Government
April 6, 2011
Phillipines is heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels for its energy requirements as it lacks sufficient domestic resources of coal or oil.The country which already has […]
April 6, 2011
Islands mostly are depended on diesel generators for their electricity requirements which is considerably costlier than the normal coal,hydro,gas and nuclear forms of energy.Unless you are Saudi Arabia and can get oil at $4/barrel,the price of electricity from oil based energy sources is one of the costliest.Hawaii in USA pays around 30c/KwH for electricity because of the high cost of transporting and buying fossil fuels for its power plants.These islands have a huge incentive in moving towards renewable energy because it not only reduces costs,carbon emissions but also helps in energy security.Hawaii has installed a large number of wind farms,is building a big energy storage facility and promoting other alternative energy forms like solar as well.Hawaii Feed in Tariff has been implemented despite opposition by the utilities.
April 5, 2011
India’s Civil Society has brought out the Jan Lokpal Bill that has been drafted has been drafted by eminent members of the civil society like Prashant […]
April 5, 2011
PV Solar Cells or Photovoltaic Solar Cells are the building blocks of Solar Panels which are used to generate electricity from the Sun in residential or commercial establishments.Solar Cells are made of crystalline silicon the same substance that is used to make semiconductors which go into making of electronic products.Note Thin Film Solar Cells are not found for practical purposes as Thin FIlm Solar Production generally is a one step continuous process in which the whole solar panel is produced.On the other hand c-Si production is a 5 step process in which Solar Cells is the intermediate product of the 4th stage and goes as input to making of solar modules/panels.Solar Cells can be bought and made into Solar Panels as PV Solar Cells don't have much of a standalone usage.Note Buying Solar Cells and making DIY Solar Panels does not make much sense as it adds little value and does not save money.You are better off buying Solar Panels from affordable solar panel manufacturers.
April 5, 2011
The total installed nuclear generating capacity in the world is around 375 GW (WNA) with another 170 GW in planning g state and another 170 GW being proposed. The largest nuclear power is Europe with an installed capacity of 131 GW, ie. 34% of the total world capacity. The second largest country is the USA with around 27% of the world nuclear capacity. The installed capacity of USA is 101 GW. These figures are projected to accumulate to 144 GW & 136 GW respectively by the end of year 2035, according to the EIA. Japan & Russia are the 3rd & 4th in the list with an installed capacity of 49 GW & 23GW respectively.
April 5, 2011
The Jan LokPal Bill is supposed to be the answer to India's massive endemic corruption which strikes daily in the form of a new scam or scandal.The government has proven to be woefully inadequate in taking on the corrupt politicians,bureaucrats and businessmen.This corrupt nexus has been repeatedly exposed and its structure exposed through the Nira Radia Tapes.The Indian administration has shamefully failed to take action only promising to do something without doing anything worthwhile.The Indian Judiciary has also castigated the government numerous times for its abject failure in the 2G Telecom Scam,Black Money Scandal etc.However the government instead of strengthening anti-corruption measures has only put obstacles in the way.Its no wonder when the committee meant to look after the Bill comprises of ministers tainted with a number of scams themselves.Anna Hazare has held a fast unto death to put pressure on the government to pass the draft bill but the Minister appear unconcerned.Here is a short summary and guide to the main points of the Jan LokPal Bill which IMHO deserves the support of the whole Indian civil society.
April 5, 2011
Nuclear Power has come under assualt in the aftermath of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident with Nuclear becoming a four letter word.However Nuclear Energy cannot be ignored becauses its benefits are unique in some applications and cannot be substituted by any other means.Nuclear Power also cannot be replaced in the short term from its most widely used application of generating Electricity.Note Nuclear Power accounts for almost 15% of the Global Electricity and in some countries is the major source of energy.For example France which has 80% of its power coming from Nuclear Fission,its impossible to think of shutting down nuclear plants like Germany which gets around 20%.Note even for USA which has the largest installed base of nuclear reactors shutting down almost 200 GW of Nuclear Capacity is quite unthinkable.Besides Nuclear Energy has massive uses in medical and other applications.This cannot be substituted by other means at all.For example its possible to replace Nuclear Electricity by other means like Solar,Wind even Coal and Gas though its costs will be astounding.But you can't replace Nuclear Energy in Medical Applications like Scanning and X-Rays.Here is a list of the main uses of Nuclear Energy.
April 5, 2011
The massive dumping of radiation seawater by TEPCO into the Pacific Ocean has triggered outrage amongst various stakeholder groups.Fishermen are angry at is will massively affect the marine life who are bound to get poisoned by the 11,500 tons of radioactive water which is 100 times over the legal limit.A fishing industry group in Fukushima prefecture has asked Tepco to stop releasing toxic water into the sea near the power plant as Radioactive iodine and cesium were found in fish caught off the coast of Ibaraki, north of Tokyo.The Fishermen are already facing a bad time are bound to get hit even worse from this.Green Groups are protesting this deliberate ejection and say that it might be unethical to dump the water if not illegal under international laws.Green Groups are protesting the fact that more efforts could not have been made to store the water in ship tankers or overland facilities instead of taking the easy way out and dumping it in the Pacific.Note the radioactivity spewed from the Japanese Nuclear Plants is affecting nations globally.South Korea which lies very close to Japan has expressed concerns over the toxic water being dumped into the ocean.
April 5, 2011
Note none of the Indian automakers has a decent EV or a Hybrid selling in the Indian market.Foreign markets on the other had are seeing fierce competition amongst major auto makers to gain a first mover advantage.GM,Nissan,Toyota are the leader in this market with other car makers also in the process of getting in.Hectic alliances and JVs are being forged as this market segment promises to be the fastest growing as the governments give massive subsidies and push.It remains to be seen whether the government in India can push given its record.
April 4, 2011
Increasing Oil Prices is the biggest Achilles Heel of the Indian Economy heavily dependent on imported oil products.The government will have to either raise the prices leading to adding fire to the already high inflation or compensate the badly bleeding half privatized Oil Companies like IOC,BPCL and HPCL.These companies generally make massive losses despite having private investors apart from the government.Compensating these losses would lead to a higher fiscal deficit which would add to the inflation pressures anyway.Note a recent survey revealed that the Indian Middle Class has cut its expenditure on shopping,eating out and entertainment by a whopping 65% due to the high inflation.However the Indian Stock Market has seemingly discounted all these factors going up by 10% in 10 days on the back of a global rally.Bernanke Fueled Cheap Money is Circulating Hungrily across the Globe and currently India seems to be the fashion trend of the month.Note these hot money flows can reverse equally quickly leading to a sharp market crash just like the Jan-Feb one as fundamentals hardly support this kind of rally.With government intervention and distortions becoming the overriding factor in the stock markets,Free Markets and Fundamentals have taken a backseat.
April 4, 2011
India has been rocked by a number of scams and scandals in which the ruling Congress Party members have invariably involved.The Adarsh Housing Scam,Commenwealth Games Scam,2G […]
April 4, 2011
Marine Life is expected to be badly affected from the radioactive water.Note IAEA has already found high levels of radiation well beyond the evacuation zone and Greenpeace too has warned about high levels of radioactivtiy.TEPCO has its reputation badly tarnished as it has failed to disclose the levels of radiation and different radioactive elements like Cesium.Note the Japanese Farmers are already facing years of losses and the Fishermen too seems destined to join them as the thousands of tons of water will probably lead to Fishes becoming toxic in that region.
April 4, 2011
Biomass Energy is highly under-appreciated as a renewable source of energy despite being the most important source of energy during most of human history..Biomass Energy still accounts for 1/3rd of Energy requirements in a lot of countries and is the primary energy source for heating and cooking in rural communities.Biomass Electricity accounts for around 1% of the world’s electricity capacity of around 5000 GW.With advancements in gasifier technology and energy conversion,biomass power plants have become quite popular.Biomass Power Plants are increasing in scale from around 20-50 MW to more than 100 MW as the technology has advanced quite a bit.The only problem for these large plants is securing feedstock for these power plants and storing them.Biomass energy is used mainly for cooking and heating in rural areas.Now it is increasingly being used to generate power as the technology for biomass energy has advanced.Biomass Energy like other Forms of Energy has got its unique Benefits and Drawbacks which are listed below
April 4, 2011
Hydro Power is one of the largest sources of energy accounting for roughly 20% of the worldwide demand of electricity and for well resourced countries it accounts for majority of the energy.For Paraguay 100% of the electricity comes from hydro power and lot of it is exported as well.Compared to other sources of Energy, Hydroelectric Power is one of the cheapest,non Carbon Emitting,non Polluting,Mature Energy Source.Hydro Power plants have been developed to almost full potential in developed countries because of their superior characteristics and many more are being constructed by developing countries like China and India.However Hydro Power like all other thins in life suffers from disadvantages as well.The failure of a Hydro Dam can result in massive losses of human life and cause widespread devastation.Large Dams have always been controversial leading to displacement of people and ecology.They have also been cited as the reason for earthquakes due to large land changes.Here is a list of the advantages and disadvantages of Hydro Power
April 4, 2011
Climate Change and Global Warming have been put in the Cold Storage by most world governments as there is little will to fight one of the most pressing challenges facing mankind.With the successive Copenhagen and Cancun Climate Change Meets coming up as croppers,the Poor are left to fight the drastic affects of Climate Change in the face of Severe Weather like Droughts,Floods,Increase Sea Levels.Australia stupidly cut the funding for various Green Programs after facing one of the worst floods in the last century.It did not occur to the short term focused politicians that the Floods may have their root cause in Global Warming.Instead of increasing resources to fight Climate Change,they cut the Funding to help in the Flood Rehabilitation Programs
April 4, 2011
India is going to be the biggest Markets for Clean Technology in the world in the lines of China which has already become the largest investor in Green Industry with over $50 billion in public and private investment.India is investing heavily in solar and wind energy and its only a matter of time before other Green Sectors like Electric Vehicles,Energy Efficiency and Smart Grids receive massive investments as well.Finnish Firms with strengths in Electricity Distribution,Wind Energy,Automation are setting their sights on the Indian market which requires large infusions of Technology and Investment.
April 4, 2011
Terra Firma,the multi billion pound Private Equity firm has continued its Renewable Energy Asset Buying Spree spending a monstrous 641 millino Euros to buy Rete Rinnovabile a solar plant owner and operator in Italy.The acquired company is a susdiary of Italian market grid operator Terna and owns around 150 MW solar capacity in Italy which witnessed a massive solar boom in 2010.The acquisition values 1 MW at 4.5 Euros which would be considered not an expensive price given the large returns available for Italian solar power assets which gets a generous government mandated feed in tariff.The solar power plants are well located near distribution end points which is not a surprise since the company was a subsidiary of the grid power operator.
April 4, 2011
Smart Grid as a Clean Technology Industry is gaining traction in the West and countries like China,South Korea .Smart Grid has become important to increase energy […]
April 3, 2011
Economically also Solar Panels are starting to approach retail electricity prices in number of places in the world.Large scale solar power plants are already selling power at 10-15c/KwH which is lower than the retail electricity prices in most places.Still competition between solar panel manufacturers,improving technology and scale are making solar panel costs come down at a rapid pace.In fact Solar Panel prices have declined by more than 50% from 2008 end to 2010 and are expected to fall by an average rate of 10% in the coming years as well.However Solar Panels are seldom bought by the customers directly but are rather bought by the solar system installers/contractors.However its a good idea to know about the costs of solar panels and systems that you are paying for and not get fleeced by unscrupulous solar installers.
April 3, 2011
A crack in a concrete pit near the Reactor 2 of the Fukushima Plant has been found to be the source of leakage of highly radioactive seawater which was said to reach around 4585 times the legal limit.TEPCO had found the crack in a pit near the Reactor 2 which was leaking this dangerous seawater which was being used to cool the damaged nuclear reactors.An attempt to fill the crack in the pit by pouring concrete failed as the water made the sealing process through concrete impossible.Now a new polymer will be tried to seal the crack though it beats me why it did not occur to the engineers there that the water will make the process of pouring concrete fail.After almost 4 weeks since the nuclear crisis began in Japan operators of the plant are no closer to regaining control of damaged reactors, as fuel rods remain overheated and high levels of radiation are flowing into the sea.
April 2, 2011
Indian Politicians Corruption and Lack of Respect for Law is becoming more blatant by the day.Despite numerous scams and scandals hitting the media everyday,the corruption continues on unfazed.The minister of education of the Goa state was found with an astounding 10 million dollars in cash at the Mumbai airport while Alagiri who is a federal minister has been found to have assaulted an election official in his hometurf of Madurai.These politicians have managed to make a mockery of the Indian justice system as they know they won't get prosecuted or arrested.Note numerous scandals have hit the headlines but none of the major minister or bureaucrats are doing jail time.Most of the corruption cases have been buried by equally corrupt Indian investigative agencies.The only cases being pursued is where India's Supreme Court has ordered a personal investigation.Expect none of these 2 above incidents to result in anything where Indian politicians continue to treat Indian democracy as a medieval feudal system.
April 2, 2011
Nuclear Energy is currently forcing a major rethink amongst the world governments as the Japanese Nuclear Accident sharply brings into focus the massive radioactive and poisoning risks from accidental damage to a nuclear reactors.Note this is not the first such incident nor is it going to be the last.The advantages of Nuclear Energy is being sharply reexamined by the policymakers vs the huge risks of a nuclear plant meltdown.Most countries have started reviewing their nuclear plants for safety with a number shutting down old nuclear reactors.The drawing plans of new nuclear plants is also on hold as safety regulations are strengthened.Nuclear Energy accounts for around 15% of the world's production of electricity and for some countries like France there is no alternative in the short term with 80% of the electricity coming from nuclear reactors.China has a huge target for nuclear energy of 80 GW by 2020 but that too is coming under attack with a NDRC official talking about lowering it by substituting it with other renewable energy sources like solar energy.Here are the Nuclear Energy Advantages vs Disadvantages.
April 2, 2011
Solar Industry is one of the fastest growing industries on the planet and the number of companies in the industry have increased dramatically attracted by the strong growth prospects and low entry barriers.The easy availability of solar producing equipment and low capital requirements for small companies have led to a mushrooming of the number of players in the industry.Its possible to set up a small 30 MW module production factory for as low an investment as $10 million or lower.Though the value add of a pure play solar panel production factory is low and the competetive position quite questionable nonetheless there are hundreds if not thousands of such small module producers in the world right now.Other parts of the crystalline silicon supply chain have also got a number of players though the technology and captial requirements are much higher.Listing out all the solar companies in the world is a difficult task and somewhat useless as well as many of these small scale solar companies will not exist in a few years as competition keeps intensifying.Consolidation in the solar industry will ensue sometime or the other and lead to a much smaller and sustainable industry.
April 2, 2011
Sharad Pawar,India's powerful agricultural minister and the president of the international cricket body ICC has managed to get involved in most corruption scams coming out in the last year or so.However he has managed to come out unscathed even as his fingers are in multiple corruption pies.The name of Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule ( who is a MP what a surpise) has come up in multiple corruption scandals like the 2G Telecom Scandal,IPL Cricket Scandal and Lavasa Scam etc.However it points to his influence and reach,that nothing has happened.He is the leader of a regional party which is part of the ruling coalition in the centre.
April 2, 2011
Vestas the No.1 Wind Turbine Manufacturer in the world has been hurt drastically from low cost competition from Asian companies particularly the Chinese Sinovel and Goldwind which have won massive chunks of marketshare.Vestas has seen a slowdown in demand for its Turbines as Western Markets have cooled off.Vestas was forced to dramatically restructure its operations laying off thousands of workers mainly from its domestic Denmark base.The company is now targeting the fastest growing segment of the Wind Power Market- Offshore Wind Energy.Note a number of companies in the Wind Turbine Industry are testing or introducing Offshore Wind Turbines.Siemens,Gamesa,GE are all looking to steal a first mover advantage in this segment.Even shipbuilders like Daewoo,Hyundai,Northrop Gruman are making aggressive moves in the offshore wind market.
April 2, 2011
The strict environmental regulations of EPA is leading to converion of a Virgina Coal Plant to a Biomass Fired one.Note the US Congress and Senate have failed to move ahead on climate legislation remaining hopelessly deadlocked on any climate deal.Despite numerous draft laws,no common law has been passed as Republicans fail completely in understanding global warming remaining in the pockets of the powerful oil and gas lobby.EPA remains the only government body which is doing something to reduce pollution and at the same time fight for climate change.The strict new rules against emission of harmful gases like sulfur dioxide,nitrous oxide,mercury has forced a Virginia Coal Plant to convert from thermal to biomass.
April 2, 2011
India has become the latest country to join in the bashing of Renminbi undervaluation saying it leads to a massive advantage for Chinese exporters.A research paper from India's Central Bank says that its artificially boosts China giving it a competitive advantage over Indian exports.Note Brazil another one of the famed BRIC quartet has too been complaining about Chinese imports swamping its industry.Note Brazil has seen massive currency appreciation in recent years due to a combination of high interest rates and strong economic fundamentals.
April 1, 2011
Solar Panels Efficiency – Range,Technology Dependence,Companies with Highest Efficient Solar Modules
The Companies that make the Solar Panels with the highest efficiences are Sunpower and Panasonic/Sanyo.Sunpower has the highest efficient solar modules in the market using a properietary process and has solar cells with efficiency reaching a top limit of 24%.Sanyo also has very efficient solar panels under the HIT brand name.These solar panels also approach the 18% range (solar modules not cells).Normal crystalline plain vanilla solar panels come in the range of 13-14%.Note solar modules have lower efficiency than solar cells as some area is left for the frame etc.There are other companies that are fast catching up to Sunpower and Sanyo in the high efficiency solar panels as well.Note higher efficiency solar panels sell at higher prices per watt as the require lesser area.AUO which has a JV with Sunpower has recently claimed to have produced the higher efficiency solar panel .
April 1, 2011
One of the major reasons for the Chinese success in the export markets in Asia and Africa have been the massive vendor financing done by state owned Chinese banks.Large orders have been won by Chinese companies like Dongfang Electric and Huawei as Chinese Banks financed the multi billion Indian orders by cheap loans.Note in large project finance cases cheap loans can make a huge difference in project returns and can be the clincher in choosing the equipment supplier.The US Exim Bank too seems to be pulling up its socks in helping American companies win large equipment orders through vendor financing.Note the US Exim Bank had got involved in a huge controversy when it agreed to finance a utlra mega power plant based on coal energy by Reliance Power in India.Despite protests by environmentalists,Exim Bank had gone ahead in financing as it would lead to jobs in America.Note USA is one of the biggest laggards in climate change and the government does not really care much out there.