How aggressively should we be pursuing electric cars?
Showing posts with label Renewable Energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Renewable Energy. Show all posts
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Renewables Are the New 'Space Race' for the U.S., Official Says
Investments in technology innovation pay off with economic prosperity, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu said in a speech Monday in Washington, D.C. He said that the China-based solar company Suntech Power Holdings is succeeding not because of low-cost labor but because of technical innovations. Above, Suntech modules generate power at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Steven Chu, a longtime professor who is now secretary of energy, says the United States is facing a crucial test.
With the rest of the developed and developing world moving toward renewable and cleaner energy technologies, he said in a speech Monday, the time is now for the nation to seize the initiative.
“America still has an opportunity to lead in a world that will need essentially a new Industrial Revolution,” he said, adding that developing lower-cost, clean-energy technologies “is a way to secure our future prosperity.”
“But I think time is running out,” Mr. Chu said in an hourlong talk at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
He described the situation as a new “Sputnik moment” for the country, referring to the shock U.S. leaders and citizens felt when the Soviet Union launched the first Earth-orbiting satellite in 1957.
The nation quickly began mobilizing to ramp up science education, research and development to ensure that it could compete and ultimately become a leader in space-age technology.
This time, China is the country forging ahead, with 40 percent of the world’s solar photovoltaic manufacturing capacity, five of the top 10 silicon-based solar PV manufacturers, and three of the top 10 makers of wind turbines. China has made no secret of its intent to promote new-energy industries as a route to economic success.
The energy secretary referred to a 2009 speech in which H.E. Wen Jiabao, premier of China’s State Council, said, “We should see scientific and technological innovation as an important pillar and make greater effort to develop new industries of strategic importance. Science and technology is a powerful engine of economic growth. To overcome the severe international financial crisis, we must rely more on science and technology in making breakthroughs and boosting development.
“We will make China a country of innovation. We will seek breakthroughs in key technologies that are vital to industrial transformation and upgrading, speed up the development of new industries of strategic importance, and give priority to research, development, and industrial application of technologies in new energy” and other fields. “We will accelerate the development of a low-carbon economy and green economy so as to gain an advantageous position in the international industrial competition.”
Mr. Chu, a Nobel Prize winner in physics, said the United States, which devotes 0.14 percent of its $3.6 trillion annual budget to energy research and development, needs “sensible, long-range energy policies” to be competitive.
He said a commonly held myth among Americans is that China has become the leading silicon solar PV manufacturing center as a result of low-cost labor. Mr. Chu told the journalists and others at the gathering that he toured the headquarters factory of Suntech Power Holdings Co., China’s leading solar PV manufacturing company.
“This company, Suntech, as I toured this plant, it was 100 meters by 400 meters and four stories. It was a high-tech, modern plant that imports its raw materials – raw crystalline silicon – from where? The United States.” The company makes solar wafers and cells at its China plant, but has established plants around the world that assemble the energy-producing modules. One such factory is now operating in Arizona.
“So, what is wrong with this picture?” Mr. Chu asked. The plant in China “is a high-tech, automated factory. It’s not succeeding because of cheap labor.” Instead, he said, the company’s polycrystalline silicon modules have set a record for production efficiency. Its success stems from producing a lower-cost, higher-efficiency module.
“This is the threat that I see,” Mr. Chu told the audience.
“One of the drivers with wind and solar and these other technologies is, we think it can be cheaper than fossil fuel,” Mr. Chu told the group. “In the end, this will be a cornerstone for our economic prosperity.”
"What I’m trying to tell the American public is that this is an economic opportunity,” he said, an investment “in the long run, for the future economic health of the country.” The time is fast approaching in which the investment has to be made to keep pace with countries like China, he added.
In his 2009 speech at a meeting of the World Economic Forum, Wen Jiabao also talked about the country’s actions to address global warming.
“The world economy is undergoing profound changes and transition,” China’s premier said. “The future and destiny of all countries are more closely interconnected than at any time in history. We should be more forward-looking and more broad-minded. To promote world harmony and prosperity, I propose that we make concerted efforts in the following areas:
“First, tackle climate change. Climate change is a common challenge confronting the entire mankind. Each and every country, enterprise and individual should assume a due share of responsibility in meeting the challenge. China takes this issue very seriously. We have developed the national program on tackling climate change, increased resources for scientific research and taken aggressive steps to adjust the industrial structure with a view to saving energy and reducing pollutants.”
As in 1957, when the 184-pound Sputnik, bristling with spiky antennas, soared far above the United States, untouchable and unmatched by the best technology this country could muster, a turning point has arrived, the secretary of energy said.
“I’m hoping that the United States can recognize the economic opportunity that virtually all of Europe, Western Europe, has recognized, and developed countries in Asia have recognized, and developing countries around the world are beginning to recognize,” Mr. Chu said.
“America, I believe, will wake up and seize the opportunity, and when it does, it still has the greatest innovation machine in the world.”
Steven Chu's Speech
Secretary Chu highlighted several crucial technologies where the United States must innovate or risk falling far behind, such as:
High Voltage Transmission.
China has deployed the world's first Ultra High Voltage AC and DC lines - including one capable of delivering 6.4 gigawatts to Shanghai from a hydroelectric plant nearly 1300 miles away in southwestern China. These lines are more efficient and carry much more power over longer distances than those in the United States.
High Speed Rail.
In the span of six years, China has gone from importing this technology to exporting it, with the world's fastest train and the world's largest high speed rail network, which will become larger than the rest of the world combined by the end of the decade. Some short distance plane routes have already been cancelled, and train travel from Beijing to Shanghai (roughly equivalent to New York to Chicago) has been cut from 11 hours to 4 hours.
Advanced Coal Technologies.
China is rapidly deploying supercritical and ultra-supercritical coal combustion plants, which have fewer emissions and are more efficient than conventional coal plants because they burn coal at much higher temperatures and pressures. Last month, Secretary Chu toured an ultra-supercritical plant in Shanghai which claims to be 45 to 48 percent efficient. The most efficient U.S. plants are about 40 percent efficient. China is also moving quickly to design and deploy technologies for Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants as well as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).
Nuclear Power.
China has more than 30 nuclear power plants under construction, more than any other country in the world, and is actively researching fourth generation nuclear power technologies.
Alternative Energy Vehicles.
China has developed a draft plan to invest $17 billion in central government funds in fuel economy, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electric and fuel cell vehicles, with the goal of producing 5 million new energy vehicles and 15 million fuel-efficient conventional vehicles by 2020.
Renewable Energy.
China is installing wind power at a faster rate than any nation in the world, and manufactures 40 percent of the world's solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. It is home to three of the world's top ten wind turbine manufacturers and five of the top ten silicon based PV manufacturers in the world.
Supercomputing.
Last month, the Tianhe-1A, developed by China's National University of Defense Technology, became the world's fastest supercomputer. While the United States - and the Department of Energy in particular - still has unrivalled expertise in the useful application of high performance computers to advance scientific research and develop technology, America must continue to improve the speed and capacity of our advanced supercomputers.
Friday, October 15, 2010
China and the Future of Rare Earth Elements
A recent diplomatic spat between China and Japan has heightened territorial tensions and called attention to China’s growing forcefulness with foreign powers. One of the more intriguing aspects of this development was China’s suspension of the export of “rare earth” elements (REE) to Japan. REE comprise 17 metallic elements with a variety of modern industrial and commercial applications ranging from petroleum refining to laptop computers to green energy applications to radar. China produces roughly 95 percent of the global supply of REE and Japan is the largest importer. China’s disruption of REE shipments to Japan has caused alarm among other importer countries, bringing new urgency to the search for new supplies and substitutes.
Solar, Wind Energy Storage May Save Both Power and Money
Large-scale energy storage, which is especially useful for incorporating significant amounts of variable solar- and wind-generated electricity into utility grid systems, is becoming a hot topic.
Projects in several states are examining a variety of energy storage technologies under development by private companies. Among them are:
- In New York state, Beacon Power Co. is developing a 20-megawatt project that uses flywheel technology to store electricity.
- In Minnesota, the company Xcel Energy has reported success with a 1-megawatt battery storage system it is testing.
- In Wisconsin, President Obama recently visited a small company called ZBB Energy that plans to add workers as it develops large-format batteries that the company says will allow inexpensive, cost-effective storage of solar and wind energy.
- In California, the mayor of Los Angeles recently announced that the city's municipal utility would work with one of China's largest companies, BYD, to develop a 5- to 10-megawatt renewable-energy storage station in the mountains about 100 miles north of the city.
Throughout the country, as utilities increasingly offer time-of-use rates, owners of residential or business solar photovoltaic systems may be able to take advantage of a similar approach by producing more electricity than they use at high-priced peak times and limiting most of their own usage to lower-priced off-peak hours. Similarly advantageous time-based pricing plans may be available to owners of plug-in vehicles.
The California Public Utilities Commission sees large-scale energy storage as a possible alternative to building more generation capacity to meet peak demand, Mr. Nelson adds, and the CPUC oversees Self-Generation Incentive Program grant funding for installations associated with fuel cells.
Also exploring renewable-energy storage is Los Angeles, which recently announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a giant battery storage station for electricity generated from wind and solar resources.
The agreement "is an important step forward in building technology that does not even exist yet that will revolutionize how utilities across the country store their renewable energy," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
One Nation Under Green
More than 50 years ago, the United States created the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to foster innovation in space technologies, national defense, and information technologies. One result: the creation of the Internet. In 2007 Congress created the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in an effort to mimic DARPA’s success and ensure that America remains a world leader in science and technology. NEWSWEEK’s R. M. Schneiderman spoke with the director of ARPA-E, Arun Majumdar, to learn more about the future of the agency and how its projects will help spur innovation in green cars.
One of our mission statements is to enhance energy and economic security for the United States. Part of that is to reduce our imports of energy from foreign countries. Obviously our biggest import is oil. I think electric cars are an option we need to pursue very aggressively. But I think an internal-combustion engine will still be around. The biggest obstacle in the electrification of cars is the battery. The challenge in that is that the energy density of the battery, which controls how much energy you can pack in a certain amount of weight, is just not enough today. And today’s batteries—lithium-ion batteries—the costs are just too high. To use a football analogy, lithium-ion batteries are like a running game. But you need a passing game as well.
So what’s the passing game?
We are funding a whole portfolio of approaches that range from zinc-air batteries, magnesium-ion batteries, lithium-air batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, etc. We don’t know which ones will succeed in the end. It’s too risky for the private sector to invest in. So we said, let’s give this a shot and perhaps a few of them will become business-ready, and then the private sector will pick them up.
In terms of green car technology, where do we stand in comparison with other leading nations?
China is moving very aggressively, and they are building up their infrastructure. They are doing the right thing for their own country. I believe we are still ahead in R&D and innovation. But in terms of deployment of clean energy technology, China is probably the most aggressive in the world. I personally feel that the fact that China is building up its infrastructure in clean energy is a huge opportunity for the United States. And we should grab that and develop innovative technologies out here, manufacture them out here, and sell them to China, India, Brazil, and South Africa.
To what extent would doing so help U.S. manufacturers and create jobs?
There are huge opportunities. If we create a battery that is 10 times better in costs and performance, if one of our teams succeeds and we keep our production out here, this is an opportunity, which is analogous to the chip industry. Just like you have Intel inside almost all computers, we could have a battery inside all the electric plug-in hybrids in the future. That’s a humongous global market, and no one has the battery yet.
Will those jobs stay in the U.S.?
That’s a difficult question. What keeps me awake at night is not whether we will innovate. We will. But my worry is that it will scale elsewhere in the world. We need to keep these innovations inside the country and help them create green jobs. I’m not a policy wonk, but the government is the biggest purchaser of energy. And if we could use that purchasing power in some way and create a platform to pull some clean energy into the market and create demand, I think that would be healthy, and it would allow many companies that are innovating right now to put a manufacturing plant out here in the United States.
How much should Congress be investing in your agency to stay competitive with other countries?
Friday, October 1, 2010
California Enacts Energy Storage Law to Help Prepare for More Solar, Wind
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a law believed to be the first in the country requiring utilities to begin planning for ways to store electricity that could be dispatched as needed.
The measure, opposed at various stages by many private and public electricity providers, is considered to be an important step in preparing for the future integration of large amounts of solar and wind energy into the state's electricity grid.
The new law, Assembly Bill 2514, requires the California Public Utilities Commission to begin proceedings by March 1, 2012, to consider targets for all but very small electricity providers to procure "viable and cost-effective energy storage systems."
Private electric companies would have to adopt a procurement target by Oct. 1, 2013, and reach a first-stage goal by Dec. 3, 2015. A second goal for storage achievement would be set for Dec. 31, 2020.
Publicly owned utilities would have to set a target by Oct. 1, 2014, and reach a first-stage goal by Dec. 31, 2016. They are to be given a second-stage goal to be achieved by Dec. 31, 2021.
As a legislative analysis of the new law mentioned, however, at present "there are no commercially available batteries that could cost-effectively store the large amounts of electricity that can be produced by large-scale wind farms or solar facilities. Another form of electricity storage that is already in use in California is pump storage, where water is pumped into a reservoir at night and then released through turbines during the day to produce electricity. Additional research is taking place to develop other storage devices using compressed air, flywheels, fuel cells, and other innovative technologies. In addition, the utilities are currently engaged in pilot projects to determine the viability of different energy storage projects and which technologies perform most effectively in different environments."
The China-based battery and electric-vehicle company BYD has been a leader in developing battery storage for solar and wind energy, and the company recently announced an agreement to work with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to develop a utility-scale storage facility with a capacity of 5 to 10 megawatts.
The storage center, believed to be the largest currently planned in the United States, would be built at the Pine Tree Wind Farm in the Tehachapi Mountains, a renowned wind resource region where extensive wind energy development is now getting under way.
BYD also has been working with the homebuilder KB Home to set up model homes in the city of Lancaster, Calif., that combine battery storage of electricity with solar arrays and electric vehicles. BYD, one of China's largest employers, this year announced that it would establish its North American headquarters in Los Angeles.
Recent Power Storage Deals:
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and BYD Partner for Grid Energy Storage Solution (LADWP)
Spain Endesa signs cooperation agreement with BYD (Endesa)
BYD signs power storage station contracts (with China Southern Power Grid)
BYD unveils initiatives to spotlight new energy drive (with Hunan Power Grid)
The measure, opposed at various stages by many private and public electricity providers, is considered to be an important step in preparing for the future integration of large amounts of solar and wind energy into the state's electricity grid.
The new law, Assembly Bill 2514, requires the California Public Utilities Commission to begin proceedings by March 1, 2012, to consider targets for all but very small electricity providers to procure "viable and cost-effective energy storage systems."
Private electric companies would have to adopt a procurement target by Oct. 1, 2013, and reach a first-stage goal by Dec. 3, 2015. A second goal for storage achievement would be set for Dec. 31, 2020.
Publicly owned utilities would have to set a target by Oct. 1, 2014, and reach a first-stage goal by Dec. 31, 2016. They are to be given a second-stage goal to be achieved by Dec. 31, 2021.
As a legislative analysis of the new law mentioned, however, at present "there are no commercially available batteries that could cost-effectively store the large amounts of electricity that can be produced by large-scale wind farms or solar facilities. Another form of electricity storage that is already in use in California is pump storage, where water is pumped into a reservoir at night and then released through turbines during the day to produce electricity. Additional research is taking place to develop other storage devices using compressed air, flywheels, fuel cells, and other innovative technologies. In addition, the utilities are currently engaged in pilot projects to determine the viability of different energy storage projects and which technologies perform most effectively in different environments."
The China-based battery and electric-vehicle company BYD has been a leader in developing battery storage for solar and wind energy, and the company recently announced an agreement to work with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to develop a utility-scale storage facility with a capacity of 5 to 10 megawatts.
The storage center, believed to be the largest currently planned in the United States, would be built at the Pine Tree Wind Farm in the Tehachapi Mountains, a renowned wind resource region where extensive wind energy development is now getting under way.
BYD also has been working with the homebuilder KB Home to set up model homes in the city of Lancaster, Calif., that combine battery storage of electricity with solar arrays and electric vehicles. BYD, one of China's largest employers, this year announced that it would establish its North American headquarters in Los Angeles.
The news release from the attorney general's office said, "Energy storage is important for an expanding renewable energy future because solar and wind power are not available at all times. Increasing storage allows California to take greater advantage of its renewable resources while making our electric power grid more reliable.
"Expanded storage will also protect public health by reducing the need for the most polluting 'peaker plants' that only operate during peak demand, usually during the summer when air conditioners in the state are in most intense use."
Recent Power Storage Deals:
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and BYD Partner for Grid Energy Storage Solution (LADWP)
Spain Endesa signs cooperation agreement with BYD (Endesa)
BYD signs power storage station contracts (with China Southern Power Grid)
BYD unveils initiatives to spotlight new energy drive (with Hunan Power Grid)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Villaraigosa signs deals with green firms in S.F. Valley and China
In what officials are calling a major milestone in Los Angeles' effort to develop more green-power sources, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday signed agreements with firms in the San Fernando Valley and China.
The city-owned Department of Water and Power will work with Quallion LLC of Sylmar, and BYD Inc., based in Shenzhen, on a project to be located at Pine Tree Wind Farm in the Tehachapi Mountains. The companies plan to invent batteries that will be able to store energy generated by wind or solar power, then release electricity to the DWP power grid at night or during periods of high demand.
"This is an important step forward in building technology that does not even exist yet," Villaraigosa said. "What we are looking to develop is a way to store energy so that we don't have to use it as it is developed. It will allow us to guarantee stable power."
The companies plan to share technology and information, with the goal of being able to develop a five- to 10-megawatt energy-storage system by year's end.
The city-owned Department of Water and Power will work with Quallion LLC of Sylmar, and BYD Inc., based in Shenzhen, on a project to be located at Pine Tree Wind Farm in the Tehachapi Mountains. The companies plan to invent batteries that will be able to store energy generated by wind or solar power, then release electricity to the DWP power grid at night or during periods of high demand.
"This is an important step forward in building technology that does not even exist yet," Villaraigosa said. "What we are looking to develop is a way to store energy so that we don't have to use it as it is developed. It will allow us to guarantee stable power."
The companies plan to share technology and information, with the goal of being able to develop a five- to 10-megawatt energy-storage system by year's end.
Related Websites:
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
节能与新能源汽车规划曝光 千亿财政支持
中国的新能源汽车产业的国家战略正在加速形成。搜狐汽车得知，工信部牵头制定的《汽车与新能源汽车产业发展规划》（2011～2020年）已经制定完成，目前正在各相关部委征求意见，这个阶段结束后将上报国务院批准，成为中国新能源汽车产业发展提纲挈领的政策。
搜狐汽车看到的这份《规划》包括节能与新能源汽车发展形势分析、目标、任务、保障措施等几方面，涉及节能与新能源汽车关键技术的研发、推广、基础设施建设、标准制定、税收政策支持、关键零部件发展、准入管理等内容。
《规划》提出，将纯电动汽车作为我国汽车工业转型的主要战略取向，同时，持续跟踪研究燃料电池汽车技术，以试点示范为突破口，推进纯电动汽车、插电式混合动力汽车产业化，实现我国汽车工业跨越式发展。
最近，工信部组织汽车企业和一些专家对该《规划》进行了修改，因此，不排除本文披露的内容与最终版本有所差别。
发展目标：市场规模世界第一
普通混合动力汽车实现大规模产业化。具有自动起停功能的微混系统成为乘用车标准配置。中/重度混合动力乘用车保有量达到100万辆以上。
纯电动汽车和插电式混合动力汽车初步实现产业化。市场保有量超过50万辆（或为100万辆，规划制定者对此存有分歧，尚不清楚最终版本的表述），形成与市场规模相适应的基础设施体系。
形成支撑电动汽车大规模产业化的关键零部件产业体系。实现动力电池关键材料和生产装备的国产化。动力电池系统能量密度达到120瓦时/公斤以上，成本降低至2元/瓦时，寿命稳定达到2000次循环或10年以上。形成关键零部件大型企业集团。动力电池、电机等关键零部件分别形成3-5家骨干企业，产业集中度超过60%。
混合动力汽车实现大规模普及，中/重度混合动力乘用车年产销量达到300万辆以上。
纯电动汽车和插电式混合动力汽车实现产业化，市场保有量达到500万辆（或为1000万辆，规划制定者对此存有分歧，尚不清楚最终版本的表述）以上，充电站网络支撑纯电动汽车实现城际间和区域化运行。动力电池系统能量密度达到200瓦时/公斤以上，成本降低至1.5元/瓦时以下。
在结构调整方面，《规划》提出要形成3-5家新能源汽车整车骨干企业，形成2-3家具有自主知识产权和较强国际竞争力的动力电池、电机等关键零部件骨干企业，产业集中度达到80%以上。
中央财政的投入分为以下几个方面。
三，2011-2015年，中央财政共安排50亿专项资金支持试点城市的基础设施建设。试点城也加大对基础设施建设财政补助力度或贷款贴息，并且应在电价、土地等方面出台支持政策，充分调动电网企业、石化企业等社会各界进行基础设施建设的积极性。
四，设立节能与新能源汽车零部件固定资金投资专项资金，2010-2015年中央财政共安排100亿元，对节能与新能源汽车零部件进行分类指导和支持，引导社会资金投向节能与新能源汽车零部件生产领域，培育一批骨干配套企业。
消息人士表示，上千亿元是规划制定者的预期，最终国务院批复的支持资金额度也有可能略少于这个数目。
在中央财政补贴之外，各地方政府也将对新能源汽车的研发、推广投入资金，目前，各地制定的地方版节能与新能源汽车发展规划都包括数以亿计的支持资金，此外，各汽车企业也将投入巨资，除了自身的研发投入以外，承担重大科研专项的企业都必须按照一定比例投入配套资金。此外，相关政策还将引导社会资金投向新能源汽车产业，鼓励设立新能源技术创业投资机构和产业投资基金。
据此，搜狐汽车认为，未来十年，包括中央、地方政府以及企业等各方的投资，将达到数千亿元、甚至上万亿元之巨。
新能源汽车税收或减或免
《规划》内容显示，未来十年，政府的税收政策将给予节能与新能源汽车的推广以很大优惠。比如，免征纯电动汽车、充电式混合动力汽车车辆购置税，减半征收普通混合动力汽车车辆购置税和消费税。2015年前，新注册纯电动汽车和充电式混合动力汽车免征车船税，普通混合动力汽车减半征收车船税。
另外，节能与新能源汽车及其关键零部件研发和生产将被列入《国家重点支持的高新技术领域》，享受国家有关高新技术企业所得税税收优惠政策。对节能与新能源汽车及其关键零部件生产、研发企业从事技术转让、技术开发业务和与之相关的技术咨询、技术服务业务所取得的收入，免征营业税。
新能源汽车准入管理加强
在加强准入管理的同时，《规划》讲加大对符合条件的新能源汽车企业的支持力度。比如，鼓励银行等金融机构对符合条件的新能源汽车产业发展项目、新能源汽车产业基地基础设施提供信贷支持。同时，政府机构也将优先支持符合条件的节能与新能源汽车及关键零部件企业在境内外上市、发行企业（公司）债券等，充分发挥现有上市公司的再融资功能。
值得注意的是，《规划》也提出，要建立和完善小型低速纯电动汽车标准法规体系，对小型低速纯电动汽车实行有别于汽车的特殊准入管理制度。这意味着，一些小型低速纯电动汽车可能被放行，不过，此处所指的小型低速纯电动汽车并非人们所说的“山寨电动车”。
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