QUICK NEWS, May 9: U.S. WIND BUBBLES BEFORE NO-PTC-INDUCED BUST; 10 REASONS TO INSTALL SOLAR; SMART METERS DOWN IN U.S., UP GLOBALLY

U.S. WIND BUBBLES BEFORE NO-PTC-INDUCED BUST U.S. Wind Power Industry Installed 1.695 GW In Q1

3 May 2012 (North American Windpower)

“…The [U.S.] wind energy industry installed 52% more capacity in the first quarter than it did in the same quarter in 2011. Continuing a trend that became evident at the end of last year, under-construction numbers were also exceptionally strong in the first quarter, clocking in at 8.916 GW, with 2.284 GW of that total starting construction just this quarter…

“…[1.695 GW of wind energy capacity installed in the first quarter, with 788 wind turbines added in 17 states, bringing the country's total installed wind power capacity to 48.611 GW, according to the American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) first quarter market report,…”

click to enlarge

“…[Projects are being built in 31 states and Puerto Rico with] California (370 MW), Oregon (308 MW), Texas (254 MW), Washington (127 MW) and Pennsylvania (121 MW) were the top five states for new wind power additions.

“…New Hampshire (388%), Arizona (72%), Massachusetts (17%), Pennsylvania (15%) and Oregon (12%) [had the largest growth in the first quarter]…The top states for wind projects under construction were Kansas (1.34 GW), Texas (914 MW), Oklahoma (894 MW), California (777 MW) and Illinois (705 MW).”

10 REASONS TO INSTALL SOLAR 10 Ways to Leverage Solar Panels to Reduce Your Electric Bill

May 6, 2012 (Compare Electricity Rates)

“…The advantages and savings [of residential solar] ]can be significant and quickly offset the installation cost…[Federal incentives] help offset the cost of installation…[allowing] lower energy cost in a shorter time frame…[Panels can] provide electricity just for appliances or lighting, to reduce your dependency on the utility company…[and] lower your bill…Since your consumption will be lower, and your home is more energy efficient, you may qualify for lower rates.

“Feed-in tariffs…[allowing homeowners to] sell surplus energy generated by…solar panels back to the electric grid…Power Purchase Agreements (PPA’s) allow homeowners to lease equipment from a private company…[T]he company then sells surplus electricity to its customer at a lower price than the local utility. This…[allows the homeowner to avoid] the expense of installing his own equipment."

click to enlarge

“Net Metering…[allows homeowners with solar power to use their electric meters to measure electricity production as well as consumption] and calculate the difference. As you generate electricity with you solar panels, you are in essence banking credit with you local electric company.

“…The resale value of your home will increase by as much as 20% with the installation of solar panels…[Y]our solar panels [can] provide the power to your home heating system…[providing substantial financial [savings]...[T]he solar panel array…[can also do water heating, even in a] winter power outage… DIY kits available to consumers…can greatly reduce your initial cost, which in turn brings you to quicker profitability…”

SMART METERS DOWN IN U.S., UP GLOBALLY Smart Meter Unit Shipments in North America Peaked in 2011 and will Decline 42% by 2013, while Global Market Continues to Grow

2Q 2012 (Pike Research)

“Smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) have transformed a placid, 140-year old electricity metering market into a high-tech, high-growth juggernaut. In 2008, less than 4% of the global installed base of 1.5 billion electricity meters could be considered ‘smart,’ but 4 years later this penetration has grown to over 18%, and is forecast to exceed 55% by 2020…

“…[G]lobal growth will continue…[but growth] peaked in North America in 2011, and annual smart meter shipments are expected to decline sharply. According to a new report from Pike Research, unit shipments of smart meters in North America were 12.4 million in 2011 and will decline to 7.2 million by 2013, a 42% drop over just 2 years. After 2014, they will begin a gradual rise through the end of the decade."

click to enlarge

“…The global smart meter market…[will grow] at a compound annual growth rate of just under 5% between 2010 and 2020…[with] very dynamic and even volatile regional market characteristics…These swings make the market both enticing and challenging…

“Pike Research’s analysis shows that, while the North American market faces dramatic near-term contraction, the European market is beginning a similarly dramatic growth period. The Asia Pacific region will continue to outpace all other regions, driven by major deployments in China, utilizing a different breed of smart meter technology…[O]ver the next 8 years…penetration rates reach 64% in Europe in 2020 and nearly 70% in Asia Pacific…”