QUICK NEWS, September 1: NEW ENERGY DEAL GETS BETTER; PLUG-IN CARS GAIN MARKET TRACTION; BIGGEST NAMES IN HOME ENERGY MGMT

NEW ENERGY DEAL GETS BETTER IEA, NEA study shows renewables LCOE keeps falling

Tsvetomira Tsanova, August 31, 2015 (SeeNews)

“…[T]he low-end levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) for some renewable energy technologies is the same or even below that for baseload power plants [according to Projected Costs of Generating Electricity from the IEA (International Energy Agency) and the NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency)]…[T]he high-end renewables LCOE remains far above the cost of nuclear, coal or natural gas power generation, but the progress green energy has made towards becoming more competitive is notable. The LCOE for nuclear, coal and gas has increased a bit since 2010, while for renewables such as wind and solar, it keeps falling…[O]nshore wind remains the cheapest renewable energy option…[T]he cost of utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV) and onshore wind is comparable and often lower in countries featuring plentiful resources and appropriate market and regulatory frameworks...” click here for more

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PLUG-IN CARS GAIN MARKET TRACTION Electric Vehicles Continue Gaining Consumer Acceptance

Andrew Balazer, August 31, 2015 (National Law Review)

“…[The August 2015 Uptake of Ultra Low Emission Vehicles… shows] electric vehicles gaining a loyal finding, with the vast majority of electric vehicle owners saying that they were satisfied with their car and would recommend electric vehicles to others. While range anxiety remains an issue…private owners appear to have happily adopted their use for shorter trips, like commuting or running nearby errands…[W]here an electric car is part of a multi-car household, the electric car is used for the majority of trips…[indicating] the electric car is the primary car…Electric cars have so far been more expensive than comparable fossil fuel-powered cars; however, subsidies and tax breaks appear to be doing their job of getting people to at least consider electric cars. And once they are driving these cars regularly, consumers appear to be very satisfied…As prices for these cars fall with production costs, we can expect to see these cars taking a greater and greater share of the market…” click here for more

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BIGGEST NAMES IN HOME ENERGY MGMT Navigant Research Leaderboard Report: Home Energy Management; Assessment of Strategy and Execution for 16 HEM Vendors

3Q 2015 (Navigant Research)

“Home energy management (HEM) is a broad market segment covering technologies and services that consumers use to help them better manage and control their home energy consumption…In the 2 years since the last iteration of this report, the HEM market has seen tremendous change…Navigant Research expects steady growth for HEM products and services through 2023. The HEM market has struggled to gain traction in the past, particularly from a utility standpoint. However, it began picking up momentum in 2014, when non-utility stakeholders started making bolder moves. The initial jolt came from Google’s early 2014 purchase of Nest Labs…According to Navigant Research, the global HEM revenue is expected to peak at a little over $3 billion in 2020…” click here for more

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