Hare-Brained

Trends in Cleantech Funding

---

 ~ According to the latest Pew Charitable Trusts report "Who's Winning the Clean Energy Race?, the US regained the lead in spending in 2011. China had invested the most in each of the prior two years, and will probably retake the top spot in 2012. Why? Much of the US investment was accelerated in advance of the expiration of critical incentives, particularly the Section 1603 program.

Little Boxes

Net Zero Living

---

~ The future of habitation for most people will not be a 3,000 square foot (or larger) home in the suburbs with several cars poised for any and all trips out of the manse. It will probably be something much smaller, with integrated energy and waste systems. Perhaps, closer to this:



A key design concept behind the Cube was that all materials and construction choices should be scalable, so that larger versions could be built. I would think modularity would also be useful goal, although that isn't stated.

More here.

In the market for smaller digs? They're available.

Sunny Days Ahead for Solar

Lower Costs, Better Technologies

---

~ Solar power continues to grow more competitive against other forms of electricity generation. At the just completed German InterSolar trade show module prices are down to $1.40/W and, according to Lux Research, headed to a low point in the second half of this year of $1.20/W. IHS iSuppli research expects PV modules to break the $1.00/W threshold in early 2012. Overall systems are roughly twice the module cost, meaning commercial solar could cost only $2/W (or less) a year from now.

What would such costs for solar mean?

Cloudy Outlook for Solar

Looming Supply Glut a Failure of Policy

---

Critics have long argued that feed-in-tarrifs (FiT) distort markets, leading to unsustainable growth. Are they right? The market for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules offers some clues.

Demand for PV doubled in 2010, led by surging demand in those countries with attractive FiT. Solar PV manufacturers added 70% to production capacity in 2010 and are aggressively adding additional capacity in the expectation of continued robust demand in 2011.

Their expectations may not be fulfilled.

IMS Research forecasts that 35GW of annual capacity will be reached within the first half of 2011, despite installations in the same period being predicted to reach no more than one fifth of that amount. As a result, it is likely that there will be an oversupply of modules this year, leading to tougher competition and decreasing prices from suppliers.

Utility Perspective on Energy Policy

Constancy and Urgency Needed

---

Kimberly Harris, President and incoming CEO of Washington gas and electric utility Puget Sound Energy (PSE) gave a keynote address to this year's Future Energy Conference at Seattle's Trade and Convention Center on November 10, 2010. Her remarks were primarily about PSE's approach, but also touched on specific generation choices and included several "soapbox" observations on energy policy.

Her main point was to underscore the importance and urgency of acting:

I don't think we can overstate the challenges ahead of us... There are few things more important to the country than a new energy future that is secure and clean, and a new economic future that is secure and clean.

Specifically, she called for significant investment and especially the creation and constancy of a long-term vision. Noting that utilities must look out 20 years or longer, Harris articulated the concern now heard from many business quarters: "I hope [energy] policies are not revisited every year. We can't plan with policies moving around."