QUICK NEWS, February 15: CA DESERT FOLK LIKE SUN; BOULDER WIND POWER; ROBO-BLDGS SAVE ENERGY, MAKE $$$

CA DESERT FOLK LIKE SUN
New Survey Shows Support For Solar Development In California Deserts
10 February 2012 (Solar Industry)

"A decisive majority of citizens in California's desert communities [in Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Riverside and San Bernardino counties] strongly support the development of solar power facilities in their counties, according to a new survey conducted by Vote Solar, a nonprofit solar advocacy group, in partnership with Probolsky Research."

[Adam Probolsky, CEO, Probolsky Research] “Nearly four out of five people surveyed believe that the California desert is a great resource and should be used to develop solar power projects…We polled just residents living in the desert communities where renewable energy projects are being proposed. Voters understand the impacts and the rewards of utility-scale solar projects in California's desert communities, and they support it."

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"The survey also found that the majority of respondents are concerned about global warming. Two out of three agree that renewable energy is an important part of California's future and that the state and federal government is right to provide financial support and tax incentives for renewable energy projects.

"Jobs and the economy are by far the most important issues concerning voters in California desert counties. Unemployment rates in the counties polled are high, peaking at 26.8% in Imperial County. The construction sector is facing 18.9% unemployment across the state…[C]itizens of California's desert regions became even more supportive of utility-scale solar development in their county when informed that solar facilities will improve the overall air quality in their region…The survey was underwritten by BrightSource Energy…"


BOULDER WIND POWER
Boulder Wind Power hires Suzlon CEO Cukurs
James Quilter, 13 February 2012 (Windpower Monthly)

"Turbine component designer Boulder Wind Power has appointed Suzlon CEO Andy Cukurs as its new chief executive…[He was] with Suzlon for seven years…headed up its entrance into the North American market…[and] replaces founder Former National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) chief engineer Sandy Butterfield, who will become chief technology officer.

"Last year, Boulder clinched $8 million in Series A Preferred Stock venture capital financing to help develop its next-generation direct-drive design…The company is designing a radically different architecture that could substantially reduce generating costs…[It] has the industry's only direct drive that has no need for iron in the core, as it uses ‘air core’ axial flux. Iron cores tend to ‘cog’ or vibrate…which makes them rougher and noisier."

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[Butterfield:] "My goal as founding CEO of Boulder Wind Power was to assemble a world class team, prove the technical and economic superiority of our breakthrough technology, raise capital to fund our development, and build partnerships with some of the best companies in the wind industry…With those goals accomplished, it is the perfect time to add a seasoned business leader like Andy to the team to help us expand our organisation and achieve global deployment of our product…"

[Cukurs:] "Boulder Wind Power has created a game changing approach that will enable the delivery of wind energy at a levelised cost competitive with fossil fuel sources. I’m excited to have the opportunity to build on the foundation that Sandy and team have created and establish the company as a leader in delivering advanced technology to the wind industry."


ROBO-BLDGS SAVE ENERGY, MAKE $$$
Global Revenues for Commercial Building Automation Systems Will Reach $146 Billion by 2021
February 7, 2012 (Pike Research)

"…[C]ommercial buildings consume roughly 23% of all electricity globally…[T]he automation systems that ensure efficient performance are a critical part of energy management. Until the mid-1990s, modern building automation consisted of little more than individual systems with simple control panels for switches, timers, and alarms. Today, the market for commercial building automation systems is in the midst of revolutionary change in terms of technology and utility…

"…In the last several years, the focus has shifted from an individual system view…[Building system] can be defined to include virtually any device or data source within the building. The amount of data created by automation systems can be overwhelming, but real competitive and economic value exists in using the data to monitor performance and uncover trends…"

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"…According to a new report from Pike Research, the market for commercial building automation systems will double over the next decade, increasing from $72.5 billion in 2011 to $146.4 billion by 2021…This surge is being driven by two important trends that are transforming the building industry. The first is aggressive energy efficiency goals within the building stock, which is undergoing tremendous growth, particularly in developing Asia Pacific nations…

"Second is the fact that building automation controls and field devices, which communicate via a range of protocols such as BACnet and LonWorks, are starting to be fitted with Internet Protocol capability so as to utilize the same protocols and infrastructure equipment as the IT network. As a result, the silos that IT, property management, software, and traditional BASs occupied within companies are disappearing…"