QUICK NEWS, October 14: BIG SUN MAKERS TAKE OVER IN CHINA; TEXAS WIND MOVES TO COAST; THE STRUGGLE OF NEXT GENERATION BIOFUELS

BIG SUN MAKERS TAKE OVER IN CHINA Tier 1 China PV Module Suppliers Reach 50% Market-Share in Q3’13 as Costs Continue to Decline

Michael Barker, October 9, 2013 (SolarBuzz)

“…[T]he share of the Chinese Tier 1 c-Si module suppliers (made up of a total of 14 manufacturers), grew from 40% at the start of 2011, to 45% at the start of 2012, and by Q3’13, this share had reached 50% of global solar PV shipments…[C]ost reduction by Tier 1 Chinese producers has underpinned much of the shipment growth and overseas expansion plans…[S]ilicon pricing and spot/contract supply terms have provided a large portion of the cost declines…[Formerly almost 40% of total c-Si module cost, silicon] now accounts for approximately 20%...Today, module conversion costs account for the highest share of overall PV module production costs, at about one-third…” click here for more

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TEXAS WIND MOVES TO COAST Gulf Coast Beckons Wind Farms When West Texas Gusts Fade

Mark Chedlak, October 11, 2013 (Bloomberg News)

“…Texas pulled ahead last decade in the U.S. race to develop wind power thanks to the hardy gusts sweeping across its vast prairies and energy-friendly landowners. Now it’s seizing the lead in building turbines along [the Gulf of Mexico shores where winds blow more steadily, providing power during those afternoons when residents are cranking up their air conditioners] as developers find the slower but steadier air currents there translate to bigger profits…By 2015, the state is slated to almost double its 1,700 megawatt capacity from turbines located along its southern coast. Overall, coastal projects…[are planned] representing a potential investment of $2.3 billion…” click here for more

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THE STRUGGLE OF NEXT GENERATION BIOFUELS Next-Generation Biofuels Are Inching Towards Reality, Gallon by Gallon; Advanced biofuels have been on the cusp of commercialization for years, but high prices and technological challenges have held them back. Is that starting to change?

Bryan Walsh, October 11, 2013 (Time Magazine)

“…Made from sources like corn stalks or what straw that don’t compete with food, unlike current biofuels, next-generation biofuels were going to be greener and more efficient than corn-based ethanol, which is still the dominant source of biofuel in the U.S. When Congress passed the 2007 energy bill, it expected the country to be producing over 1 billion gallons of next-generation biofuels by 2013. But the advanced biofuel industry has developed far more slowly than lawmakers predicted, leading the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cut the 2013 mandate… It’s not that companies don’t know how to make cellulosic ethanol or biofuel from algae. It’s that they’ve struggled to do so cheaply and at a scale large enough to compete with oil…” click here for more

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