STUFF

As in imagining Dylan singing "stuff" in G. The lilt, intonation and affectations in the voice. Whatever. Friday. What can I say. Babes in the bars tonight. Woo hoo. Stuff.

In '10, China spent $51B on clean E investment, $10B more than last year (25%, not the 30% reported previously).

China comps now have half the global $45B/yr wind power market. India wants to get to 20GW of solar by '20. Japan was once #1 PV solar maker. They want to get back to that, they say. Still ahead of US with 2.6GW installed v. US' 1.6. Japan removed solar subsidies 3 yrs ago. In '10, China and Taiwan made 49% of solar cells in world, Japan 14%, N. America 6%.

28 solar-powered street lights were turned on in Kabul Dec 29.

Russia to lend Belarus money to build their first nuke plant.

Emission permits (EU) theft estimated at $37M. Company employees involved in system among suspects.

Dallas council deferred on a drilling permit (fracking) for Exxon subsid XTO Energy. Dallas.

Bloom E raised another $100M. They now make ~ 1 fuelcell/day. Prior to subsidies (which can get as high as $8.25/W in Calif - program can run out of money), their "box" sells for $12.50/W. $10 for the box, $2.50 for the warranty.

Operation & maintenance of wind farms will be $10B biz by '16: Lucintel. End of this year, $40B of wind projects come out of warranty, requiring inspections and 3rd-party ops & maint (O&M) going forward. 3MW turbines 15% less costly to op and maintain than 1MW turbine.

NuScale Power, a startup developing small modular nuke plants, has suspended ops due to cash crunch. $35M previously raised. 45MW modules grouped together could reduce construction costs by 1/3. Babcock & Wilcox and Sandia have their own modular reactors in devel. Who wins that game?

An undergrad's thesis at Purdue found 1/3 to 1/2 of utilities' call centers have no clue how to answer questions on smart grid. Someone hire that undergrad.

NRG announced their 290MW Agua Caliente (Yuma County, AZ) solar PV project (to be largest in world) received an offer of conditional commitment for a DOE loan guarantee of up to $967M. NRG bought the project from FSLR last month, if we remember. It has a 25-yr PPA with PG&E. '14 completion projected. Fault ride-through, dynamic volt reg new techs to be included.

Dylan singing "stuff". OK. It's Friday. Happy trails all.