Sunday, July 31, 2011

叩关海外 比亚迪 (BYD) 储能电池日本市场受热捧

近日,据日本东京电视台《晚间新闻》播出,比亚迪蓄电池正式进入东京都内调剂药局安装使用。东邦药品河野博行社长对此表示,基于今年日本大地震对医疗事业所产生的影响(停电导致药局医疗电脑不能使用,影响工作进程),调剂药局决定引进家庭用的小型电池以确保医疗工作的顺利开展,而此次采用的蓄电池是中国最大的电池厂家比亚迪所研发制造。
   据悉,在2010年收购了日本荻原馆林模具工厂之后,比亚迪在日本市场一跃成名,而日本的电池市场也是其新的市场目标。对此,比亚迪蓄电池代理店负责人铃木智英表示:“对于此项计划,公司已经筹备良久并开始顺利销售,预计日本市场对此将有很大需求”。
   自3月日本大地震以来,日本家电量贩店的防灾产品柜台上,最受瞩目的就是家庭用蓄电池,而比亚迪的蓄电池更广受追捧。Bic camara新宿西口店牛渡広树副店长表示,该店从上个月开始销售比亚迪的蓄电池,和之前的中小型蓄电池产品相比,比亚迪产品的最大特点是有2.4kwh的大容量,“500升的冰箱、42寸的液晶电视采用比亚迪蓄电池可以使用长达12小时之久”。而在普遍高于100万日元的大型蓄电池中,比亚迪80万日元的价格远低于同行,在日本市场具有极大的优势。
   据介绍,日本国内对比亚迪早已进行过深入的考察、研究,日本媒体WSB更专程为此远赴比亚迪深圳总部工厂进行考察。WSB记者児岛太一表示,“WSB来到了对日本市场发起攻势的比亚迪总部基地,这里开发、生产的产品面向全世界在出货。”约300万平方米的比亚迪总部基地让児岛太一倍感惊叹,他对于比亚迪特色之一的省电住宅及Smart-house——未来村表示出了浓厚的兴趣。据介绍,Smart-house能把太阳光及风能高效率地转化为电能,完全满足家庭的所有用电。同时,该住宅3年前在实际应用中已取得显着成效,并已成功进军欧美市场。对此,比亚迪日本商务部高级销售经理王驰表示:“比亚迪既有小容量的系统,同时也有应用于一栋独立房屋供电用的18kwh大容量系统。”
   WSB记者児岛太一表示:“比亚迪的储能电站值得信赖,并已供货给中国南方电网,采用比亚迪的电池作为停电时的备用电源,最大可以给7000代供电”。对此,比亚迪王驰表示,“在技术及成本方面,我们很有信心,我们致力于给日本提供好的产品。一栋独立的房屋能使用多少电?在空间方面有何需求?今后我们也会致力于这方面的研究。”
   随着日本的家电厂家、住宅厂家以及汽车厂家相继进入家庭用电池市场,产品的开发及相互的价格竞争也许会加速其面向家庭的普及,而比亚迪蓄电池的强势进入,不仅使其成为中国电池行业走向国外的新标杆,更为世界电池市场的发展提供了强大的技术支撑,成为中国创造的一面旗帜。

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers On The Future Of Coal, Nuclear, And The Energy Industry

What have been some of the biggest challenges of running a massive utility?
In the five years since I've been at Duke, our biggest challenges have been several things. One is the recognition that after 50 years, the real price of electricity is going to rise because of tighter regulations on coal plants and the recognition that we have to restrict carbon. [After the merger] we will be [one of the] largest emitters of CO2 in the U.S. We have a special responsibility to lead on that issue.
We will have to retire and replace virtually every plant by 2050. In a sense, that gives us a blank sheet of paper. What will we build in the future? One of our challenges is going to be to try to position the company to totally remake its system of generation and at the same time modernize our grid, which effectively means going from an analogue grid to a digital grid.
What do you believe the energy mix will look like in the coming decades?
Over the last 20 years we have started using coal in a cleaner way. But there needs to be more technological development to use it in a low carbon world. Is this carbon capture and storage (CCS)? Is it a system to use algae to capture carbon and accelerate the growth of algae and then use it as a biofuel? I think CCS will play a role particularly if utilities are in a region where the geography works, but that's predominantly in the Midwest. The ultimate solution to [make coal more sustainable] is to recycle the carbon. We have relationships with a number of Chinese companies, and they're actually more focused on how you recycle the carbon rather than storing it. On some level, it seems like a more sustainable practice to take it and reuse it rather than store it in the ground.
So you do still believe coal will play an important part of the energy mix in the future?
By 2030 coal will still be here and be used, but in the longer term, with the realization that we will have carbon constraints, the question is whether the technology will evolve to allow coal to remain a [clean] alternative. Whether or not these technologies will be here in 2050 is a function of how well we can develop technology to reduce their emissions footprint. With respect to renewables, how fast can we bring down the cost of solar and wind in a way that we don't need subsidies?
Do you think solar and wind will become cheap enough to compete with traditional energy sources?
I do. [The price of] wind has come down rather dramatically. What's going to drive down the cost of solar--although I don't believe Moore's Law applies to solar--if you look at the Chinese who are leading the world in solar panel production, wind turbine production, and probably lead the world in the development of batteries ...the Chinese are developing the intellectual property of scaling, and that in itself is what creates value. The Chinese are going to find a way to scale this, and as they scale this, they will drive the costs down. I am confident that over the next two to three decades you're going to see prices come down pretty dramatically.
What about the future of nuclear plants?
We will have to retire and replace every [Duke Energy] nuclear plant by 2050. Lets start with the simple assumption that 70% of [low-carbon] electricity today comes from nuclear. If we had to replace that with gas...it would have a fairly detrimental impact with respect to climate. Two things give me hope. One is evolving technologies, the second is development of modular nuclear technology.
When I look at nuclear, I look at it both as modular as well as large plants in the future. I believe we have to solve the spent fuel issue. The question is whether we store it or recycle it. My judgment is that we'll find a way to recycle it. So [nuclear] will play a role, and it's kind of hard now to really predict the role. I mean, that's what makes this puzzle so interesting, because we know what the pieces are, we kind of have inklings of what some of the shapes of the pieces will be tomorrow, but to put the map together of what the mix will be--it's a pretty intriguing exercise. We've got to do it. We don't have a choice.
What are some of the new energy technologies that will be prevalent in the future that aren't so well known today?
If I knew that I'd be taking money and making bets. I think modular nuclear as a group will be breakout. I think there are going to be breakthroughs in solar technology. I think in the long run solar will trump wind because solar can be distributed [on rooftops] and also I think will be more efficient than wind turbines over time for a variety of different reasons.
I think battery technology will be transformative, not just with respect to intermittent sources of power, but also it has a fundamental impact on how the grid actually operates. I'm following very closely what BYD is doing. I think zinc air [battery technology] is kind of interesting because [the cells] become grid storage, which I think is important.
These are some of the areas that I think will evolve. The only question is which ones will be lowest cost and most efficient. We're at a very important point, I believe. I wish I could be a CEO for another 23 years. The technologies are coming together and are evolving. Some are clearer than others. I've always told people particularly recently that we're a technology company disguised as a utility.


Notes: Thanks to Yahoo Msg Board

BYD-Daimler’s first car hits the patent office

BYD and Daimler signed a joint venture several months ago with plans to build a new brand which would utilize BYD’s electrical know how and Daimler’s automotive engineering skills and would focus solely on building new energy cars. The two have pushed a design to the Chinese patent board which of course was leaked in rapid time to the internet, the design clearly shows that BYD and Daimler have taken a design styles from existing models in their own respective portfolios, the side profile shows a little bit of the Mercedes B-Class where as the front grill is clearly BYD inspired, although this all changes when you get to the rear and see BMW 5-series style lights.
On looking at the car from the front and the side it appears to be a sedan, but in actual fact it seems to be a hatchback with a small protruding rear tail like in the style of Skoda’s more recent models and possibly more in line with the BMW 5-Series GT.
News on the powertrain seems to be very thin on the ground, its not entirely clear what the new car will be packing under the hood, but we will keep you updated as news becomes available.

Monday, July 25, 2011

China is player to watch in tech R&D

China is evolving from the world’s factory to a crucible of innovation, rapidly approaching a world-class level in terms of both quantity and quality of research carried out. This carries profound implications for the competitiveness of Korea’s main industries and so-called growth engines. 

The big strides in China are in response to the government’s push to nurture indigenous innovation in order to end dependence on foreign technology and to help shift the Chinese economy into more capital and technology-intensive industries. But the seeds of the R&D commitment were sown even before a national innovation development plan was unveiled in 2006. 

Since 2000, the nation’s annual investment in R&D has expanded by 23 percent. In 2011, China is expected to rank second in terms of R&D investment based on purchasing power parity. In addition, China is benefitting from the largest national R&D workforce in the world, 20 percent of the world’s total R&D brain power. 

In both quantitative and qualitative terms, China has shown an impressive performance in innovation. From 2007-9, the annual average number of Chinese articles published in international science and technology journals totaled 104,157, placing China second. As for the number of articles covered in the top 10 percent of international journals, China ranked fourth from 2007-9, up from 19th place in 1987-89. 

According to a Total Factor Productivity analysis of approximately 1,200 companies each from China and Korea from 2001-9, Chinese companies’ annual average TFP growth stood at 4.46 percent compared to Korea’s 3.36 percent. If we assume Korea and China’s productivity levels were equal in 2001, China’s TFP growth was 20 percentage points higher than Korea’s in 2001-9. Technological progress accounts for nearly 90 percent of the TFP growth in China but only 63 percent in Korea. In particular, China is rapidly closing the technology gap with Korea’s mainstay industries such as electronics and automobiles. In new promising industries such as pharmaceuticals, solar power and electric automobiles, China’s technological capability has already overtaken Korea, leading the global industrial trend. 

In the electronics industry, China has surpassed Korea in R&D investment. It also started to overtake Korea in terms of the number of Patent Cooperation Treaty filings in 2008. As for telecommunication equipment and smart home solutions, China is grabbing the lead in next-generation product development. And in the electric car industry, strong government support already has led to international standards being set by Chinese companies such as BYD.

Being sandwiched between advanced countries’ high-end products and emerging countries’ low-end products, Korea has tried to gain competitiveness advantages by maximizing its strengths as a “fast follower” that upgrades existing products but keeps costs in check. However, China’s low-price and high-quality products, thanks to its innovation capabilities, will likely enjoy an increasing presence in the global market and apply pressure on Korean products. 

In response to China’s innovation strides, Korea needs to reestablish a national R&D system geared to maximizing its technological competitiveness. Rather than pursuing quantitative competition, Korea should pursue qualitative competition by supporting “star companies” or “star researchers.” 

Meanwhile, by strengthening a link between R&D main performers such as universities, research institutes and companies, the utilization of research results should be significantly improved. Second, Korean companies quite simply need to outpace their Chinese rivals in the innovation race. Korea’s world-class operational technology and operating efficiency in mainstay industries need to be maximized and bold investments into future industries should be made. 

Lastly, Korean companies should explore ways to utilize China’s top personnel related to key technologies.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Wang Chuan Fu : Good time to buy BYD

昨日,比亚迪在深圳中小板正式挂牌,回归A股市场的夙愿终得实现。
从昨日市场表现看,比亚迪股票受到投资者热烈追捧,与近期新股首日表现萎靡不振形成鲜明对比。比亚迪开盘报22元,较发行价18元涨 22.22%;终盘收于25.45元,远超在港上市的比亚迪股份当日上涨5.67%后25.15港元的收盘价,涨幅达41.39%,全天换手率高达 87.96%。比亚迪董事长王传福接受记者采访时表示,巴菲特现在没有减持计划;今年是电动车量产元年,新能源业务3年内将会有可观利润,现在正是买入比亚迪股票的好时机。
虽然比亚迪A股市场表现较为强势,但其刚刚公布的H股一季度财务报表却显示,净利润同比下滑84%。对此,王传福解释称,实际上今年一季度比去年四季度的表现已有进步,整体业绩正在改善,业绩下滑的原因一方面由于去年一季度利润偏高,而去年全年的趋势是国内汽车业发展速度放缓,另一方面与公司的新能源业务今年下半年才开始发力有关。王传福认为,总体来看,同比差一些,但环比向好。
对于坊间巴菲特要减持比亚迪股票的传闻,王传福予以澄清,称巴菲特现在没有减持的计划。而对于此次在A股市场上发行的新股规模缩水,王传福解释称,当初写筹备计划是在两三年前,现在市场环境发生了变化,因此规模会有所下降,不过这并不影响公司回归A股市场的决心,而这一点也恰恰证明现在是最好的买入机会。
“比亚迪汽车业务的主要市场还是在中国大陆,我们也希望实现产品市场和股票市场的统一。”针对为何回归A股的提问,王传福如是回答。
王传福预计,新能源业务3年内便会有可观利润。对于今年下半年的业绩展望,王传福认为有两个支撑点:一是下半年公交电动化的推动,新能源车(包括一部分公交电动大巴)大规模交货,对公司的新能源业务增长形成强大的支撑;二是今年下半年将面向私家车市场销售E6新车(深圳目前启用的电动出租车就是 E6),这款车经过一年的出租车运营测试,性能更趋完善,这也将对公司的新能源业务形成较强支撑。
王传福昨日也介绍了深圳50台电动出租车的运营情况。据介绍,比亚迪提供的50台电动出租车已运行了13个月,累积里程已超过300万公里,单车里程最长已达到13万公里,相当于私家车开了6年的里程。在整个运营过程中,电池容量、行驶里程均保持稳定,没有出现任何安全事故。在今年深圳大运会期间,比亚迪将提供500台电动汽车,其中包括200台电动大巴和300台电动出租车。王传福认为,这是完全市场化的示范运营,意义非同一般,在全世界范围内也具有示范意义。
“电动车时代已经到来,电动车的瓶颈技术——电池问题已经解决,下一步将准备大规模生产。”王传福表示,2011年应该是比亚迪大规模量产电动车的元年,乘着国家“十二五”规划大力扶持新能源和电动汽车产业的春风,比亚迪也希望未来能够借助A股市场平台放大新能源业务的成长。
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