QUICK NEWS, December 2: ALL NEW U.S. OCTOBER POWER WAS SOLAR; WIND’S KEY SUPPORT UNDER ATTACK; SMART BUILDINGS BIZ TO $100BIL+ BY 2021

ALL NEW U.S. OCTOBER POWER WAS SOLAR Solar Energy Was America's Sole New Power Source in October; Get ready for a photovoltaic building boom.

Todd Woody, November 26, 2013 (The Atlantic)

“In October, power plants generating 530 megawatts of electricity came online in the United States. And every single electron put on the grid came from the sun…It’s possible to make too much of the fact…After all, the completion dates of power plants can be random…[particularly] for complex, multibillion-dollar, fossil fuel power stations…However, it is also possible to be too dismissive of this energy shift and the fact that solar supplanted coal and natural gas in October…[with 530, about] what a medium-sized natural gas-fired power plant would generate…[I]t’s a clear sign that solar is no longer a niche play – especially when you consider that the October’s numbers don’t include the installation of roof photovoltaic panels on homes and businesses. In California alone, for instance, 19.5 megawatts of rooftop solar was installed in the territories of the state’s three big utilities just in October…” click here for more

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WIND’S KEY SUPPORT UNDER ATTACK Tax Credit for Wind Energy Is Truly Up in the Air

Clare Foran, November 26, 2013 (National Journal)

“…Leaders of the wind-power industry say they hope legislators will come together to save the credit, known as the PTC [set to expire at the end of this year], from disappearing…But opposition is fierce, and growing stronger, with conservative groups and oil and gas industry stakeholders…[A] series of tax-reform proposals [from the Senate Finance Committee], including a plan to end or scale back certain incentives frequently claimed by the oil industry…[made no mention] of renewable energy tax credits…[The House Ways and Means Committee] is also drafting a proposal but has not yet put forward a tax-reform plan…[T]here is no certainty that legislators will be able to find enough common ground necessary to pass a comprehensive [tax code reform] deal…A second option, and one which may be more likely, would be for the credit to be renewed as part of an extenders package…” click here for more

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SMART BUILDINGS BIZ TO $100BIL+ BY 2021 Commercial Building Automation Systems; HVAC, Lighting, Fire & Life Safety, and Security & Access Control Systems and Building Management Systems: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts

4Q 2013 (Navigant Research)

“Commercial building automation systems (BASs) continue to evolve…Integrated by new building management systems (BMSs), the automation of HVAC, lighting, fire & life safety, and security & access controls is increasingly forming the foundational infrastructure…aimed at reducing the approximately 12% of total global energy end use by the commercial sector…[The global market] is driven in general by new and retrofit commercial building construction and more specifically by the energy efficiency requirements…New commercial construction has been suppressed by the financial crisis…with the exception of certain parts of Asia Pacific…[R]enewed economic growth…accelerating energy efficiency targets for commercial buildings…[and] computing, communications, sensing, and software technologies…[offer] risks and rewards…Navigant Research forecasts that global commercial BAS revenue will grow from $58.1 billion in 2013 to $100.8 billion in 2021…” click here for more

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