SBI Energy: Market Insights, Opportunities &Trends

Home energy efficiency analysis now uses a ‘whole building’ approach, affecting all categories of building materials from windows and doors to insulation to completely eliminating air leaks. This report looks at the impact of energy-efficient building products in three parts:

• Part 1 explores the market for energy-efficient doors and windows, caulking and weather stripping, and insulation used in home renovations.

• Part 2 examines the energy-efficient appliance and lighting markets for home remodeling. renovation projects.

• Part 3 looks at energy-efficient heating and cooling systems and the growing trend of energy-efficient roof renovations.

Home builders and remodelers have been quick to provide remodeling services focused on energy conservation and green building practices. Retailers and manufacturers of building projects, residential builders and remodelers, and even state and federal organizations now must provide knowledgeable energy conservation.

Green building renovations are defying the downward spiral seen in the general market for renovation work. As a result, green building retrofits that promote efficient energy usage are anticipated to increase substantially through 2015 and emerge as the “new normal” in the building industry, according to leading market research firm SBI Energy in the recently released report Green Building Materials and Construction, 2nd Edition.

Green renovations currently account for about 7% of the total renovation market, and are anticipated to grow to 13% of the market by 2015. Much of the sector’s growth can be attributed to stimulus funding throughout the world for energy efficiency improvements, though green building materials have shown that they are cost effective alternatives to standard building components and are increasingly in demand by businesses and homeowners alike. Rising energy costs and diminishing fuel resources will also continue to push energy efficiency measures, both for construction and for manufacturing.

“The majority of the world’s buildings are old and waste energy. We anticipate the building industry will see a significant increase in green building renovation to make structures more energy efficient, particularly since these types of retrofits pay for themselves after only a few years,” says Bernie Galing, SBI Energy analyst and author of the report.

In the green construction arena, an increasing number of builders are building more green homes and offices as a means to differentiate themselves from their competitors and as a way to weather a poor building environment. Green homes and buildings are not only in high demand, but they command a price premium when they are purchased or sold. In addition, green rental properties have higher occupancy rates and also command higher rents. With better designs, improved green building materials, and advanced construction techniques, green buildings are more durable, last about twice as long, use less energy, and have less of an impact on the environment than standard construction.

Global Green Building Materials and Construction, 2nd Edition provides a comprehensive assessment of both green building materials and green construction, cost considerations that have limited their growth, government incentives that have spurred their growth, consumer and business demand, potential opportunities for additional growth, and an assessment of developing technologies that are making green building products and green construction the “new normal”. Projected growth through 2015 for both of these markets is provided including discussion of economic conditions, environmental impacts, consumer-business-builder acceptance, stakeholder concerns, and government activities as they affect growth rates.

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Market Insights: A Selection From The Report

  Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

In solid-state applications, light propagates from the surface of tiny segments of semi conductors. The process is somewhat similar to that of the fluorescent lamp as electrons energize and fluoresce as they recombine with the semi-conductive material. In the minerals used for LEDs the energy released is either visible light or UV radiation. If UV light is emitted, the diode is coated with a phosphor. The phosphor absorbs the UV rays, and then emits visible light. Directional, monochromatic light is the result.

Silicon and other semi-conductive minerals are grown into extremely pure mono-crystals. The atoms in a mono-crystal align perfectly and uniformly with no internal boundaries. These 300 mm diameter cylinders are sliced into wafers about 0.75 mm thick, polished, and sold as wafers.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) come to life in semiconductor wafer fabrication plants called “fabs”. These plants are very expensive costing about $8 billion and up each. The semiconductor chips require “clean rooms”, specially designed spaces where all airborne contaminants are controlled. The numerous steps in the process to create a single “die” consum…

Roadway Lighting

Roadway lighting includes, in some cases, the fixture to hold the lamp as well as the lamp itself.

Roadway lighting is another prime target for investigation of energy savings. There are an estimated 500 million streetlights around the world illuminating tricky intersections and neighborhood streets. Thirty-four million light up America. Another 100 million stand watch over American parking lots. As a rough figure, streetlights consume up to 35% of a municipality’s energy bill based on high-pressure sodium technology. LED streetlights cut that figure in half.

Approximately 610,000 LED streetlights were installed worldwide in 2009. Published plans by various government entities reveal that 870,000 more units will be placed during 2010. China and Taiwan are leading the streetlight conversions although both governments will accomplish their goals in this area probably by the end of 2010 and will shift subsidies to other programs. China installed about 250,000 LED streetlights in 2009. Up to a total of 400,000 units are in the installation phase for China.

The U.S. has not initiated a nation-wide conversion program rather individual municipalities are specifying LED replacements. Los Angeles is planning to install 140,000 over five years beginning in 1008. Los Angeles’ 209,0000 streetlights rank second in quantity behind New York City.

The number of competitors in the field is growing.

LED Roadway LLC is a three-year-old (2007) startup from Halifax…

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Market Insights: A Selection From The Report

WRR Around the World

There are a wide variety of water recycling and reuse (WRR) installations around the world, reflecting many degrees of investment. Often, the level of WRR involvement is directly related to need; however, this is not always the case. The types of projects implemented in a region are affected by many factors, such as population density, water availability, technological savvy, economic standing and political stability.

This chapter overviews the WRR scene around the world. For purposes of discussion, the global market is broken down into five regions: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia and Oceania. To better understand the WRR market of each area, water scarcity, precipitation levels, affects from climate change and other pertinent factors affecting the region’s water are discussed. Selected water recycling and reuse projects are also highlighted for each region.

Most Water Rich Countries

Countries that are rich in water are realizing the potential of their water resources and are positioning themselves to utilize water to their advantage. Besides, economic security, being water rich also provides military security and independence from other countries.
The top ten water rich countries, in terms of the world’s total freshwater resources, include the following:

Rainwater Harvesting Market Segment Sees 20% Growth in 2009

In the water recycling and reuse market, the total rainwater segment saw a 20% growth from 2008 to 2009, reaching $1.2 billion in 2009. Total increase in market value from 2006 to 2009 totaled over 70% growth (or an increase of $497 million), reflecting a significant incremental increase in growth each year at 18%, 19%, 19.5% and 20% respectively. The rainwater harvesting market’s industrious climb is, in part, fueled by the technology’s economic feasibility and government incentives and mandates.

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Market Insights: A Selection From The Report

Data Centers
The function of a data center is to house the infrastructure needed to store and serve vast amounts of data. These facilities house servers, storage devices, network equipment, power supplies, cooling equipment and other infrastructure. An estimated 33 million servers were in use within data centers globally in 2005. This number is expected to grow to more than 122 million by 2020.

Data centers consumed 130 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2005, or 0.7% of the world’s electricity generation that year. About half of the electricity consumed within a data center is used to power servers and storage devices, while approximately 45% of the electricity used by the data center is for cooling systems and the balance for operation of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Assuming no energy reduction initiatives, by 2010 electric consumption of data centers will have grown to 210 billion kilowatt hours and to 355 billion kilowatt hours by 2015. Data centers would then account for over 1.5% of projected total global electricity generation in 2015.

The forecasted energy consumption and associated carbon emissions shown in Figure 3-3 above assume no energy reduction initiatives. However, there are several technological developments and trends underway which will lead to reduced energy use within data centers. These include…

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Market drivers for fuel cells include a desire for energy independence and security, and a commitment to global climate change and air quality. But, durability and performance standards must be met first to compete with common technologies such as batteries and internal combustion engines. Next, the infrastructure for the fuel of choice must be in place to support wide-spread implementation of fuel cell technology. Finally, there must be a critical level of public acceptance and demand for the technology.

SBI research indicates that the fuel cell market will reach $598 million in 2010, then grow to $1.22 billion by 2014, a CAGR of 20%. At the same time, unit sales will increase by a CAGR of 37%.

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Industry experts offer a wide range of predictions about which sectors will win the lion’s share of the fuel cell market in the coming years, but stationary applications has been mentioned as one of the most promising options.

SBI Energy estimates that the small stationary sector has historically been the leader in the industry since 2005. But niche transport (forklifts and other materials handling vehicles) was a break-out market in 2008 and 2009, and portable electronics are expected to gain momentum in the coming years, as well.

These experts are less certain about the future of stationary applications in residential and small commercial settings. Because the electric grid reaches practically everyone and electricity is cheap, there is little that seems to compel residential users to make the switch to fuel cell power.

While the industry watchers may differ in their predictions of the market size and winning applications, most agree that in 2010, we are on the cusp of a breakthrough in the fuel cells sector.

SBI research indicates that the fuel cell market will reach $598 million in 2010, then grow to $1.22 billion by 2014, a CAGR of 20%. At the same time, unit sales will increase by a CAGR of 37%.

Looks like ‘fuel cell’ will become a household phrase over the next few years.

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Above all other issues in smart grid/consumer interaction is the question of costs. Will consumers be able to save money under a smart grid regime? At first blush, the answer seems obvious: Of course they will save money as they eliminate waste and move heavy loads to off-peak in response to visible dynamic pricing. But then the question becomes, How much will they save?

http://www.sbireports.com/Smart-Grid-Consumers-2601062/