SBI Energy: Market Insights, Opportunities &Trends

The present day WtE market derives significant and ongoing benefit from greenhouse gas reduction/management strategies and requirements, which are increasingly being implemented and enforced around the globe.

(Source: sbienergy.com)

The World's Nuclear Energy Technology Renaissance White Paper

Ten of Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors were shut down due to the earthquake and the resulting tsunami; while four of the Fukushima Daiichi reactors succumbed to actual damage, inciting international attention. What are the new industry forecasts and values? And how will the market recover long term?

(Source: sbienergy.com)

What Impact Will the Japan Nuclear Disaster Have on Global Energy Markets and Industries?

Countries around the globe are reevaluating core nuclear power assets and their role in national energy portfolios as crisis builds at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. China, for example, has announced plans to temporarily freeze approvals for new nuclear plants, while Germany and Switzerland have shut down multiple reactors and numerous other countries, including the U.S., have ordered comprehensive inspections and reviews of their nuclear infrastructure.

Experts at the market research firm SBI Energy anticipate greater investment in alternative baseload energy and fuel resources in light of the events in Japan. Ongoing recovery and loss of nuclear generation will heighten Japanese demand for energy resources that include natural gas and petroleum fuels. Accompanying global energy market shifts draw attention to industry developments in liquefied natural gas, shale gas exploitation, coal power development and other energy infrastructure.

spacer

Insights Include:

Liquefied Natural Gas Market Worldwide assesses the key technologies including liquefaction, shipping, and regasification being leveraged in the LNG supply-chain. This report provides a detailed overview of the LNG market structure, mechanisms, investments and key participants, recent and planned investments in LNG liquefaction capacity are examined. Further, historic and forecast global energy demand 2005 to 2015 and energy demand drivers and trends are reviewed while world energy supply sources 2005 to 2015 are discussed and the linkage between domestic natural gas production, import dependence, and LNG trading are outlined.

More Information

Clean Coal Energy Technologies: Markets and Trends Worldwide examines the market for clean coal technologies for coal-fired electricity generation with a special focus on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), a prime component in development to reduce the environmental impact of coal utilized in electricity production. The report quantifies the demand for coal, electricity, and clean coal-fired electricity and forecasts industry growth, along with the key factors influencing this growth. The report evaluates the competitor profiles of 14 companies active in clean coal.

More Information

Global Shale Gas Technologies and Markets covers geology and characteristics of shale gas resources, location and estimates of global shale gas reserve potential, and key technologies including exploration, horizontal drilling, and hydraulic fracturing. A special feature of this report includes occupations in the oil and gas industry, US industry employment, and projects US shale gas employment to 2020. Recent and planned investments in shale gas exploration and development are examined while historic and forecast global shale gas production and market value are provided 2006 to 2020.

More Information

Geothermal Energy Markets: Technologies and Products Worldwide includes both a macro and micro review of the global geothermal power systems and geothermal heat pump (GHP) markets. The report includes emerging technologies, demand in each geothermal market segment as well as growth projections. An in-depth analysis of key players in the geothermal industry reveals the strategies of Calpine, Chevron, ClimateMaster, Davenport Power, ECONAR GeoSystems, Enel North America. Florida Heat Pump, Fuji Electric Systems, Geothermal Development Associates, MidAmerican Energy Holdings, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nevada Geothermal Power, Northern California Power Agency, Nuovo Pignone, Ormat Technologies, Sierra Geothermal Power, Terra-Gen Power, and WaterFurnace International.

More Information

EOR Enhanced Oil Recovery Worldwide examines all the methods associated with the EOR market including gas/CO2 injection, thermal recovery, chemical injection, microbial, and seismic. The report methodically discusses established and prospective regulations placed on EOR projects and the regulatory arena’s impact on this market. This market study dissects the global EOR markets and analyses market size and growth, industry advantages and hurdles, current technological advances, and environmental factors and impact. Competitor strategies are also evaluated at length.

More Information

Specialty Pipelines for Renewable and Alternative Energy Substancesfeatures total market and growth history for specialty pipeline systems and components (pipeline lengths, pumps, compressors, flow control equipment, leak detection and management systems) between 2006 and 2010. Projected market growth figures for specialty pipeline systems and components are presented through 2015. Market breakdowns for each specialty pipeline component are outlined by country including The United States, European Union, Brazil, and Asia. This report profiles leading and emerging companies involved in specialty pipelines production, including: 3M, Ameron, Ashland, Boreal Laser, Flowserve, GE Oil and Gas, International Protective Coverings, Siemens, Sulzer Pumps, Tyco Flow Control, Kinder Morgan, Petrobas, and Uniduto Logística.

More Information

Nuclear-power industry questioning Obama’s 50-mile evacuation radius around Fukushima Daiich

The U.S. nuclear-power industry is questioning the “scientific basis” of the Obama administration’s decision to evacuate U.S. citizens and military personnel within a 50-mile radius of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan.

SBI Energy’s Nuclear Energy Technologies Worldwide market study examined studies on the health consequences of the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island accidents conducted by several government agencies, including the U.S. NRC, and independent organizations. Source: csmonitor.com

In the case of Three Mile Island, comprehensive investigations concluded that despite the serious damage to the reactor and the facility, most of the radiation was contained and any that was released had negligible effects on the physical health of people or the surrounding environment.

The effects of the Chernobyl accident have been documented in reports conducted by the World Health Organization and International Atomic Energy Agency, both of which have been challenged in assessing the significance of their observations because of the lack of reliable public health information of area residents before 1986 when the accident occurred. A multi-agency study from 2006 concluded that people in the area have suffered more from a “paralyzing fatalism due to myths and misperceptions about the threat of radiation” rather than radiation itself.

(Source: sbireports.com)

Wind Power Becoming Competitive with Coal

Karin Rives, Staff Writer
State Department Documents and Publications
February 17, 2011

Washington — The U.S. government is pushing for large-scale wind power development and the timing may be just right.

A recent study from Bloomberg New Energy Finance says that costs for electricity generated by onshore wind are now on par with costs for coal-generated power in the United States and several other markets. That could speed up development of renewables at a time when the world seeks cleaner sources of energy. source: Venturebeat.com

President Obama has called for 80 percent of U.S. energy to come from sources that produce little or no greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, a goal that will require increases in wind, solar, hydro and other “green” power sources. The United States gets about 11 percent of its electricity from renewable sources today.

WIND BLOWS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Growing sales, more efficient wind turbines and overcapacity in the production of hardware have pushed the cost of onshore wind power to $68 per megawatt-hour. That’s just above the $67 per megawatt-hour to produce coal-generated electricity, Bloomberg reported in its latest market analysis.

Electricity from plants fueled by natural gas still costs significantly less — $56 per megawatt-hour, Bloomberg reported.

One megawatt-hour can power about 800 average-sized, single-family homes in the United States for one hour.

The study shows “wind continuing to become a competitive source of large-scale power,” said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

“For the past few years, wind turbine costs went up due to rising demand around the world and the increasing price of steel,” he said. “Behind the scenes, wind manufacturers were reducing their costs, and now we are seeing just how cheap wind energy can be when overcapacity in the supply chain works its way through to developers.”

Capital costs for offshore wind farms still run up to 50 percent higher than the cost to develop wind power on land, according to a recent report by SBI Energy, which tracks the market for renewable energy. Offshore wind turbines must be larger to withstand high ocean winds, but they can also generate more power, which helps offset some of the initial investment, SBI wrote.

Despite such challenges, a growing number of nations, including the United States, are pursuing offshore wind. Turbines at sea have less of an environmental impact than those on land and they can generate much more electricity.

U.S. PUTS OFFSHORE WIND ON FAST TRACK

In 2010, the United States cleared the way for the first large-scale offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts in the northeastern United States. That set the stage for proposals to open up other areas for such development, including the Mid-Atlantic coasts of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.

The government hopes to deploy 10 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2020, and 54 gigawatts by 2050. Millions of homes could get their power from wind that way.

The U.S. Department of the Interior has put the Mid-Atlantic projects on an expedited approval track, and leases to developers could be offered by late 2011, the agency said. To support those projects, the Department of Energy has announced $50.5 million in new funding to develop new wind turbine designs and to identify market barriers to wind energy.

The government recently gave a $1.3 billion loan guarantee to the world’s largest wind farm that will be developed in eastern Oregon in the northwestern United States.

Although the rate of growth in U.S. wind installations slowed in 2010, the industry continues to expand. This is largely thanks to a federal tax credit that makes renewable energy more competitive with coal and other fossil-fuel sources, which long have enjoyed federal subsidies.

Thirty-seven states now have commercial wind stations within their borders, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reported recently. Iowa, with 20 percent of its power coming from wind, leads the pack.

In the last five years, 400 manufacturing plants have been built or expanded to produce wind energy equipment, said AWEA Executive Director Denise Bode “We’re going to be making a whole lot more affordable, homegrown electric power in the years to come,” she said.

(Source: pennenergy.com)

What your utility company doesn’t want you to know about microgrids

While increasing population, rural development and overall increasing energy consumption is good news for utility companies, there is one technological movement underway that will hurt their revenue steam in the future. And that is the microgrid’s potential to sell electricity back to ‘macrogrid’. Check out my new 3 minute audio on the global microgrid market here: http://www.sbireports.com/Microgrids-2835891/

ARRA Helps US Reach Renewable Energy Targets

01 February 2011 | Renewable Energy Focus USA

Funding made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) from 2009 has made a significant contribution to the US goal of doubling renewable energy capacity over the next two years.

By Renewable Energy Focus staff

Market researcher SBI Energy has looked at ARRA investments and their impact on the renewable energy market to date.

Among Its Key Findings Are:

Domestic manufacturing capacity for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules is forecasted to grow from <1 GW annually in 2008 to 4 GW annually in 2012, according to the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA);
ARRA investments are speeding up the rate of innovation in solar PV helping to drive down the costs of solar panels over the next five years – possibly by 50%;
US wind power capacity grew 40% in 2009 over 2008, and according to CEA, ARRA was responsible for around 6 GW of wind capacity that might not otherwise have been installed in 2009;
US manufacturing capacity for components such as gearboxes, generators and large casted steel parts, has lagged behind demand. The 48C Manufacturing Tax Credit program awarded US$346 million in tax credits to 52 wind manufacturing projects to add to US manufacturing capacity to supply a growing domestic market; and
A US Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) survey indicates a 26% increase in new projects under development in 2009.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that US renewable energy generation capacity will increase 32% more than if it had not had ARRA support – reaching 155 GW in 2015.

This article is featured in:
Policy, Investment and Markets

Government Incentives are Growing Renewable Energy

Wednesday, February 2, 2011 |The Green Market Blog

The evidence indicates that government investments have significantly helped the US renewable energy market. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 provided $94.8 billion for clean energy. The program was established under section 1603 of ARRA, and provided cash grants covering 10% or 30% of the total cost of developing new renewable energy facilities.

ARRA investments also funded research projects to develop next generation renewable energy technologies. These types of innovations create a cost competitive alternative to dirty sources of electricity while simultaneously creating long-term economic growth.

Due in large part to ARRA, the renewable energy industry survived the worst financial crisis in decades and is making significant progress toward attaining its goal of doubling renewable generation capacity over two years.

According to Gisela Kroess, a director at UniCredit SpA (UCG.MI), “[ARRA incentives have] spurred a lot of the growth we’ve seen,” she said at a renewable-energy finance conference.

Despite Republican opposition, the US Department of the Treasury’s 1603 cash grant program for the solar and wind industries was extended through 2011 as an add-on to the 2010 Tax Relief bill. The extension provides incentives so that developers of new solar and wind farms will continue investing in new projects beyond those already slated for construction.

ARRA Report Card: Two Years Later, is the latest industry study from market research publisher SBI Energy, it examines the ARRA clean energy investments and their impact on the various clean energy markets within the power, transportation, and building sectors.

Solar Energy

The report card indicates that according to forecasts from the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), ARRA investments will help the domestic manufacturing capacity for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to grow from less than 1 GW per year in 2008 to nearly 4 GW per year in 2012. Solar EnergyARRA investments are also accelerating the rate of innovation in solar photovoltaics and will drive down the costs of solar panels over the next five years by as much as 50 percent. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, ARRA has supported more than 1,100 solar projects in 42 states, creating enough new solar capacity to power 200,000 homes. ARRA has resulted in nearly 40 percent growth in the solar power market in 2009 and nearly double in 2010.

Wind Energy

Despite weak economic and investment conditions, US wind power capacity grew 40 percent in 2009 compared to 2008. 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.

Geothermal Energy

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.

Combined Renewable Energy

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that US renewable generation capacity will increase 32 percent more than without ARRA, reaching 155 GW in 2015.

The results of this report card clearly indicate that government investment has significantly increased America’s renewable generation capacity. Richard Matthews is a consultant, eco-entrepreneur, sustainable investor and writer. He is the owner of THE GREEN MARKET, one of the Web’s most comprehensive resources on the business of the environment. He is also the author of numerous articles on sustainable positioning, green investing, enviro-politics and eco-economics.

(Source: solarfeeds.com)

SBI Energy report: Stimulus allowed U.S. renewable energy to grow during the recession

On January 1^st, 2011 SBI Energy (Rockville, Maryland, U.S.) released a new report examining clean energy investments through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA or “stimulus act”) and their impact on markets within the power, transportation and building sectors. The company states that its report: “ARRA Report Card: Two Years Later”, creates a time-capsule analysis of the impact of ARRA investments, which it says include allowing U.S. renewable energy markets to grow during the recession.

“ARRA energy-related funding not only presents potential near-term economic benefits, but also long-term economic and strategic investment and a transformative opportunity for the energy sector,” states the report’s introduction. “Without ARRA investments, it is likely that the pace of renewable energy project construction and manufacturing growth would have otherwise slowed dramatically due the sharp economic and financial downturn over this period.”

SBI Energy says smart grid investments were strategic for renewables

The report notes that at USD$94.8 billion, clean energy investments account for 30% of total ARRA appropriations for innovative infrastructure improvements. The Power Sector received USD$21 billion of that funding, let by almost USD$11 billion in investments in smart grids.

The report notes the strategic significance smart grid investments, stating that the successful implementation of increasing renewable energy generation and other ARRA energy initiatives hinges on successful grid modernization.

The report also examines funding for renewable energy research projects, including solar thin-films and new wind turbine designs. SBI Energy cites data from the U.S. Council of Economic Advisors which states that innovations in solar photovoltaic (PV) technology could drive down the cost of PV modules over the next five years as much as 50%.

Among the data presented, the report identifies and profiles 20 private sector companies that have received ARRA awards under clean energy programs.

SBI Energy is a division of MarketResearch.com Inc. (Rockville, Maryland, U.S.).

(Source: sbireports.com)

Shale Gas Production - The Answer to Global Increased Energy Demand?

The total global shale gas resource base is enormous. Estimated to exceed 18,775 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), the resource potential of gas from shale’s exceeds that of global conventional resources. Shale

To further lend perspective to the magnitude of estimated global shale gas resources, current global natural gas consumption is estimated at about 110 Tcf annually. Even if only 25% of the total shale resource base becomes technically recoverable, shale gas alone can meet global natural gas demand for over 40 years at current consumption levels.

Declining production from depleting conventional gas resources combined with rising demand for energy and natural gas has caused dramatic increases in the price of crude oil and natural gas over the past decade. This has driven demand for shale gas and improved the economic viability of shale gas developments.

In response, United States-led global production of shale gas recorded an astounding 12-fold increase from 2000 to 2010. Global shale gas production grew at a compound annual average rate of nearly 50% per year from 1,002 billion cubic feet in 2006 to an estimated 5,042 billion cubic feet in 2010.

The success of shale gas production in the U.S. triggered the exploration of shale gas resources around the world. Shale gas production is already underway in Canada and gas exploration is occurring in China, India, Poland, Germany, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, and Argentina, among others. An earlier start and aggressive action to date indicate China, Poland, and India will likely emerge as the first producers of shale gas outside of North America.

Based on a global analysis conducted by SBI Energy world-wide shale gas production will exceed 11 trillion cubic feet in 2020. The global value of shale gas production is concurrently expected to grow to over $56 billion in 2020. Shale gas has the potential to dramatically impact global energy markets, as nations around the world continue to seek lower-carbon fuels while ensuring energy security and economic development.

MORE>