After a two-week hiatus, the solar power rundown is back. With a vengeance…
This week’s big energy story? The Senate abandoned plans for a comprehensive energy bill that sought to curb carbon emissions, nationwide. Democrats simply did not have the votes to move forward, and will now focus instead on a narrower bit of legislation centered on: holding BP accountable for damages in the gulf; promoting more domestic production of natural gas (which, in the near term, seems silly, given a current global oversupply of the stuff); and boosting household energy-efficiency standards. It’s pretty bland fare, on the whole. But, given the country’s persistent economic woes and upcoming midterm elections, it’s far from surprising the climate bill faltered in Washington.
On a brighter note, a bit of advice: when deciding between buying a new minivan or installing a new rooftop solar electric system, it probably makes more sense to go with the solar panels. At least if you live in New Jersey.
In California solar news, UC Berkeley, Stanford and CalTech have received a $122 million federal grant to develop technologies that covert sunlight “directly into fuels.” Researchers at MIT have been at this for awhile, but two heads or always better than one.
A number of state chapters of the Solar Energy Industries Association continue to call for the implementation of feed-in tariffs:
“Reports by such entities as Ernst & Young, the International Energy Agency, and our own National Renewable Energy Laboratory have indicated that feed-in tariffs have been more successful than incentives based on tradable market commodities at achieving renewable energy goals in Europe. Furthermore, they have done so at a lower cost,” said Lyle Rawlings, president of the Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents companies serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
China — which is installing (and making) a TON of solar panels these days — is now the biggest consumer of energy, the International Energy Agency said in a report earlier this week. Beijing was quick to refute the agency’s numbers, and putting forth some number of its own. Big whoop, says the Wall Street Journal:
Ultimately, the discrepancy [between IEA's numbers and China's] isn’t of great consequence. China calculates that it used 3.066 billion tons of coal equivalent last year, equal to 2.146 billion tons of oil equivalent. That’s about 5% below the IEA’s calculation of China demand, but just 1% below U.S. consumption. Given China’s rapid economic growth, which exceeded 10% in the first half of this year, it’s likely that China will erase the gap with the U.S. this year even by its own measurements.
Details aside, U.S. and China together account for about half the world’s emissions of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
If they haven’t found out already, solar industry and semicon wonks will want to know that Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) is bailing on its thin-film solar module business. Seeking Alpha assesses the implications of the firm’s decision.
Finally today, Solar Buzz this week generated quite the buzz by releasing a report forecasting a tenfold increase in U.S. demand for solar PV by 2014. I’d suggest you take a look at the report, “United States PV Market 2010,” but at $4,995, something tells me there might not be many takers…
That’s it for this Friday — have a safe, relaxing weekend. We’ll see you back here next week.
