] have installed solar panels on their roofs. Australia also has a streamlined permitting process and has solar panels on 10 percent of its homes. Solar photovoltaic power would give America the potential to challenge the utility monopolies, democratize energy generation…transform millions of homes and small businesses into energy generators..[and] energy entrepreneur…create millions of domestic jobs…[cut the nation’s emissions…[A]s we rebuild the tens of thousands of houses and commercial buildings damaged and destroyed by the storm, let’s incorporate solar power arrays and other clean energy technologies…[and wire them] so they still are generating even when the centralized grid system is down…All we need is the political will.”

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FEDS BACK GREAT LAKES WIND Lake Erie Wind Turbine Project, ‘Icebreaker,’ Wins $5 Million in New Funding; $4 Million Awarded by U.S. Department of Energy Plus $1 Million Private Cost Share

December 12, 2012 (Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation)

“The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today $5 million in new funding for Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo), the non-profit corporation leading the effort for the first freshwater offshore wind project in the nation…[T]he DOE has committed $4 million to support the advancement of the offshore wind energy project known as “Icebreaker”, which consists of five to nine wind turbines seven miles off the coast of Cleveland in Lake Erie. LEEDCo’s private partners committed an additional $1 million in cost share as part of the agreement.

“‘Icebreaker’ is one of only seven offshore wind energy projects that DOE awarded [up to $180 million over the next five years]…and the only one in the Great Lakes…[They] will help address key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid, and navigating new permitting and approval processes…’Icebreaker’ could potentially receive an additional $46.7 million in federal funding…”

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“Among LEEDCo’s winning development team…[along with] Case Western Reserve University, McMahon DeGulis, Freshwater Wind. Siemens, and DNV KEMA…[W]ith the recently completed 1000 MW London Array, Siemens has now supplied the world’s largest, in addition to the world’s first, offshore projects. The company holds 80 percent of the offshore market share in Europe and recently contracted to deliver 300 of its new 6 MW turbines to leading offshore wind farm developer Dong Energy.

“…McMahon DeGulis’ expertise in renewable energy permitting helped LEEDCo to advance through the regulatory processes. CWRU has studied ice and wind data at the Cleveland water intake crib since 2005…DNV KEMA has conducted project certification and design verification for 44 offshore wind projects globally…LEEDCo and its development team will compete among the seven DOE award winners…for the additional $46.7 million…[Three] will receive additional funding…”

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THE EMERGING WIRELESS CAR CHARGING MARKET Wireless Charging Systems for Electric Vehicles

4Q 2012 (Pike Research/Navigant)

“During the past few years, wireless charging for electric vehicles (EVs) has appeared to be mainly a promising technology with no viable market. In the last 6 to 12 months, however, these factors have begun to shift…

“…Nearly all of the major EV manufacturers have announced partnerships to develop wireless charging systems and there are signs that such systems, installed at the factory or added at the dealership, could become a market differentiator for EV models.”

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“The deployment of wireless EV charging systems is directly tied to the growth of…[the EV and wireless power markets]…Many trials with OEM vehicles have started up in 2012, and at least one vendor – Evatran, which markets its products under the marque “Plugless Power” – intends to bring a system to market in the first half of 2013…

“…Pike Research forecasts that wireless charging equipment for light duty vehicle sales will grow by a CAGR of 91% from 2013 to 2020, as wireless systems move from a retrofit technology to an integrated part of new EVs, reaching annual sales of 283,000 units in 2020…”

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