SBI Reports has been leading industrial market research reporting for more than a decade. The brand established SBI Energy to address the complex nature of the Energy and Resources industry. SBI Energy reports capture data vital to emerging energy market sectors on a global scale. Growth of energy technology, manufacturing, construction, transportation and investment is exciting in its innovations and opportunities, and integral to the advancement of security and science.

 

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.

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

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Jenn Tekin
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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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Specialty Pipeline Transportation Holds Key to Alternative Fuel Market Growth

Pipeline

Why aren’t alternative fuels taking off more quickly? It’s a valid question given the large quantity of proposals for massive solar and wind turbine installations in the U.S and around the globe this year.  Meanwhile, we hear little news of new alternative fuels projects.  The answer, according to a new market study, Specialty Pipelines for Renewable and Alternative Energy Substances, lies in the transportation logistics.

 

Crude oil, finished fuels, and natural gas pipelines crisscross the United States and the globe. But in many cases, these existing pipelines are not suitable for the transport of sensitive biofuels. The chemical disposition of biofuels is substantially different from conventional fossil fuels.  For example, the corrosiveness and water solubility of ethanol makes it incompatible with most existing pipelines. 

Industry concerns also persist regarding the contamination of jet fuel, which has strict quality control, by residual biodiesel left in the pipeline. Current pipeline deliveries of biodiesel remain limited to B5 blends through pipelines that do not traffic jet fuel. 

An additional inhibiter to immediate alternative fuel success resides in the lack of existing pipelines in remote regions where Biomethane and biogas are produced. As a result, biofuels are largely transport by truck or rail, which drives up costs and limits how effectively biofuels can be brought to market.

In order to support current and future alternative fuels development, producers and investors are looking towards specialty pipelines for their distribution needs. As a result research publisher SBI Energy forecasts that the market for specialty pipelines is expected to increase nearly 4-fold between 2010 and 2015.   Substances carried in specialty pipelines - carbon dioxide, ethanol, biodiesel, and biomethane/biogas - have found market growth due to high petroleum prices, the development of enhanced oil recovery methods using carbon dioxide injection, carbon capture and sequestration system development, the presence or potential for carbon emissions penalties in several world markets.  The fastest growing segment, Ethanol, will expand significantly as construction proceeds on dedicated ethanol pipelines, creating a market in excess of $1,000 million by 2014. The projected 2011-2015 CAGR for this market is 27.2%.

(Source: sbienergy.com)