QUICK NEWS, January 21: SCIENCE MEETS FAITH IN THE CLIMATE FIGHT; MONEY IN SOLAR EQPMT STILL FALLING; THE BOOM IN VEHICLE BATTERIES

SCIENCE MEETS FAITH IN THE CLIMATE FIGHT At a Climate Protest, Science and Religion

Jada F. Smith, January 15, 2013 (NY Times)

“Science and religion went hand-in-hand…as leaders from both worlds gathered in front of the White House to protest what they cast as government inaction on climate change…With record-breaking global temperatures in 2012, severe droughts and several storms and hurricanes on the East Coast, some members of the American clergy are saying that human decisions that contribute to the extreme weather associated with climate change can no longer be left in the hands of politicians.

“Promoting an awareness of climate change and the role of humans as stewards of the earth has become a popular theme among progressive religious congregations. Even the climate skeptics in their ranks, some said, are starting to realize that something strange is going on…[At a] “pray-in” at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church and a subsequent march to the White House...[religious leaders] described environmental activism as an extension of the work [the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.] did to advance civil rights and economic justice…”

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“From the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans to a proposal to lay the proposed Keystone XL pipeline through some American Indian communities, some religious leaders have begun to see the issue of weather extremes, fossil fuel emissions and threats to habitats as a moral one…After prayers and religious readings from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh leaders and a few American Indian chants…the victims of Hurricane Sandy were [remembered]…

“…[Leaders said the next step] is to bring even more groups into the fold…[King, one said,] ‘would say that we need to come together because this is our planet, and if we lose this, then all the other issues won’t matter.’…”

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MONEY IN SOLAR EQPMT STILL FALLING Solar PV Equipment Spending Declines 72% to $3.6 Billion in 2012…Forecast for 2013 is Further Decline to $2.2 Billion; Survival Strategies Essential to Address Prolonged Downturn in PV Investment

January 17, 2013 (SolarBuzz)

“Solar photovoltaic (PV) equipment spending (covering c-Si ingot-to-module and thin-film) was $3.6 billion for 2012, a 72% decline from the peak of $12.9 billion in 2011, according to new [NPD Solarbuzz] research…Spending for 2013 is forecast to decline even further to $2.2 billion, levels not seen in the industry since 2006…[due to a] halt to capacity investment by PV manufacturers, as well as a lack of upgrades…

“…[T]he leading equipment suppliers are forecast to be GT Advanced Technologies, Meyer Burger, Applied Materials, and Apollo Solar…[with] PV-specific revenues in excess of $400 million. Only eight PV equipment suppliers are forecast to have PV-specific revenues during 2012 in excess of $100 million, compared to 23 in 2011.”

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“Just 24 months ago, GT Advanced Technologies, Meyer Burger, Applied Materials, and Centrotherm each reported PV backlogs at or above $1 billion. However, successive quarters with minimal new order intake, coupled with strong de-bookings, have reduced PV equipment backlogs to levels last experienced in 1H’06…[which] are unlikely to be repeated for at least three years…

“With so much competitive c-Si capacity shipped during 2011 and 2012, the biggest fear for tool suppliers is the emergence of a secondary equipment market across China and Taiwan…[T]his would delay any upturn in equipment spending. However, it also suggests that the PV industry is not conforming to a collective roadmap or experiencing a significant technology-buy cycle…[T]he focus of equipment suppliers has now shifted from gaining market share within the PV industry to deciding how to restructure manufacturing and streamline PV R&D…”

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THE BOOM IN VEHICLE BATTERIES Electric Vehicle Batteries; Lithium Ion Batteries for Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid, and Battery Electric Light Duty Vehicles: Market Analysis and Forecasts

1Q 2013 (Pike Research/Navigant)

“Global automotive manufacturers are accelerating their efforts to produce more vehicles utilizing electric drivetrains…[because of] newly enacted fuel economy standards, greater confidence in electric powered vehicles, and advances in battery technology…

“In 2012, Toyota introduced the fifth-generation Prius, powered for the first time with lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries. The shift from nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries to Li-ion represents a major endorsement of this chemistry as well as its ability to perform consistently in an automotive environment.”

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“The immediate future looks to be secure for the Li-ion chemistry, although there are many variants still under development to improve performance and reduce cost…

“…[L]eading battery cell manufacturers have built new factories utilizing the latest production techniques including greater automation and faster throughput. Pike Research forecasts that the overall market for Li-ion batteries in light duty transportation will grow from $1.6 billion in 2012 to almost $22 billion in 2020.”

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