QUICK NEWS, November 20: L.A. SOLAR DETAILED; GIANT OCEAN TURBINE TEST CENTER OPENING; WHAT CARBUYERS THINK OF PLUG-IN CARS

L.A. SOLAR DETAILED LA Solar Energy Investment Atlas A Model For Regional Development

Michael Puttre, 14 November 2013 (Solar Industry)

"The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Luskin Center for Innovation have released an in-depth solar energy and efficiency study for Los Angeles (LA) County that details investment potentials and development opportunities…The report profiles the potential for clean energy investments and identifies specific areas that could be eligible for funds due to special provisions, such as set-asides for disadvantaged communities…The Los Angeles Solar and Efficiency Report (LASER): Atlas of Investment Potential for Los Angeles County is built around an atlas of maps representing the vulnerability of communities in LA County to the effects of climate change, as well as the potential for clean energy investments. The study is broken down by state senatorial districts and sub-regions across the county as a guide for legislators and other community stakeholders…” click here for more

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GIANT OCEAN TURBINE TEST CENTER OPENING Clemson center to test wind turbines and the grid

Bruce Smith, November 16, 2013 (AP via South Mississippi Sun-Herald)

"The future of energy is coming online in South Carolina with the dedication of Clemson University's new $110 million Energy Systems Innovation Center…[The 82,000-square-foot facility] houses the world's largest wind turbine drivetrain testing rig as well as a 15 megawatt electric grid research facility…[F]inanced in part by $45 million in federal stimulus money from the Department of Energy…[it] houses a four-story, 400-ton unit capable of testing drivetrains for wind turbines that can produce 15 megawatts - enough energy to power 6,000 homes. It also has a second, smaller drivetrain testing unit. It can test units capable of producing 7.5 megawatts…There are only two other such testing facilities, one in Spain and one in Colorado. But the Clemson site is capable of testing far larger units…” click here for more

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WHAT CARBUYERS THINK OF PLUG-IN CARS Electric Vehicle Consumer Survey; Consumer Attitudes, Opinions, and Preferences for Electric Vehicles and EV Charging Stations

4Q 2013 (Navigant Research)

“…[B]attery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), are a small but growing portion of the automotive market. Following the commercial introduction of these vehicles in 2010, BEV and PHEV sales volume has grown significantly…Consumers generally hold positive views of electric vehicles (EVs), as well as hybrids…However, even under several different scenarios, interest in BEVs and PHEVs remains below the 50% mark, indicating that consumers like the idea of EVs but may not be won over by the features and price points. Navigant Research forecasts that shipments of BEVs and PHEVs in the United States will reach 30,195 and 59,106, respectively, by the end of 2013. By 2020, shipments of these vehicles are expected to reach 130,641 and 210,772, respectively…” click here for more

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