Wednesday, August 26, 2009
GIVING THE HONOUR TO THE WOMBMAN
"I found you while I was looking for people subscribed to channels that discuss things like personal development, self improvement and spirituality. I'd like to invite you to take a look at a 5 minute video on my page called 'Introduction to Self Awareness 101'. The video explains our intention for the series, and if you like what you see, please subscribe and become a friend. We'll be releasing a new video each week. They're usually 3-5 minutes long and cover a range of topics designed to help people on their journey of self awareness."
Monday, August 24, 2009
SOLAR ENERGY HITS NEW YORK
FISHSCALE ENTERTAINMENT AND SKATEMASTERSPARK ARE IN TALKS FOR A GRAND OPENING OF A SOLAR CENTER IN DOWN TOWN BROOKLYN. NO LONGER DO YOU HAVE TO BE A SLAVE TO THE UTILITY COMPANY. FOR FURTHER INFO CONTACT SKATEMASTERSPARK@AOL.COM
Solar power generates electricity through photovoltaic cells -- semiconductor chips that convert visible energy into electricity. When light hits a silicon wafer, some of it is absorbed. That energy excites electrons into action, which creates an electric current.
Solar power -- modules, system components, and installation -- was a small, $4.7 billion market in 2003. Companies struggled to turn a profit. Now, thanks to our energy-crisis wake-up call, the world can't get enough solar energy. Pushed by China and India, the demand for solar power is soaring.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar energy production has grown about 40% annually over the past five years and is currently worth roughly $15 billion -- yet it still accounts for less than 0.01% of worldwide electrical production, according to SolarBuzz, an independent solar consulting and research firm. Clean Edge, a research firm, estimated solar power companies' sales will surge to $39.2 billion by 2014, an overall growth rate of 734% since 2003.
Every year, the sun emits 2,000 times more energy than the world's consumption needs. America's current demand for electrical power could be met entirely from only 10,000 square miles of solar photovoltaic cells. If solar panels covered 500 square feet of every U.S. home, our rooftops alone would generate 70% of all our total electricity needs.
So why hasn't solar power gotten a brighter buzz? Because it costs more to produce than power from fossil fuels -- two to five times more, according to SolarBuzz, but that cost discrepancy is steadily narrowing. Solar now costs about one-seventh of what it did in 1982 (as measured by watt peak output). As a result, electricity can now be generated for $0.22 to $0.40 per kilowatt-hour. Prices like these are beginning to reveal solar as a cost-effective energy alternative.
Government Incentives Drive Solar's Clean Power
Government rebates and incentives drop the cost of solar to $0.10 to $0.12 per kilowatt-hour. Compare this with the average U.S. residential electricity price of $0.112 per kilowatt-hour (which is most likely fossil-fuel based), and you can see that solar is beginning to make some real sense.
Germany, the world's largest solar market with close to 55% market share, subsidizes bank loans for solar power projects. Excess solar power can be sold back to utilities at a 15% premium, and the German government pays as much as 40% of the cost of building solar energy systems that heat drinking water. That has created worldwide shortages of solar photovoltaics.
Japan, the second-largest solar energy market, has subsidized the installation of solar energy PV systems in 70,000 homes over the past 10 years. It has a long-term objective of supplying 50% of its residential power needs with solar energy by 2030. This is a dramatic increase from the less than 1% residential penetration in 2005.
China -- the world's most populous country -- wants to draw 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, more than double where it is now. As it geared up for the Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese government considered more favorable tax incentives on top of the 50% break already awarded to investors in renewable energy.
Interest in solar and other sources of alternative energy is rising closer to home, too. California has instituted a $3.2 billion incentive program that aims to install 3,000 megawatts of solar power by 2018. Under the California Solar Initiative, home solar panel demand is soaring -- government subsidies and credits can absorb half the typical $25,000 cost. There is already a waiting list for panels in California. And orders are rising in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Washington.
In 2006, Arizona enacted corporate and personal tax credits, along with property and sales tax exemptions, for solar devices. New Jersey also adopted an incentive plan that subsidizes between 40% and 60% of the cost of installing a photovoltaic system.
But governments aren't the only ones interested in promoting solar power and other forms of environmentally friendly energy. In 2006, British tycoon Richard Branson pledged all the profits from his five airlines and train company, projected to be $3 billion over the next 10 years, to the development of renewable energy sources that do not contribute to global warming.
When worldwide governments and business leaders make commitments like these, it's time to take a closer look at the investment opportunities alternative energy can provide.
Solar Makes Good Business Sense
Even though solar is more expensive than conventional power, it offers other advantages that are worth the cost, according to some major corporations.
Microsoft [Nasdaq: MSFT], for instance, uses solar power at its Mountain View, Calif., facility so it won't be subject to rolling blackouts during peak summer usage months. Walgreen [NYSE: WAG] has installed solar energy systems in more than 100 stores, supplying 20% to 50% of each facility's energy needs.
Businesses that are off a power grid -- like those providing remote telecommunications, navigation lighting, and marine power -- already find that solar power is cheaper than conventional electricity without any further incentives. A system that you pay for in today's dollars and that provides free electricity for the next 20 years or so is a hedge against future inflation and energy uncertainty.
Why Coal is No Longer a Dirty Four-Letter Word
With solar energy becoming more cost-effective, along with all the attention on other cleantech industries, it's easy to overlook coal. Yet that unsexy commodity and its industrial-age image still provide a quarter of the world's energy. And this figure is likely to rise in the future. In the United States, more than half of all electricity is generated from coal; in China, the number is closer to 80%.
Why is coal now getting renewed interest in the energy sector? Because it has three significant advantages over oil. For starters, it's cheap. Coal is also abundant, and the reserves are massive. According to the Department of Energy, there is 180 years' worth of coal still in the ground, compared with 41 years' worth of oil. Third, the United States -- the "Saudi Arabia of coal" -- controls 27% of the world's reserves, the largest share of any country. The next-largest caches are in Russia, 17%, and China, 13%. With coal, we don't have to worry about the political stability issues that are a never-ending concern in the oil industry.
This triple play of low cost, abundance, and accessibility suggests that coal will remain king of electricity production for the foreseeable future. More than 150 coal-fired plants are now on the drawing board in the United States, and the figures are even more staggering in Asia. China has announced that despite its commitment to alternative energy, coal will still be the source for 50% of its electricity in 2035.
However, coal comes with another high cost: the one to society. It's responsible for more than 37% of the world's fossil fuel-related carbon dioxide emissions -- the chief greenhouse gas -- and could be a major contributor to global climate change. Coal also contains some nasty elements -- mercury, sulfur, nitrogen -- responsible for poisoning the fish in rivers and lakes, creating acid rain, and causing a variety of further health and environmental problems.
But now, that seems to be changing.
Clean Coal is Hitting its Stride
The good news is that the U.S. government has targeted $2 billion over the next 5 years toward "clean coal" technologies, and major players such as GE [NYSE: GE], Chevron [NYSE: CVX], and American Electric Power [NYSE: AEP] are studying ways to make coal cleaner.
One of the more promising methods is to convert coal into a gas, and innovators are turning to nanotechnology for assistance. Gasification breaks down the complex coal structure into smaller molecules so the most troublesome contaminants can be more easily captured and removed with nano-sized filters or catalyzed with highly reactive nanoparticles. The coal can then be refined into a cleaner fuel, and because it's purified before combustion, it producesvery little air pollution.
Given the world's growing consumption of energy, coal will remain king as an energy source. And while fuel cells and windmills, as well as more efficient biofuels and solar cells, have great promise, investors looking for a contrarian play in the cleantech field might want to consider the companies that are making coal cleaner today -- including one in this report.
When Investing in Alternative Energy, Cover Your Bets
The age of cheap oil is almost certainly over. And no matter how we try to reverse the course, the United States is sliding toward the downside of peak oil levels. Although nuclear energy and coal are still major energy sources, it's obvious that alternative, clean-energy technologies must (and will) have an increasingly important role in the United States' energy future.
But when it comes to investing in alternative energy, how do you know which technology will come out a winner, much less which alternative energy companies will provide superior returns? You don't -- and that's why it makes Foolish sense to cover your bets.
With rising oil prices, global warming, and constant tensions in the Middle East, investors are anxious to see an aggressive plan to adopt clean energy technologies.
Small, portable devices with low power requirements could become solar-powered quite cost-effectively. While fuel cells aren't quite ready for automotive use, they are increasingly popular in the telecommunications industry. Ethanol has drawbacks, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming an important fuel additive, and biodiesel is a growing fuel alternative. Wind power is land-intensive and inconsistent, but it makes good sense in some areas of the country.
The alternative energy wave is real -- it's proven, and it's making money. With all the clean energy technologies under development, chances are we will continue moving toward additional sources of energy, with different sources targeted for specific needs. One source probably won't dominate all our needs, but all of them make good sense for powering our lives -- as well as good investment opportunities, too.
Now let's look at three pure-play stocks that we believe will reap the lion's share of the extraordinary growth in alternative energy. If you're serious about investing in cleantech, these stocks are excellent jumping-off points.
Solar power generates electricity through photovoltaic cells -- semiconductor chips that convert visible energy into electricity. When light hits a silicon wafer, some of it is absorbed. That energy excites electrons into action, which creates an electric current.
Solar power -- modules, system components, and installation -- was a small, $4.7 billion market in 2003. Companies struggled to turn a profit. Now, thanks to our energy-crisis wake-up call, the world can't get enough solar energy. Pushed by China and India, the demand for solar power is soaring.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar energy production has grown about 40% annually over the past five years and is currently worth roughly $15 billion -- yet it still accounts for less than 0.01% of worldwide electrical production, according to SolarBuzz, an independent solar consulting and research firm. Clean Edge, a research firm, estimated solar power companies' sales will surge to $39.2 billion by 2014, an overall growth rate of 734% since 2003.
Every year, the sun emits 2,000 times more energy than the world's consumption needs. America's current demand for electrical power could be met entirely from only 10,000 square miles of solar photovoltaic cells. If solar panels covered 500 square feet of every U.S. home, our rooftops alone would generate 70% of all our total electricity needs.
So why hasn't solar power gotten a brighter buzz? Because it costs more to produce than power from fossil fuels -- two to five times more, according to SolarBuzz, but that cost discrepancy is steadily narrowing. Solar now costs about one-seventh of what it did in 1982 (as measured by watt peak output). As a result, electricity can now be generated for $0.22 to $0.40 per kilowatt-hour. Prices like these are beginning to reveal solar as a cost-effective energy alternative.
Government Incentives Drive Solar's Clean Power
Government rebates and incentives drop the cost of solar to $0.10 to $0.12 per kilowatt-hour. Compare this with the average U.S. residential electricity price of $0.112 per kilowatt-hour (which is most likely fossil-fuel based), and you can see that solar is beginning to make some real sense.
Germany, the world's largest solar market with close to 55% market share, subsidizes bank loans for solar power projects. Excess solar power can be sold back to utilities at a 15% premium, and the German government pays as much as 40% of the cost of building solar energy systems that heat drinking water. That has created worldwide shortages of solar photovoltaics.
Japan, the second-largest solar energy market, has subsidized the installation of solar energy PV systems in 70,000 homes over the past 10 years. It has a long-term objective of supplying 50% of its residential power needs with solar energy by 2030. This is a dramatic increase from the less than 1% residential penetration in 2005.
China -- the world's most populous country -- wants to draw 15% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, more than double where it is now. As it geared up for the Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese government considered more favorable tax incentives on top of the 50% break already awarded to investors in renewable energy.
Interest in solar and other sources of alternative energy is rising closer to home, too. California has instituted a $3.2 billion incentive program that aims to install 3,000 megawatts of solar power by 2018. Under the California Solar Initiative, home solar panel demand is soaring -- government subsidies and credits can absorb half the typical $25,000 cost. There is already a waiting list for panels in California. And orders are rising in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Washington.
In 2006, Arizona enacted corporate and personal tax credits, along with property and sales tax exemptions, for solar devices. New Jersey also adopted an incentive plan that subsidizes between 40% and 60% of the cost of installing a photovoltaic system.
But governments aren't the only ones interested in promoting solar power and other forms of environmentally friendly energy. In 2006, British tycoon Richard Branson pledged all the profits from his five airlines and train company, projected to be $3 billion over the next 10 years, to the development of renewable energy sources that do not contribute to global warming.
When worldwide governments and business leaders make commitments like these, it's time to take a closer look at the investment opportunities alternative energy can provide.
Solar Makes Good Business Sense
Even though solar is more expensive than conventional power, it offers other advantages that are worth the cost, according to some major corporations.
Microsoft [Nasdaq: MSFT], for instance, uses solar power at its Mountain View, Calif., facility so it won't be subject to rolling blackouts during peak summer usage months. Walgreen [NYSE: WAG] has installed solar energy systems in more than 100 stores, supplying 20% to 50% of each facility's energy needs.
Businesses that are off a power grid -- like those providing remote telecommunications, navigation lighting, and marine power -- already find that solar power is cheaper than conventional electricity without any further incentives. A system that you pay for in today's dollars and that provides free electricity for the next 20 years or so is a hedge against future inflation and energy uncertainty.
Why Coal is No Longer a Dirty Four-Letter Word
With solar energy becoming more cost-effective, along with all the attention on other cleantech industries, it's easy to overlook coal. Yet that unsexy commodity and its industrial-age image still provide a quarter of the world's energy. And this figure is likely to rise in the future. In the United States, more than half of all electricity is generated from coal; in China, the number is closer to 80%.
Why is coal now getting renewed interest in the energy sector? Because it has three significant advantages over oil. For starters, it's cheap. Coal is also abundant, and the reserves are massive. According to the Department of Energy, there is 180 years' worth of coal still in the ground, compared with 41 years' worth of oil. Third, the United States -- the "Saudi Arabia of coal" -- controls 27% of the world's reserves, the largest share of any country. The next-largest caches are in Russia, 17%, and China, 13%. With coal, we don't have to worry about the political stability issues that are a never-ending concern in the oil industry.
This triple play of low cost, abundance, and accessibility suggests that coal will remain king of electricity production for the foreseeable future. More than 150 coal-fired plants are now on the drawing board in the United States, and the figures are even more staggering in Asia. China has announced that despite its commitment to alternative energy, coal will still be the source for 50% of its electricity in 2035.
However, coal comes with another high cost: the one to society. It's responsible for more than 37% of the world's fossil fuel-related carbon dioxide emissions -- the chief greenhouse gas -- and could be a major contributor to global climate change. Coal also contains some nasty elements -- mercury, sulfur, nitrogen -- responsible for poisoning the fish in rivers and lakes, creating acid rain, and causing a variety of further health and environmental problems.
But now, that seems to be changing.
Clean Coal is Hitting its Stride
The good news is that the U.S. government has targeted $2 billion over the next 5 years toward "clean coal" technologies, and major players such as GE [NYSE: GE], Chevron [NYSE: CVX], and American Electric Power [NYSE: AEP] are studying ways to make coal cleaner.
One of the more promising methods is to convert coal into a gas, and innovators are turning to nanotechnology for assistance. Gasification breaks down the complex coal structure into smaller molecules so the most troublesome contaminants can be more easily captured and removed with nano-sized filters or catalyzed with highly reactive nanoparticles. The coal can then be refined into a cleaner fuel, and because it's purified before combustion, it producesvery little air pollution.
Given the world's growing consumption of energy, coal will remain king as an energy source. And while fuel cells and windmills, as well as more efficient biofuels and solar cells, have great promise, investors looking for a contrarian play in the cleantech field might want to consider the companies that are making coal cleaner today -- including one in this report.
When Investing in Alternative Energy, Cover Your Bets
The age of cheap oil is almost certainly over. And no matter how we try to reverse the course, the United States is sliding toward the downside of peak oil levels. Although nuclear energy and coal are still major energy sources, it's obvious that alternative, clean-energy technologies must (and will) have an increasingly important role in the United States' energy future.
But when it comes to investing in alternative energy, how do you know which technology will come out a winner, much less which alternative energy companies will provide superior returns? You don't -- and that's why it makes Foolish sense to cover your bets.
With rising oil prices, global warming, and constant tensions in the Middle East, investors are anxious to see an aggressive plan to adopt clean energy technologies.
Small, portable devices with low power requirements could become solar-powered quite cost-effectively. While fuel cells aren't quite ready for automotive use, they are increasingly popular in the telecommunications industry. Ethanol has drawbacks, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming an important fuel additive, and biodiesel is a growing fuel alternative. Wind power is land-intensive and inconsistent, but it makes good sense in some areas of the country.
The alternative energy wave is real -- it's proven, and it's making money. With all the clean energy technologies under development, chances are we will continue moving toward additional sources of energy, with different sources targeted for specific needs. One source probably won't dominate all our needs, but all of them make good sense for powering our lives -- as well as good investment opportunities, too.
Now let's look at three pure-play stocks that we believe will reap the lion's share of the extraordinary growth in alternative energy. If you're serious about investing in cleantech, these stocks are excellent jumping-off points.
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