The Wind Power of Exponential Growth

~


And 22.8% annual growth rate (CAGR) over 5 years to 447.7 GW by Dec 31, 2014. That's equivalent to approx. 447 nuclear plants worth of generating capacity.

BTM estimates that global installed cumulative capacity will increase at a CAGR of 22.8% between 2009 and 2014, reaching 447,689MW by the end of 2014.

45 GW more projected for 2011 alone.

Wind turbine installations will bounce back in 2011 after stalling this year, according to a report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Turbines with an electricity-generation capacity of 45 gigawatts are likely to be erected next year, up from about 37.7 gigawatts this year.

Wind Power Turbine Installations Forecast to Rebound in 2011 After Slump
~

Oil, oil everywhere, but not a drop to drink. (click)

~

Tea bags, no jobs, please.

~
re: "Do you simply hate our modern society? Are you feeling guilty about driving to work every day? I seriously don't get it."

Thanks to the Party of No-Way, No-How, & No-Jobs, & their Saudi billionaire foreign oil buddies, the U.S. economy is missing out on the biggest technological revolution since the electrification of America.

How Germany, Spain, and China Are Seizing the Energy Opportunity and Why the United States Risks Getting Left Behind.

Clean energy technology is becoming a $2.3 Trillion [that's capital 'T'] dollar industry in only 10 years.

By 2020, clean energy will be one of the world’s biggest industries, totaling as much as $2.3 trillion. Over the past year, other countries made huge investments to seize the economic opportunity provided by the historic shift from fossil-based energy to renewable, low-waste electricity and fuel. These investments weren’t made out of thin air, but were a result of intentional public policies, which in turn provided a strong stimulus for new public and private investment in new clean-energy markets, infrastructure, and human resources.

China, Germany, & Spain are already out of gates and heading down the stretch, while the obstructionist Republican Party of Tea-Bags-No-Jobs-Please has America still stuck in the stalls.

China, Germany, and Spain are early winners in the next great technological and industrial revolution. Many other countries such as Denmark, Japan, and South Korea that we do not discuss in this report are also forging ahead with ambitious clean energy economic strategies. The United States, which has yet to fully embrace a truly sustainable growth strategy for the low-carbon future, is not.

And so now, American renewable energy companies are relocating to the People's Republic of Communist China.

Less than two years after building a solar manufacturing plant in Devens, Massachusetts, Evergreen Solar—an early U.S. pioneer in solar photovoltaic technology—announced plans to move part of that operation to Wuhan, China.

So let's get the lead out & our horses out on the track & fire up those investors before the race is over & we go home even broker.

The race toward a clean-energy future is underway, and those nations that lead will reap enormous economic benefits. With the right investments and smart policies, the United States can be among them, a top player in the emerging global low-carbon economy.

Out of the Running?
~

China laughing?

~
What with all the global weirding hereabouts, a good guide to the latest climate science is undeniably the order of the day.

Let’s start with the basics, shall we?

• Heat-trapping greenhouse gases are at unprecedented levels, and the paleoclimate record suggests that even slightly higher levels are untenable.
• Since we have record levels of heat-trapping gases, it’s not surprising that we also learned that this was the hottest decade in the temperature record and that the Arctic is the hottest in at least two millenia.
• We learned that the planet is warming from those GHGs just where climate science said it would — the oceans, which is where more than 90% of the warming was projected to end up.
• Unexpectedly, even Antarctica appears to be warming.
• This global warming is driving melting at extraordinary rates every where we look, including places nobody expected.
• And given that unexpectedly fast ice melt, it’s no surprise the science now projects much higher and much faster sea level rise than just a few years ago.
• We continued to learn about the dangerous positive carbon-cycle feedbacks that threaten to amplify the impacts of human-caused GHGs.
• Indeed, the best evidence is that the climate is now being driven by amplifying feedbacks.
• High emissions levels + positive feedbacks = climate catastrophe.
• And the plausible worst-case scenario is even worse than this grim “business as usual” emissions case.
• And this is not good news for human health and welfare.
• So the time to act is most certainly now.
• The anti-science crowd [& that's putting it politely] use smoke and mirrors to distract as many people as possible, but the rest of us need to listen to the science and keep our eyes on the prize — reversing greenhouse gas emissions trends as quickly and rapidly as possible.

And, for videophiles, The Science of Climate Change.

Indeed, I suspect China is quietly laughing at us right now. And Iran, Russia, Venezuela and the whole OPEC gang are high-fiving each other. Nothing better serves their interests than to see Americans becoming confused about climate change, and, therefore, less inclined to move toward clean-tech and, therefore, more certain to remain addicted to oil. Yes, sir, it is morning in Saudi Arabia.

Amen to that, brother Thomas. Or rather, Allahu Akbar!
~

The Chinese don't do no.

~
Once again, the party of no-way, no-how, not-me defeatist mentality neglects the real challenges before us.

While the party-of-no obstructs & delays, China gobbles up market share from American companies.

Most of the top solar modules manufacturers in China had recovered as of the second half of 2009... Along with sales recovery, the Chinese may have grabbed more market share from their international competitors.

While the party-of-no obstructs & delays, China extends its remarkable cost advantage over American companies.

In addition, the Chinese processing cost is 30 percent lower than that of their European counterparts, which is a "remarkable cost advantage."

While the party-of-no obstructs & delays, China takes jobs from American companies & workers.

Due to this product cost gap, Chinese manufacturers are able to attract large-scale solar project developers, while their European and U.S. counterparts suffer losses in the price competition.

While the party-of-no obstructs & delays, China marshalls its resources to dominate new energy technologies that Americans developed.

Another major advantage for Chinese solar companies is their ready access to finance amid the global economic downturn. Backed by China's preferential policies towards renewable energy, domestic solar modules makers have benefited from supportive local banks. Financial Crisis Paves the Way for Chinese Solar Giants

If history has taught Americans anything, we can overcome any challenge "that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade ..., not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” ~John F. Kennedy, Rice University, September 12, 1962

China corners wind like no tomorrow.

~
Awaken, America! China has gobbled up our solar-powered breakfast & is now woofing down our wind-powered lunch, while ExxonMobil continues to fund anti-science denial front-groups to obstruct our overdue transition to a sustainable clean energy economy.

China doubles installed capacity for fifth year running – Global markets up 31%.

China again doubles wind power capacity in one year.

Brussels, 3 February 2010. The Global Wind Energy Council today announced that the world’s wind power capacity grew by 31% in 2009, adding 37.5 GW to bring total installations up to 157.9 GW. A third of these additions were made in China, which experienced yet another year of over 100% growth.

Wind power is already the clean energy technology of choice around the world.

“The continued rapid growth of wind power despite the financial crisis and economic downturn is testament to the inherent attractiveness of the technology, which is clean, reliable and quick to install. Wind power has become the power technology of choice a growing number of countries around the world.”

And already provides ~500,000 jobs & growing fast.

Wind energy is now an important player in the world’s energy markets. The global wind market for turbine installations in 2009 was worth about 45 bn EUR or 63 bn US$. GWEC estimates that around half a million people are now employed by the wind industry around the world.

China added an additional 13,000 MW (equivalent to 13 nuclear power plants) of wind power capacity in 2009 alone, doubling capacity each year for 5 years running now.

China was the world’s largest market in 2009, nearly doubling its wind generation capacity from 12.1 GW in 2008 to 25.1 GW at the end of 2009 with new capacity additions of 13 GW.

Putting China on track for 150,000 MW of wind power capacity in less than 10 years. Holy thermalized neutrons! That's equivalent to 150 new nuclear power plants by 2020.

“The Chinese government is taking very seriously its responsibility to limit CO2 emissions while providing energy for its growing economy. China is putting strong efforts into developing the country’s tremendous wind resource. Given the current growth rates, it can be expected that the even the unofficial target of 150 GW will be met well ahead of 2020.”

Asia is now the biggest wind power market in the world.

Newly added capacity of 1,270 MW in India and some smaller additions in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan make Asia the biggest regional market for wind energy in 2009, with more than 14 GW of new capacity.

Time to wake up, America, before we have to ship even more mega-billions of our taxpayer dollars to the communists in Beijing just to pay the interest on our national debt.

Global wind power boom continues despite economic woes

re: "And the windmill propaganda machine"
~

Americans don't do second best.

~
Unlike the divisive & obstructionist politics of No, Not-Here, & No-How, responsible, informed Americans are not willing to send all our jobs & those of our children & grandchildren overseas to China & India & Europe.

Republicans and Democrats may not see eye to eye on the threat of global warming -- I happen to think the evidence is overwhelming. (Applause.) Some disagree. That's -- we can have a respectful argument there. But shouldn't we agree that American homegrown energy is good for our security, and that new clean energy jobs are good for our economy? (Applause.) Can't we all agree that these jobs shouldn't be going to China or Germany or Spain -- they should be right here in United States of America.

And unlike anti-science naysayers who deny the climate science, responsible, informed Americans of all colors & creeds are willing to pay as we go.

So the PAYGO rule helped create those record surpluses back in the 1990s. You remember that? That was way back when -- (laughter) -- instead of the record deficits that we had when I came into office. And the concept here is, as I said, is it's very simple. You want to start a new program? Go ahead. But you've got to cut another one to pay for it. That's how we'll make sure we're spending your money wisely. You want to cut taxes for somebody? That might be a good idea, but you got to find a way to close the revenue hole, so that everything actually adds up. That's how we'll get our deficit under control. (Applause.)

Responsible, informed businessmen & citizens will not rest until businesses are hiring, wages are rising, & the middle class is thriving once again. We will not cede our economic future to China or anybody else. We don't settle for second best.

So I won’t rest until businesses are hiring again, and wages are rising again, and the middle class is thriving again, and we’ve finally got an economy that works for all Americans, not just some Americans. I won't rest until we do what we know has to be done to secure our leadership in the 21st century. I don't want to cede our future to China and India and European countries. I'm not willing to settle for second place -- not for the United States of America. (Applause.)

Perhaps, you do.

Remarks by the President in Town Hall Meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire

Oh, and don't forget your (Applause.)

SciGuy re: "solar and wind can replace coal in global electricity production"
~

Will America still be competitive in 2020?

***
Well, listen up then, to what President Obama is really talking about.

"Meanwhile, China's not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany's not waiting. India's not waiting. These nations aren't standing still. These nations aren't playing for second place. They're putting more emphasis on math and science. They're rebuilding their infrastructure. They are making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs."

Damn right they ain't waiting around for us to figure it out.

This month China announced it would build a 2,000 MW solar thermal project, five times bigger than the current largest one, California's Solar Energy Generating System. China is in the midst of building a wind corridor that could grow to a staggering 20,000MW, 25 times the size of Texas' Roscoe Wind Farm. And last fall China announced a plan to build a 2,000 MW solar photovoltaic farm, 33 times bigger than the world's largest today, a 60 MW farm in Spain.

Second place is simply unacceptable, if not un-American.

"They're making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs," [President Obama] said of countries like Germany, which have more generous and stable renewable energy subsidies that make projects easier to finance. "Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America."

Maybe a good time to double down on FSLR and keep an eagle eye out for an early eSolar IPO, ya think?

He may have no choice, but maybe Obama can take heart in the fact that China's two big solar farms will use U.S. technology. The big photovoltaic farm will use panels built by Arizona's First Solar (FSLR) and the solar thermal farm will use technology developed by California's eSolar. The World's Biggest Green Energy Projects

Just picture the world's biggest green energy projects all in China.

SciGuy re: re: "Well, he says lots of things".
***

China's waiting for nobody.

-
WARNING: The following program contains images than may cause terminal denial & cardiac arrest among Libertarians, Teabaggers, & Delusional WattsUpItsButters.

"Meanwhile, China's not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany's not waiting. India's not waiting. These nations aren't standing still. These nations aren't playing for second place. They're putting more emphasis on math and science. They're rebuilding their infrastructure. They are making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs." ~President Barack H. Obama, State of the Union Address, January 27, 2010

China's Green Rush: Go Far East, young man!

*
China is applying every available energy technology to sustain its history-making growth, perhaps, at the expense of climate & health.

China is No. 1 in solar cell manufacturing.

The world's biggest supplier of solar-manufacturing equipment has opened a research and development center in China, and its chief technology officer will relocate from Silicon Valley to that country next month.

One factor in the move by Applied Materials is that China offers manufacturing incentives that aren't available for solar companies in the U.S. The tax credits in the federal stimulus package that passed in February were one of the first such incentives in a long time, says Pinto. But, he adds, "The location of factories of the kind we make isn't driven by cost." He lists the considerations that led to the company's expansion in China: "Where does the product get consumed, what is the cost of shipping, and what incentives does the government offer?" Applied Materials Moves Solar Expertise to China

And soon to be No. 3 in wind power with 20 GWs of installed capacity, equivalent to 20 nukes.

China is set to become the world's third largest wind power producer in 2009 media reported, as the Asian giant seeks various ways to expand energy supply to power its economic boom. The country's installed wind power capacity will reach 20 gigawatts this year.... That will lift China to surpass Spain and become the world's third biggest wind power producer after the United States and Germany. China to be 3rd biggest wind power producer

And China understands how to use stimulus.

The Chinese have used their stimulus in a way that will lead to long-term growth. They are building superhighways and railroads that go 200 miles per hour; aggressively investing in alternative forms of energy like solar and wind power; and forcing heavy industry to adopt clean technologies. China has huge poverty and a long way to go to solve its problems, but the economy is moving ahead strongly. China's making right moves: U.S. investors will benefit from controlling growth

Renewable energy technologies like biomass, wind, & geothermal are already cost competitive. Just shift the subsidies from coal & oil, & put a price on carbon, & bingo, solar thermal & solar PV reach scale & become cost competitive. Like China.

A new gold rush in China is actually a green rush — an urgent drive to develop green technologies. One group of Western companies, the Cleantech Initiative, suggests China's market for renewable energy could eventually be worth as much as $500 billion to $1 trillion a year.

Now, Obama administration officials are warning that the U.S. could risk losing the race in green technologies. "The future of sustainable energy is here." The words are emblazoned on a wall at the world's largest nongovernmental solar research center. It was built by an American company, Applied Materials, in the central Chinese city of Xian.

The cost of solar panels has dropped dramatically — 30 percent in the past year alone. One major reason is the "China price," or the competitive advantages offered by Chinese manufacturing, with its cheap labor and economies of scale. China is now the world's biggest producer of photovoltaic solar panels, making about 40 percent of all panels, according to the China Daily, mostly for export. The Green Rush Is On In China

A New China Epoch Be Upon Us All.

*
Man up, an overview of China's Energy Industry:

To support its astounding economic development, China has been building up a massive power generation capacity at an accelerated pace. In a span of six years, China has more than doubled its capacity.

Currently, China’s installed capacity is about 65% that of the United States’ while its production volume is about 80% that of the United States. As China’s urbanization and industrialization continues, the nation is expected to overtake the United States to become the world largest electricity producer in 2010.

Since 2007, China’s coal market has been fully liberated and power producers are no longer entitled to preferential price treatment. According to the nation’s plans, by 2020, its nuclear capacity will reach 40 GW and its wind power capacity will reach 30 GW.

If you really want to appreciate the economic scale of our biggest competitor in the 21st Century, and haven't the spare fen or jiao to spend a few weeks touring Shanghai, Beijing, et al, be sure to browse China Knowledge. What the Chinese have already accomplished since 1978 is nothing short of epical, while most Americans still don't have a clue of what we're up against.

The reform that started in late 1978 has turned China into the fastest growing major economy in the world.

Time, perhaps, to sign up for that Mandarin class.
*

Confucius say, "Wait, wait, America!"

*
Did China shrewdly delay America's entry into the biggest opportunity of the 21st Century?

As developed nations fail to put an adequate price on carbon, and thus to stimulate clean-technology development themselves, they risk handing market supremacy to the rival they most fear. Indeed, it could even be hypothesized that China’s blocking of agreement on rich-country emission targets in Copenhagen was intended to hold back the development of cleantech by its Western rivals.

While Asian companies corner the clean energy market.

David Sandalow, the U.S. assistant secretary of energy for policy and international affairs—a longtime expert in the field, both in and out of government, who has trekked across the Pacific five times since last summer—says, “China’s investment in clean energy is extraordinary. Unless the U.S. makes investments, we are not competitive in the cleantech sector in the years and decades to come.” Did China block Copenhagen progress to pave way for its own dominance in cleantech?