QUICK NEWS, April 8: A U.S. ‘WIND RUSH’; THE VALUE OF NEW ENERGY; PARTIALLY-EV MRKT TO TRIPLE

A U.S. ‘WIND RUSH’ 'Wind rush' underway across much of America

March 31, 2015 (American Wind Energy Association)

“Advanced wind turbines are accessing faster, steadier winds at higher altitudes so they can generate more electricity, creating a modern-day ‘wind rush’ as new areas in the Great Lakes states and the Southeastern U.S. become economical sites to develop more wind energy…Modern wind turbines require a wind speed of only about 8 miles per hour (5 meters per second) to start generating utility-scale quantities of electricity. Sites with comparatively lower average wind speeds can now be considered for commercial turbines for the first time…The Great Lakes region [states like Michigan are] an early beneficiary…With continued technology advancements, states that currently have no commercial wind turbines at all, primarily in the Southeast, will see development opportunities open up in the coming years….High-wind areas are becoming even more productive thanks to longer blades, as the average annual “capacity factor” or percentage of the maximum rated capacity that a turbine generates year-round now tops 50 percent…” click here for more

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THE VALUE OF NEW ENERGY Renewable Energy Finally Gets A Solid Dollar Figure Backing Up Its Adoption: $500 Billion Per Year And 1.3 Million Saved Souls

April 7, 2015 (Inquisitr)

“If [the U.S., the European Union and China started taking the steps towards using 100 percent renewable energy by 2050], they would collectively save $500 billion each year…[according to Assessing the missed benefits of countries’ national contributions commissioned by the Climate Action Network]…Apart from backing up the decision of using renewable energy with a good solid dollar figure, the study also assures that the green-energy sources will also save more than a million lives annually…[This could force governments] to speed-up and enhance adoption of renewable energy…Apart from saving huge amounts and the environment, the governments would save the lives of around 1.3 million people who are killed prematurely by air pollution…[and] create 3 million new jobs by 2030. If that’s not enough, the study also predicted that if all countries started collectively moving towards the 100 percent renewable target, global warming would not cross the two degrees Celsius threshold that many scientists believes is the “point of no return” for climate change…” click here for more

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PARTIALLY-EV MRKT TO TRIPLE Stop-Start Vehicles; Onboard Energy Storage, Lead-Acid Batteries, Lithium Ion Batteries, and Ultracapacitors: Global Market Analysis and Forecasts

2Q 2015 (Navigant Research)

“The basic stop-start system is gradually evolving into one piece of a multifaceted approach to improving fuel economy in light duty vehicles. Enabling an automatic engine stop to avoid idling for long periods requires that other systems are also electrified and made more efficient. This spurs the development and implementation of ancillary systems such as air conditioning, power steering, and brake assistance that are only activated when required, rather than being a small but constant drain on engine output…North America has been a target market for stop-start systems…but initial rollouts were met with a wave of consumer resistance…Smoother and faster operation is key to stop-start systems gaining acceptance in North America. According to Navigant Research, total global sales for light duty stop-start vehicles (SSVs) are expected to grow from 19 million vehicles in 2015 to nearly 59 million by 2024…” click here for more

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