SBI Energy: Market Insights, Opportunities &Trends

O Thank Heaven it’s 2011

The flurry of predictions made at the end of 2010 for the clean energy sector has created an exciting new buzz for 2011. Significantly advancing the U.S. toward a clean energy economy, 2011 will likely bring a spike in financial investing - now that Wall Street has claimed to have ‘figured out’ clean energy, along with an extension in tax credits that encourage more businesses to adopt ‘green’ practices and the creation of thousands of ‘green’ employment opportunities. Meanwhile, the clean energy manufacturing industry can expect to receive an additional $2.5 billion in funding in 2011 from the Recovery Act (ARRA). And, letting the good news roll, the global clean power sector is forecasted to see growth this year and continue its upward trend straight through 2020 - ultimately becoming a $2.3 trillion industry.

In just 18 months the U.S. spent more than $51 billion in public funding on clean energy project initiatives, research science, installations and infrastructure.  Not enough to approach sustainability, but a significant play nonetheless, as many countries have made.

It’s also reported that U.S. is on track for its 2012 goal of doubling its renewable generation capacity.  How old is that goal, anyway?  What are our new goals?  Where are the new clean energy policies and standards businesses need to move forward in their commitments and goals? 

 As the American public, we know a clean economy can’t arrive bagged and sterile in a flash while we wait.  Our order requires recipes and ingredients yet to be known.  It will be years in the making, always in the unfolding if we are wise, rather than slacking again to this level of paucity by negligence.  So let’s celebrate what this bright New Year will bring in terms of building blocks for our future.

 SBI Energy believes the power players are in the following sectors:

•             Energy storage

•             Rare earth minerals impact on renewable power generation

•             Industrial equipment manufacturing, components

•             Carbon and coal treatments, technologies

•             Nuclear power applications development

•             Substation automation

•             Smart grid advancement

 2011 is set to advance the clean energy industry. We stake our research on it. Cheers to progress and patience!

Two years after the enactment of ARRA, indications are strong that the Recovery Act is aiding the U.S. in attaining its goal of doubling renewable generation capacity over the next two years.

Photo: treehugger.com

Renewable energy has taken hold in the U.S. with installations of new wind turbines and solar panels occurring regularly.  The U.S. is making significant progress toward attaining its goal of doubling renewable generation capacity over the next two years, due in large part to support from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) introduced in 2009.

ARRA investments are funding research projects to develop next generation renewable energy technologies, such as solar thin films and new wind turbine designs that will create a cost competitive alternative to electricity currently generated from coal or natural gas power plants while simultaneously creating long-term economic market growth. Consider the following examples:

·          Aided by ARRA investments, The Council of Economic Advisors (CEA) reports that domestic manufacturing capacity for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules is forecasted to grow from <1 GW per year in 2008 to nearly 4 GW per year in 2012.

·          ARRA investments are accelerating the rate of innovation in solar photovoltaics and according to the CEA, the new technology will drive down the costs of solar panels over the next five years; possibly by 50%.

·          U.S. wind power capacity grew 40% in 2009 over the prior year, despite weak economic and investment conditions. In July 2010, the CEA reported that ARRA was responsible for approximately 6 GW of wind capacity installation that might not otherwise have occurred in 2009. 

·          U.S. manufacturing capacity for components such as gearboxes, generators, and large casted steel parts, has lagged behind actual demand. The 48C Manufacturing Tax Credit program awarded $346 million in tax credits to 52 wind manufacturing projects to facilitate additional U.S. manufacturing capacity to ensure the U.S. is able to supply a growing domestic market through domestic production.

·          An April 2010 U.S. Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) survey indicated a 26% increase in new projects under development in 2009 and concludes that the stimulus funding played an important role in propelling geothermal growth amidst recessionary economic conditions.

Overall, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that U.S. renewable generation capacity will increase 32% more than without ARRA support – reaching 155 GW in 2015. Two years after the enactment of ARRA, indications are strong that the Recovery Act is aiding the U.S. in attaining its goal of doubling renewable generation capacity in the next two years.

-SBI Energy

New York, December 08, 2010 — The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, December 6, 2010 that a “framework agreement” has been signed between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The agreement will allow French state–owned Areva, to sell nuclear reactors to India’ Maharashtra state complete with nuclear fuel for 25 years.

Manufacturers of nuclear reactor components, such as Areva, are entering a pivotal period as the new landscape of global nuclear energy production takes shape. Nations like India who are committed to constructing next-generation nuclear facilities will rely on these manufacturers to provide high quality products that foster a safe, secure, and enduring environment for energy production.

“India’s shortage of fossil fuels is driving its assertive investment in nuclear technology. Their government has given approval for construction of new nuclear reactors using indigenous technology,” says Shelley Carr, publisher of SBI Energy, a market research firm.

India’s dedication to developing nuclear electricity as a cleaner alternative to coal–fired power has nations–the United States, for example–fiercely competing for a piece of its lucrative opportunity. According to Nuclear Energy Technologies Worldwide: Components and Manufacturing, a study by SBI Energy, India has six reactors currently in manufacturing and ten additional units planned through the next decade. Of this ten, six will be supplied from France as part of the newly signed agreement. Local media reports the value of the first two French reactors is estimated at $9.4 billion. SBI Energy’s study forecasts the total nuclear energy installed capacity in India will accelerate its domestic production of reactors and grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13% through 2013 to reach 39.4 MWh.

SBI Energy’s Nuclear Energy Technologies Worldwide: Components and Manufacturing report covers several components of the nuclear energy technology industry around the world including the overall market value of nuclear energy technology manufacturing. The report examines shipments, imports and exports, as well as the economic and market trends driving the nuclear technology industry. For more information, please visit: http://www.sbireports.com/Nuclear-Energy-Technologies-1926673/.

About SBI Energy
SBI Energy, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports in the industrial, energy, building/construction, and automotive/transportation markets. SBI Energy also offers a full range of custom research services. To learn more, visit www.sbireports.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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New York, December 13, 2010 -The planned US $2 billion, 2,100-MW Stiegler’s Gorge hydropower station in Tanzania is starting to take shape. The project’s timetable has scheduled the first of three 700–MW turbines to be installed in 2012, Reuters reports, with full project completion projected for 2015.

Brazil has become a world leader in large hydropower plant construction, according to market research firm SBI Energy. Currently, about 80% of Brazil’s power is supplied by hydroelectric plants. With electric demand growing at 4.4 percent per year, the country will need to build about $40 billion of power plants by 2015.

The study from SBI Energy, Hydropower Energy Technologies Worldwide: Large, Small, Mini, Micro and Pico, projects hydropower growth will be influenced heavily by government stimulus funds and other incentives. Although hydropower has not received the attention and funding that is being afforded to wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources, it has received more funding since 2008 than it has in preceding years. The Brazilian government is currently considering funding options for the Tanzania project, including concessional loans, private investment or state financing, media sources indicate.

On August 13, 2009 Omega Energia Renovável and HidrotÃrmica, both Brazilian energy companies, signed a letter of intent with the government of Minas Gerais to build 13 small hydropower plants in the state (Minas Gerais is the third largest state in Brazil and the second most populous). These plants will cost about $524 million and are expected to become operational by 2013.

“Hydropower is an under-loved energy source that is being rediscovered by some countries, such as the United States, and is rapidly being developed in others, such as China and Brazil.This renewable energy source will experience major growth over the next five years,” comments Shelley Carr, publisher of SBI Energy. “Brazil alone will see significant growth from the small hydropower sector, growing from 3.8 GW currently to 11.5 GW in 2012.”

Hydropower Energy Technologies Worldwide: Large, Small, Mini, Micro and Pico provides a comprehensive assessment of the current hydropower market, the environmental concerns that have limited its growth in developed countries, the potential opportunities for new development, and the emerging technologies that harness the power of the ocean. Market sizes and trends are projected through 2013. For further information, visit: http://www.sbireports.com/redirect.asp?progid=76154&productid=1926640

About SBI Energy
SBI Energy, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports in the industrial, energy, building/construction, and automotive/transportation markets.SBI Energy also offers a full range of custom research services.To learn more, visit www.sbireports.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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New York, December 15, 2010 — Backed by federal stimulus funding and an administration dedicated to the attainment of energy independence, the United States is pacing global investment in smart grid applications and capabilities, according to The Smart Grid Utility Data Market by market research publisher SBI Energy. The report reveals that the most important potential Smart Grid capabilities are centered on self-awareness and automation, managing thousands—or even millions—of inputs to optimize grid functioning.

At least 27 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects are being funded from the almost $5 billion allocated to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for grid modernization projects that have some portion of the award going towards data management or back–end Smart Grid applications. Just over half of these projects have described a transmission or distribution management system, confirming survey results from several different sources that utility professionals are seeing distribution management as a key Smart Grid technology to be implemented in the coming years. Much of the remaining money from this group of ARRA projects is going towards end–to–end Smart Grid projects that will include management systems, analytic systems and data management systems.

For fiscal year 2010 the U.S. DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE) Smart Grid research & development budget was $125 million, up from just $83 million in fiscal 2009. The funding request for fiscal 2011 is up almost 16% to $144 million. Additionally, $30 million in funding in fiscal 2011 is set aside for cybersecurity for energy delivery systems. Some of the cybersecurity projects being funded originally come from the visualizations and controls R&D program, but the DOE has now recognized the need for specific cybersecurity funding.

Globally, much of the Smart Grid funding available is still hardware focused, particularly for the installation of smart meters. But advanced meters and other sensors are just the fingers of an emerging smarter electrical grid. Rather it is the data that these devices generate and the backend applications that will manage and use said data that will be the nervous system and brain of an active and fully capable Smart Grid.

While there are sound financial benefits to implementing a fully capable Smart Grid, there is also a huge financial cost as well. The number of new hardware and software systems that must be implemented across all levels of the grid is staggering, with cost estimates ranging from a few hundred billion dollars to over one trillion dollars just to fully upgrade the U.S. electrical grid.

“In the short term, utilities need to justify these costs to regulators and investors and also need to raise the capital to implement Smart Grid programs,” says Norman Deschamps, SBI Energy analyst and author of the industry study. “While the (ARRA) stimulus bill of 2009 went a long way towards kick–starting Smart Grid implementations, that money is only the tip of the iceberg for what an entire Smart Grid will cost.

The Smart Grid Utility Data Market defines and discusses the data software tools that will be an absolute necessity for utilities as the Smart Grid gains traction. The analysis includes definitions, current product offerings and market detail on the following segments: 1) data management and data security software used by the electrical utility market, 2) system management tools integrating Smart Grid data with both new and legacy control systems to provide automation and fine control of a utility’s electrical grid, 3) data analysis software tools that aggregates and provides usable information to utilities from raw Smart Grid data.For more information, please visit: http://www.sbireports.com/Smart-Grid-Utility-2496610/.

About SBI Energy
SBI Energy, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes research reports in the industrial, energy, building/construction, and automotive/transportation markets. SBI Energy also offers a full range of custom research services. To learn more, visit www.sbireports.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

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