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)

Utility Scale Energy Storage Critical to Renewables Markets

Energy Storage Technologies in Utility Markets Worldwide from leading energy industry market research publisher SBI Energy gives you the tools to:

Assess the state of your industry and the trends that are impacting it
Identify exciting new opportunities and evaluate growth potential
Review potential partners or acquisition targets

Utilities grapple with excess energy lost in off-peak times and energy shortages during peak times.

Solution: Smart grid energy storage

As utilities strategize the integration of renewable energies into the electric grid, energy storage technologies ante-up.

$34 million in start up funding for an energy storage research hub is proposed in Obama’s 2011 budget planning.
Companies are launching new energy storage products aimed at tapping into the growing market
The global utility sector energy storage market is expected to grow by 15.8% per year to over $10 billion in 2015.

Energy Storage Technologies in Utility Markets Worldwide from leading energy industry market research publisher SBI Energy covers:

Applications in which energy storage solutions can be leveraged within the utility sectors
The electric grid and its operations, identification of opportunities for energy storage solutions
Technologies including: pumped hydro storage, CAES, electrochemical capacitors, flywheels, and batteries
Battery technologies including lead-acid, lithium-ion, molten salt, and vanadium redox and zinc bromide flow batteries
SMES, or Superconducting magnetic energy storage, thermal storage and vehicle-to-grid
Global market sizing for energy storage technologies to 2015 are provided.

(Source: sbienergy.com)

Down and Dirty: Generating Profit from Landfill Waste

Humans generate tons – billions of tons – of waste each year. At over 2.1 billion tons of municipal waste annually, the world has a significant waste problem. Most of this waste is transported to landfills, where it sits, decays, and releases a suite of environmental pollutants. But there is a better way to control and reuse this waste –converting it into energy. Source: Treehugger.com

Locked inside the 2.1 billion tons of municipal waste that we generate each year is approximately 24.5 quadrillion Btu of energy – enough heat to meet about 10% of global annual electricity consumption. Not surprisingly, many nations including Europe, Canada, and parts of Asia, have been adding to or gearing up waste to energy operations for over a decade.

According to the most recent data available from the International Energy Agency, from 2000 to 2006, global waste to energy power production from municipal and industrial wastes increased from 283 terawatt hours to 383 terawatt hours, a 35% increase over that period.

SBI Energy recently evaluated waste to energy technologies, including incineration, gasification, plasma gasification, pyrolysis, and anaerobic digestion. SBI Energy’s in-depth analyses of the global market forecasts the market will increase from approximately $9 billion in 2011 to $27 by 2021, equivalent to a CAGR of 11%.

Historically speaking, 95% of the global waste to energy market was dominated by two technologies: incineration and anaerobic digestion. But with new advances, other technologies – specifically pyrolysis, plasma gasification, and gasification - will gain market share and together will comprise over 30% of the total waste to energy market by 2015.

(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)

Expanding Military Interest in Microgrid Technology Fuels $4 Billion Industry

New York, January 26, 2011 —The world microgrid market reached $4 billion last year with North America claiming 74% of 2010’s total industry share, finds market research publisher SBI Energy. Fueled by rapidly growing solar, renewable energy and smart grid markets, the microgrid has become a viable solution to supply energy to local communities. Microgrid installations around the world include everything from diesel generator-based rural electrification projects that supply electricity to small rural communities to large, futuristic cities and theme parks using the newest microgrid technologies. Photo: Slendidaparna.com

SBI Energy’s latest market study, The World Market for Microgrids, has identified a unique opportunity for marketers at U.S. military bases seeking reliable and secure energy. The majority of U.S. military bases are powered by public electrical grids, which in some instances lead to as many as 300 power outages per year. These interruptions weaken military readiness and security. In the face of a terrorist attack or natural disaster, reliance on conventional energy supplies may be inefficient and may even be detrimental to military functions. Microgrid advantages in this case are clear: in the face of a massive power outage, the microgrid is able to separate from the main utility grid—if it is not already islanded —and keep vital facilities and operations powered.

As U.S. Representative Martin Heinrich of the 1st Congressional District of Mexico says, “Microgrids provide a more secure infrastructure for our military–both here and abroad. Growth in the military microgrid segment will rise by 375% from 2010 to 2020. Total market value in this segment is projected at $1.6 billion in 2020, up from $.33 billion in 2010 and electrical output will increase from .13 GW in 2010 to .60 GW in 2020.

As the microgrid expands its realm of operations in commercial, military and industrial segments, the costs associated with implementation are decreasing. Installation price can vary wildly depending on a number of factors–including the size, scope and technological advancement of a specific project. From solar–hybrid implementations in small remote villages to giant undertakings such as the $4 billion Crystal Island project, the future will become less individualized and more mass, factory built–greatly reducing costs associated with implementing a microgrid.

The World Market for Microgrids provides an in–depth analysis of the economic drivers and challenges and key social and political factors facing the microgrid industry. The market study also reports historical market and growth in dollars (2006 – 2010), broken down into five market segments, as well as future forecast data through 2020. Furthermore, a new chapter segment featured in all 2011 reports examines the current and upcoming employment opportunities that will be created as microgrid manufacturing and installations ramp up. Microgrid activity around the world, including information on the overall electricity situation and specific microgrid projects, is examined, as are the company strategies of 15 leading industry manufactures and new technologies. For more information, please visit: http://www.sbireports.com/Microgrids-2835891/.

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, Twitter and Tumblr.

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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grows Renewable Energy Markets and Drives Domestic Energy Independence

New York, January 31, 2011 — 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.

ARRA Report Card: Two Years Later, the latest industry study from market research publisher SBI Energy provides a time-capsule analysis of the impact of ARRA investments. The report features framework to the new energy economy:

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.

ARRA Energy Report Card: Two Years Later examines the ARRA clean energy investments and their impact on the various clean energy markets within the power, transportation, and building sectors. The report presents the ARRA direct investments, segmented by sector and clean energy market, and provides details with regard to cross-sector energy-related ARRA investments and tax incentives. A summary of the clean energy markets within each sector likely to be impacted by ARRA energy investments is presented, along with obligations to date, and potential impact and estimated market size to 2015.

ARRA direct investments made in the power, transportation, and buildings sectors are discussed in detail. The report includes specific program details, appropriations amounts, awardees, and intent. Further, the markets expected to benefit from ARRA provisions are highlighted by sector. Discussion of these markets includes products and technologies and estimated market size to 2015.

Identification and profiling of twenty private-sector companies that have received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act awards under clean energy programs are provided in the report. These companies represent some of the largest total ARRA clean energy awards made to private sector companies to date. Recipient awards in the categories of renewable generation, grid modernization, carbon capture and sequestration, transportation, and energy efficiency are represented. Key profile information, brief descriptions of company activities, and discussion of company ARRA clean energy award activities are provided.

For more information, please visit: https://www.sbireports.com/ARRA-Energy-Card-2849576/.

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, Twitter and Tumblr.

Media Contact:
Jenn Tekin
(240) 747- 3015
jtekin@sbireports.com

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SOTU Lays Framework for Advances in American Transportation Infrastructure, Positions Intelligent Transportation Systems toward a $14 Billion Industry by 2015

Media Contact:
Jenn Tekin
(240) 747- 3015
jtekin@sbireports.com

SOTU Lays Framework for Advances in American Transportation Infrastructure, Positions Intelligent
Transportation Systems toward a $14 Billion Industry by 2015

New York, January 31, 2011 — U.S. President Barack Obama’s January 25th State of the Union Address (SOTU) delivered a strong message about rebuilding America’s transportation network. “To attract new businesses to our shores, we need the fastest, most reliable ways to move people, goods, and information–from high–speed rail to high–speed Internet,” the President remarked.

Over the past two years, the United States has implemented new construction projects for its roads and bridges, due in part to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) benefits, and has created thousands of jobs. In Tuesday’s speech, the President proposed to redouble these efforts.
“While the U.S. government support for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), via federal funding and legislation, has been lagging, government involvement seems to be making a U–turn,” reports analyst Darren Bosik, author of ‘Global Intelligent Transportation Systems Products Market,’ an SBI Energy publication.

The market research firm analyzed the opportunities and challenges facing the industry and forecasted double-digit growth in all facets of ITS manufacturing sectors in the U.S., particularly commercial vehicle screening and emergency response centers, through 2015. “With 2010 as the spending benchmark point, total cumulative spending on ITS technologies in the U.S. will grow to more than $14.5 billion through 2015,” noted Shelley Carr, publisher for SBI Energy.

Through 2015, SBI Energy expects costs of ITS components to increase globally at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10%. The market research publisher attributes the moderate growth estimate in ITS product prices to a gradual rise in demand for ITS systems in regions that have committed to ITS deployment. In the U.S., for example, prices will rise considerably in roadside detection and control products as many states begin to assertively roll out ITS–enabled traffic management devices. The U.S. will continue to depend on imports of ITS products from Asia, and pay a premium for technology–heavy devices, such as sensors.

“Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high–speed rail. This could allow you to go places in half the time it takes to travel by car,” President Obama projected in his speech. “For some trips, it will be faster than flying–without the pat–down. As we speak, routes in California and the Midwest are already underway.”

The U.S., which has spent a sum total of $3.7 billion on ITS since 2006, has several ongoing ITS investment initiatives that have contributed to the accumulated outlay. Among the more notable are the following:

Dallas Area Rapid Transit is contributing $3 million and receiving $5.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for using a transportation management model to predict travel conditions 30 minutes into the future. Travelers will be able to access real–time information about traffic, public transit and expected travel times, through wireless and Web–based alerts.
The San Diego Association of Governments will contribute $2.2 million and receive $8.7 million from the federal government for a project along Interstate 15 using a “smart” traffic management system combining road sensors, video and traveler information to take steps to reduce congestion. The system will deliver information to commuters via the Internet and message signs along the road. It will also enable managers to adjust traffic signals and ramp meters to direct travelers to high occupancy vehicle and high-occupancy toll lanes, bus rapid transit and other options.
Tennessee’s multimillion–dollar, eight–year expansion of Nashville’s traffic monitoring system, scheduled for completion this fall, seeks to double the number of overhead message boards and traffic cameras that warn motorists of problems ahead on the interstate.

A year ago the country’s Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration’s (RITA) ITS Joint Program Office (JPO) unveiled a new, five–year ‘ITS Strategic Research Plan, 2010–2014.’ While the Strategic Plan represents an important step forward, the U.S. is still mired in ITS “research mode,” rather than full–scale investment, construction, and deployment of ITS applications. With the additional push from the U.S. government, investments in ITS technologies will continue growth–speeding up job creation and economic recovery.

Global Intelligent Transportation Systems Products Market examines at length ITS applications, trends, technologies, product manufacturing and costs associated with this expansive industry–both domestically and internationally. The report forecasts market value through 2020, separating out spending on deployment, emergency response, and product and technology manufacturing. Further, the report divulges the competitive profiles of industry leaders including IBM, Efkon, Scania, Vitronic, Iteris, Moru Industrial, Sumitomo Electric, Traffic Data Systems, Telvent, Denso, Image Sensing Systems, and Kapsch. For more information, please visit: http://www.sbireports.com/Global-Intelligent-Transportation-2496797/.

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, Twitter and Tumblr.

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The impact of Braskem’s new bioethylene production

The thermoplastic resin and petrochemical producer Braskem is poised to radically alter the intermediate biorenewable chemical market, with production starting at its new bio-based ethylene plant in Triunfo, Brazil. After just three years from project announcement, the new facility started production in September 2010. At maximum capacity, the Braskem plant will produce enough bioethylene to manufacture 440 million pounds/year of bio-based polyethylene, one of the most common plastics in the world.

This amount of production is huge in the bioplastic world but is really only a minor fraction of the total polyethylene (PE) market; in 2009 the U.S. alone produced 36.7 billion pounds of high density and low density polyethylene plastics. But this is good news for Braskem. Even if the company was able to ramp up to full production capacity instantaneously, the PE market is large enough to easily absorb the production if Braskem’s product is competitive.

And Braskem’s product is competitive. First, the bio-PE that Braskem is producing is priced comparably with petroleum-based PE. Secondly, the bio-based plastic is mechanically equivalent to what product manufacturers are using now. This means no retooling on the product manufacturer’s part is required to switch to the biorenewable PE version Braskem is now offering.

In fact, even before the plant had started production Braskem had already signed Toyota and Proctor & Gamble on as customers for its bio-based resins. And now that production is actually underway, Braskem has received invitations from four other companies in four different countries to implement similar projects around the world. Braskem itself is also planning to announce a new “green” PE project by the end of the year.

All of these factors point to Braskem quickly gaining a foothold in the bioplastic space and giving the company incentive to expand its biorenewable chemical production. Production of bioethylene could swamp production of other intermediate biorenewable chemicals such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) also used to make bio-based plastics. What First Solar has done for the solar cell industry by providing cheap and plentiful photovoltaic cells and dominating the market, Braskem may now be doing for biobased plastics.

(Source: sbireports.com)

Green Building Materials and Construction

The world is going green. Of this I have no doubt. As I sit here writing about green building materials and construction on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, it is becoming abundantly clear that “green” in all its forms has become mainstream.

Sure, everyday products such as detergents and cleaning products have been available and advertised for years. Organic foods are widely available, if still a little pricey. EnergyStar labels can be readily found on products ranging from light bulbs to appliances, as they have been for many years. References to energy efficiency, electric automobiles, wind and solar power, and water conservation among many other “green” concerns are replete throughout the media in all its forms. I have even overheard casual conversations about pending cap-and-trade legislation on several occasions.

What I have found lacking in the green marketplace is a concerted effort to advertise green building products and green construction. Although large well-known building supply centers – particularly The Home Depot and Lowes – now carry green building products and materials they have not done anything other than rudimentary and unimaginative advertising. One still has to look hard to find green building products in these stores as they are not very well displayed. Instead of large and distinctive signage indicating the location and proclaiming the benefits of green building products, one still has to look carefully at labels on each product. Where’s the differentiation? Where’s the call to action? Why isn’t this a bigger deal?

However, I have lately seen some indications that green building materials and construction is taking flight. While researching and writing this report I paid particular attention to casual mainstream media references to these topics as this would be a sign (at least to me) that green building materials and construction were no longer “special” topics. While such references were few and far between, in the past month I have seen several TV commercials from home builders touting their new “green” homes. The April 2010 issue of U.S News & World Report was devoted to the “Future of Energy” with a number of articles devoted to green construction and renovation. The April 22, 2010 edition of USA Today included “Blueprint for a green house”, an in-depth article about one woman’s experience in building a custom green home and some lessons everyone should consider when building “green”. While these are but a few examples it seems to me that the words “green” and “construction” are at last being “heard” through mainstream consumer media sources and have become part of the normal discourse and lexicon.

This is not to say that green building materials and construction have “arrived”. It only means that people are now starting to notice. The benefits of building green still need to be delivered to the masses and the costs for green products and construction still need some improvement. However, as the economy improves and home sales spick up, there will be a great opportunity to deliver this message.

One of the ways I think the benefits of building green can be delivered to the masses is to emphasize the unique products that have been developed and the advantages of using them. Having experienced the insulation capabilities of adobe brick (which is made from dirt and straw - can’t get much “greener” than that!) while living in New Mexico, I think much interest could be generated from products that are green and “out of the ordinary”. Oryzatech’s Lego-like STAK BLOCKS (made from rice straw) and Black Mountain’s sheep wool insulation are examples of two unique building products that are green and perform better and last longer than “standard” building products and could generate consumer interest.

I’d also like to use more green building products since I am doing several remodeling projects on my house. However, unless I see these products in a store or a home show or advertised in the newspaper I’m unlikely to find and use them. I’ll look on the internet but if shipping is too expensive I’ll buy something else locally. This just about sums up the biggest issue with green building materials – people don’t know about them and when they do, they are often hard to find (or too expensive). So, I’m hoping for a breakthrough in these two areas (soon). There’s a lot to do around the house.

Global Green Building Materials and Construction, 2nd Edition