Category Archives: Energy Storage

Energy Harvesting Enabled Device Shipments Will Quadruple by 2015

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on April 23, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

An increasing number of consumer and industrial products that are untethered from the electrical outlet will be powered by some form of energy harvesting (EH) technology in the near future.  This technology, which converts ambient energy into useable electrical energy, may be used to power portable electrical devices that in many cases rely heavily on batteries. Energy harvesting is becoming an increasingly viable source of power for a variety of devices, especially where the environmental and economic costs of maintaining batteries is untenable.  Consumer products such as laptops and mobile phones are already being powered by energy harvesting technology.  The energy sources available for ambient charging include electromagnetic radiation, thermal energy, and mechanical energy.  The technologies used for the transduction of these energy sources into useable electrical energy include photovoltaic (PV), thermoelectric, piezoelectric, and electromagnetic.  According to a recent report from Pike Research, the deployment of energy harvesting will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 38% over the next few years, resulting in annual shipments of energy harvesting enabled devices of 235.4 million units by 2015 (from a base of 53 million in 2012), comprising a great diversity of consumer and industrial applications.

Those shipments will translate into worldwide annual revenue from energy harvesting enabled devices of $9.5 billion in 2015, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts.

“Devices in settings with thousands of sensors that are diligently working to bring us information about temperature, humidity, security, machine health, structural health, and many other forms of data are becoming increasingly pervasive,” says vice president Bob Gohn.  “In many of these applications, maintaining batteries is a major logistical and cost issue. Viable energy harvesting technology exists today and developers are fast becoming familiar with how to implement it into ever more-innovative devices.” Continue reading →

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Oil Incumbents Building Empires to Dominate Biofuels and Other Alternative Fuels

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on April 17, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Over the past decade, hundreds of start-ups, corporations, financiers, and universities have developed compelling alternative fuel technologies, such as bio-based jet fuel and cellulosic ethanol. Now, as alternative fuels march to scale, partnership networks in this field are increasingly dominated by the same giant multinationals that control petroleum, according to a Lux Research report.

“As a result, they’ve been able to lead the way to the market, building commercial facilities this year and next.”

“As alternative fuel technologies go to market, aligning with the right partners is a necessary stepping stone. The massive incumbent fuel producers, refiners, and distributors can be the competition, but they’re also the key to integrating novel technologies into a century-old industry,” said Andrew Soare, Lux Research Analyst and the lead author of the report titled, “Mapping Empires, Goldmines, and Landmines in the Alternative Fuels Network.”

“The public market successes of Gevo, Amyris, and Solazyme have been based on their sound partnership portfolio, in addition to a robust technology platform,” he added. “As a result, they’ve been able to lead the way to the market, building commercial facilities this year and next.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Biofuels, Business, BusinessWire, Carbon Capture and Storage, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Green Business, Press Companies, Smart Grid, Solar, Sustainability News, Waste to Energy, Water Power, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NRG Energy, Inc. to Build Unprecedented Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Infrastructure in California

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on March 26, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

PRINCETON, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The California Public Utilities Commission and NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) have entered into an agreement where NRG will build a comprehensive electric vehicle (EV) charging network in California, investing approximately $100 million over the next four years.

This fee-based charging network will consist of at least 200 publicly available fast-charging stations—installed in the San Francisco Bay area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Los Angeles Basin and San Diego County—which can add 50 miles of range in less than 15 minutes of charging. Additionally, NRG’s EV infrastructure commitment will include the wiring for at least 10,000 individual charging stations located at homes, offices, multifamily communities, schools and hospitals located across the State.

“With this agreement, the people of California will gain a charging infrastructure ready to support their current and future fleet of electric vehicles”

“With this agreement, the people of California will gain a charging infrastructure ready to support their current and future fleet of electric vehicles,” said David Crane, NRG’s Chief Executive Officer. “And we will be helping the State meet its clean car goals as embodied by its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.” Continue reading →

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3M Invests in Novel Silicon Anode for Lithium Ion Batteries

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on March 15, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

ST. PAUL, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–3M, the leading United States (US) battery materials supplier, is investing in research and manufacturing of novel Silicon (Si) based 3M anode materials. The technology enables advanced batteries for reliable power that is required to keep up with the global increase of mobile societies and electric vehicles.

“3M has a proven track record of being an innovator in battery materials, and we are committed to supporting the growing U.S. and global lithium ion battery industry”

3M was recently granted another U.S. patent, 8,071,238 for its Silicon anode compositions that can increase cell capacity by over 40 percent when matched with high-energy battery cathodes. The company has invested resources and expertise toward commercialization of battery technology for the past 15 years.

3M’s investments into the high-energy metal based anode for lithium ion batteries include matching a recent U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant for $4.6 million as part of efforts to build more energy-efficient vehicles. The research will help to develop and integrate new cell materials that will make a transformative change in energy density and in cost in lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles. Especially critical to the project success is 3M’s Si based anode material. The 3M investment in research and development includes putting in 3M’s best battery materials technology for cathode, anode and battery electrolyte additives into the project. Continue reading →

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Business, BusinessWire, Electronics, Energy, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Fuel Cells, Goods, Services & Product Design, Green Business, Green Living, Green Marketing, Sustainability News, Sustainability Practices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Worldwide Revenue from Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Will Reach $785 Million in 2012

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on February 16, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

As the fuel cell industry makes the transition from the R&D stage to full commercialization, breakout applications are continuing to emerge and business models and market structures are evolving rapidly.  Overall, the industry continues to expand, and the total size of the global market – including revenues from fuel cells and from hydrogen for fuel cells and internal combustion engines (ICEs) – will reach $785 million in 2012, according to a new white paper from Pike Research.

One key market that is taking shape is the use of fuel cells for residential combined heat and power (resCHP) applications, a market that is experiencing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 67.7%.  Meanwhile, Pike Research expects that remote sensing will be the breakout market for small fuel cells in 2012, as they are well-suited for applications including dam monitoring, seismic monitoring, wildlife monitoring, weather stations, and others.  However, other sectors do not look so promising, according to Pike Research’s analysis – one example is the portable fuel cell market, particularly for consumer electronics applications, which the firm anticipates will suffer disappointment in 2012 after a recent renewal of the hype in this sector.  The white paper, which includes 10 predictions about the fuel cell market in 2012, is available for free download on Pike Research’s website.

“The fuel cell and hydrogen industries are once again entering a year of growth, as seen in the revenue projections for the first time surpassing three-quarters of a billion dollars, but market participants also face significant challenges,” says research director Kerry-Ann Adamson.  “As well as growth in the current markets, we are also starting to see new markets emerging – including, in 2012, the remote sensing sector, with increasing demand for fit-for-purpose products from the fuel cell industry.” Continue reading →

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Analyzing the US Renewable Energy Market: a comprehensive databook

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on February 8, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Analyzing the US Renewable Energy Market” subscription to their offering.

A comprehensive databook on renewable energy trends across the USA, covering biomass and waste energy, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, solar power and wind energy. Updated monthly and available either as an individual report or an annual subscription, Analyzing the US Renewable Energy Market is packed with detailed analysis, charts, tables and maps incorporating the latest available data on capacity, generation and consumption trends at both the national, state and sectoral level.

This databook also provides market share information for the top developers and power plants. Data coverage is for the latest month, year-to-date and 3 years of history. This databook provides a detailed overview of all renewable energy sectors and is supplemented by separate and related deep dive analysis reports on each of the renewable sectors, covering biomass and waste energy, geothermal energy, hydroelectricity, solar energy and wind energy. Continue reading →

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Biofuels, Carbon Capture and Storage, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Green Business, Home Energy, Smart Grid, Solar, Sustainability News, Technology, Waste to Energy, Water Power, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Obama: ‘I will not walk away from clean energy’ (EcoSeed.org)

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on January 27, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

United States President Barack Obama, in his State of the Union Address yesterday, said the “promise of clean energy” is still alive, but he will need some help from Congress to move things forward.

Mr. Obama, whose speech talked about making a U.S. economy that’s “built to last,” said some progress on the “clean energy” front has been made in the country, although more needs to be done especially in terms of government support.

“In three years, our partnership with the private sector has already positioned America to be the world’s leading manufacturer of high-tech batteries. Because of federal investments, renewable energy use has nearly doubled, and thousands of Americans have jobs because of it,” Mr. Obama said.

Mr. Obama gave as example the experience of Bryan Ritterb, a furniture worker who was laid off at 55, but who reportedly found work at Energetx, a company which makes wind turbines in Michigan. Continue reading →

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Biofuels, Business, Carbon Capture and Storage, Climate Change, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Green Business, Smart Grid, Solar, Sustainability News, Waste to Energy, Water Power, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

U.S. Military to Invest $10 Billion Annually in Renewable Energy by 2030

by CGR Staff Writer
Posted on January 11, 2012 by CGR Staff Writer

In September 2011 the U.S. Army announced that it has formed a new Energy Initiatives Task Force that will assess renewable energy projects, vet potential suppliers, and develop new technologies to support the Army’s growing commitment to powering its bases and its missions with renewable energy.  The Task Force is part of a Pentagon-wide effort to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and embrace renewable energy sources as the military confronts the issues of energy costs, energy security for remote bases and operations, and the effects of energy on strategic goals.  According to a recent report from Pike Research, annual spending on renewable energy by the Department of Defense (DOD) will reach $10 billion by 2030.  While a significant portion of this will be spent on Facilities operations, including permanent bases, the majority of the spending will be for Mobility applications including portable soldier power as well as land, air, and sea vehicles.

“The DOD is positioned to become the single most important driver of the cleantech revolution in the United States,” says Pike Research president Clint Wheelock.  “In particular, military investment in renewable energy and related technologies can help bridge the ‘valley of death’ that lies between research & development and full commercialization of these technologies.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Alternative Energy, Biofuels, Carbon Capture and Storage, Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Management, Energy Storage, Environment, Fuel Cells, Geothermal, Green Business, Smart Grid, Solar, Sustainability News, Technology, Waste to Energy, Water Power, Wind | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment
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