Dow Chemical’s (DOW) PowerHouse Solar Shingles Debut Next Year.. A $5 Billion Product?
Dow Chemical’s (DOW) PowerHouse solar shingles may be coming to a home near you. The announcement of efficient, affordable, and easily-installed solar rooftop shingles has shaken the building and solar industries quite a bit, as the company itself revels in the expectation of around $5 billion in revenues by 2015 for the single product alone. Dow received a $20 million grant from the United States Department of Energy for development on the project and will deploy its shingles via select builders in 2010, with more widespread availability slated for 2011.
The solar shingles operate at lower efficiency than solar panels, but their ease of installation and greater affordability are likely to allow for a greater popularity among homeowners. Their use in the construction of new buildings may help energy savings efforts greatly in the years to come. While Dow’s CIGS cells will be less efficient than the leading polysilicon cells, their cost-effectiveness is geared towards a wide market and will likely compete well with traditional solar panels.
One of the greatest perks the shingles are expected to deliver to homeowners is their ability to be installed in about ten hours. As the installation process accounts for a large portion of the cost of traditional BIPV systems –roughly half, in fact–, this significantly low installation period will help make the shingles more affordable for a greater variety of people and types of homes. Rather than requiring an entirely new roofing structure or design, the solar shingles will be able to integrate with the asphalt shingle pieces used on most modern homes. Unlike the process of purchasing parts for solar panels and putting a system together, the use of Dow’s solar shingles will require no special knowledge or training whatsoever, an advantage that may well lead to their use in areas that are traditionally averse to solar energy due to a lack of skilled workers or specialized equipment.
Managing Director of Dow’s Solar Solutions segment Jane Palmieri expressed quite a bit of enthusiasm over the potential for windfall profits when the shingles are made available through builders and to the public at large. As interest in the creation of green buildings grows, and many contractors look for ways to cut costs on environmental initiatives, the shingles may well prove to be one of the company’s most exciting and lucrative products in the environmental and energy initiatives sectors.
A Roundup Of Reactions To the Chevy Volt
A couple days ago, GM made some pretty gigantic waves in the auto industry when it announced that it expects its upcoming hybrid model, the much anticipated Chevy Volt, to get an astonishing 230 miles to the gallon. And that’s for city driving. Sound incredible? The mixed reviews are sure to straighten out in the days and weeks to come, but for now, there are quite a few decided opinions on the Volt.
Over at Crunchgear the writers point out that the Environmental Protection Agency hasn’t as yet confirmed or denied the accuracy of the 230 MPG claim, a fact that may be slightly off-putting, but then, there’s plenty of time for precise testing if needed. At Hot Air, they note that while the fuel efficiency would be quite impressive, the actual cost efficiency wouldn’t kick in until after 100k miles. The site wonders whether this big-headline statistic is headed for a big flop once drivers get their hands on the real deal.
The New York Times’ Wheels Blog creates an enviable picture of driving from LA to Las Vegas on a $3 gas bill (which it quickly dissuades), but the comments section has produced a hot debate about the possibilities in store for the driving public should the figure turn out to be true. The consensus seems to be that while there’s ample room for criticism, there’s also plenty of cause for celebration.
Over at the Mind your Own Damn Business Politics blog, the name might lead one to suspect a negative review, but the results are quite the contrary. Excited about the opportunities to individual drivers as well as mankind as a whole, the writer simply hopes that environmentalists and conscientious motorists make the effort to pick up on this new trend in time.
Continuing this trend of encouragement, the Wallet Pop blog, ever-focused on getting the consumer cost side of the story, suggests that the vehicle may hold the keys to turning the recession on its head and saving the auto industry from its recent difficulties.
While the reactions to GM’s news about the Volt have been mixed, a common element is certainly to be found among the opinions, praises, rants, and raising of questions: sheer wonder. As fuel and auto technologies advance and prosper beyond what we’ve ever thought possible, the news is sure to offer several more exciting developments for hybrid and electric cars.
Plug-in Hybrid Toyota Prius Not Expected Until 2012
A growing contingent of electric and hybrid vehicle supporters are vouching for the style and simplicity of Toyota’s Prius, one of the most popular and well-loved models on the market. Fans of the Prius have been anxiously awaiting the release of a plug-in model for the vehicle, which is expected to be available to the public in 2012. This January, at the North American International Auto Show, Toyota announced that it would release five hundred of the new plug-in Prius vehicles later this year, causing quite a stir both in terms of stock price and coverage by the press. But the news doesn’t mean fans can grab a model of their own earlier than expected; as U.S. News noted last month, only one hundred fifty of the vehicles will make it to the US, and these will be distributed among government and research facilities, ostensibly for use in initial testing and feedback from drivers.
Though the wait continues to be arduous for excited fans, the chatter around the plug-in Prius is boisterous and full of debate about the merits of the car. Competing models from other car makers such as the Honda Insight and Chevrolet’s Volt are stirring up a bit of discussion drama as well, but overwhelmingly, news reports and consumer attention is sticking firmly with Toyota’s offering. Reports about the car’s expected fuel efficiency are looking positive, with electric-only power pointing to a possible thirty kilometers per charge, making errands and short commutes possible without the need for taking advantage of the car’s gasoline backup. Combined with an impressive efficiency for traditional power, a total of sixty five miles are drivable between a gallon of gas and the assistance of the Prius’ new lithium-ion battery.
Despite anticipated visual changes and the addition of a few perks here and there in terms of interface and interior comfort, the battery itself is one of the key components that will make the plug-in Prius an attractive option for many buyers. Current Prius models make use of nickel-metal hydride batteries, which prevent the easy plug-in options consumers seek and are also prone to a shorter life span than their more accomplished lithium-ion cousins. The excitement surrounding this technology is good news for Toyota, which has been riding out a roller-coaster in the midst of a crashing international auto industry yet remains one of the most reliable brands in the industry. With a steady interest in Asia and a growing consumer base in the west, electric cars and hybrids are fast becoming hot spots for green investing. As a North Carolina McDonald’s restaurant plans to unveil power-parking for electric and hybrid vehicles this week, it’s clear the 2011 plug-in Prius will receive a warm welcome.
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China’s Explosion In Popularity Of Electric Bikes: Advanced Battery Tech (ABAT)
Pollution from automobiles is a rampant problem in developed societies around the world, and as emerging economies such as China and India become more prosperous, a larger percentage of the population is able to afford personal transportation. This might lead the environmentally conscious to worry about an immense explosion in the number of cars on the road –and indeed, the number is rising–. But unlike many western societies where the standard of personal transportation rests firmly in cars, trucks, and other gas or diesel-based automobiles, not every nation is closed off to greener ideas. China, in particular, has been experiencing a widespread increase in per capita income, but rather than focusing on a nation-wide boom in car sales, recent news in transportation from China has centered around the spectacular rise in the use of electric bikes.
These “e-bikes” aren’t simply a trend; considering that twenty one million of the devices were purchased in China last year alone, compared with just under ten million cars, it’s clear that e-bikes have become a staple of metropolitan and urban life in China. There are a number of reasons for the incredible success of these machines. Primarily, e-bikes offer commuters an affordable way to get to work or buzz around the city. Models are typically around $300 US and while occasional battery purchases are necessary, the price comparison with fuel needed for traditional automobiles is decidedly in favor of the electric bicycles. What’s more, the machines are whisper-quiet and don’t release any smelly or noxious fumes that many riders praise, noting that the alternatives of motor scooters and motorcycles can make for unpleasant breathing on the road.
Though motorcycles and other variants on small personal transportation units are still fairly popular in China and allow riders to enjoy a higher speed limit, recent taxes and fees placed on such methods by the government has resulted in a significant cost difference, sealing the deal for many of China’s people on the move. The industry as a whole is expected to expand into new countries, primarily in Southeast Asia and surrounding areas, and exciting technological improvements will likely be in the works for quite a while. Recently, battery giant Advanced Battery Tech (ABAT) partnered with and subsequently acquired e-bike superstar Wuxi Angell in a move that has been the cause for Wall Street rallies even in the face of a less-than-perfect quarterly report from the company.
Representing an immense potential for the future of transportation in emerging economies and around the world, ABAT is set to increase production capacity and tighten cost controls to take full advantage of China’s e-bike boom, which is a promising candidate for a bloom in production and sales despite the global economic downturn. As talk of expanding electric cars and other related technologies based on developments in research and design of e-bikes abounds, many investors are gearing up for an exciting period in green transportation.
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Is Geothermal Drilling Causing Earthquakes?
Geothermal power is emerging as a significant player in the alternative energy space, with operations cropping up around the world and high hopes for powering significant numbers of homes and businesses as an alternative to traditional electricity. But as with all prospects in alternative energy, geothermal power is not without its downside. Currently, a great deal of effort is being poured into determining just how damaging geothermal drilling is – or if it even exists. The question of whether geothermal drilling can trigger, either directly or indirectly, the harrowing natural disaster of earthquakes has been generating quite a bit of buzz lately. So how is the verdict on this controversial topic coming along?
One school of thought proposes that our activities in international geothermal drilling simply aren’t intense or widespread enough to have much of an impact on seismic activity. The argument here primarily rests within the idea that the Earth is pretty big, pretty powerful, and is able to get by pretty well without caring much about our relatively tame activities in drilling. A geologist with a specialty in volcanoes, Erik Klemetti posits that in terms of depth and breadth, geothermal drilling simply doesn’t have enough power to set off volcanic eruptions, phenomena which also relies on the movements of the planet’s fault lines as well as tectonic plates. Klemetti’s opinion is culled from the investigation of recent eruptions on an island in the Philippines, where twenty earthquakes took place in succession shortly following geothermal drilling on the Canlaon Volcano. Proponents of this idea of the inability of human efforts to greatly affect the Earth’s eruptions point out that while it can be tempting to link seismic activity with nearby or recent drilling projects, these seemingly coincidental events are not enough to imply causation.
On the other hand, some areas have experienced anomalies in seismic activity that are otherwise hard to explain. Two years ago in Basel, Switzerland, the town experienced a magnitude 3.4 earthquake followed up by a series of sixty aftershocks of varying intensity. While the area typically endured a small collection of similar quakes throughout the year, this event directly correlated with the activities of the town’s geothermal power plant, which had injected water into the Earth’s underlying dry rock and was awaiting the super-heated recovery. The power plant’s parent company had warned local legislators and residents that the risk of earthquakes due to their activity was a concern. Beyond this and similar instances that make a strong case for the possibility of geothermal drilling to cause quakes, some prominent academics such as Columbia University’s Christian D. Klose have attributed over 200 earthquakes to human activity –and the results of some have been disastrous.
After weighing both sides of the argument, it’s clear that we’ve yet to develop a firm line on whether our progress in geothermal drilling has been responsible for quakes, or if it’s bound to be behind the next big tremor. But as new studies and inquiries are made into refining and developing this potential source for the escape from inefficient energy dependency, it’s clear that the potential to wreak geological havoc does exist.
