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1. VIDEO: Ener1 CEO Weighs in on Fisker's Nina and Raising Money
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2. Making Smart Meters the Must-Have Gadget of the Year
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3. Cali Puts Kibosh on "Cool Cars" to Save In-Car Electronics
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4. Even Fake Gadgets Can Get Energy Star Approval!
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5. CHEAT SHEET: Green Car Loan Winners & Losers
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6. How Broadband Can Be the Backbone for a Green Economy
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7. Daily Sprout
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8. Dollars and Yuan: Snapshot of Global Green Energy Investment
VIDEO: Ener1 CEO Weighs in on Fisker's Nina and Raising Money
Katie Fehrenbacher - Automotive
On EnerDel’s previous plan to supply batteries for Fisker’s upcoming plug-in Karma model, Gassenheimer says don’t count EnerDel out from all of Fisker’s plans. EnerDel and Fisker’s talks broke off earlier this year, and A123Systems swooped in to take the deal. But Gassenheimer tells us you’ll probably see EnerDel batteries in Fisker’s next-generation electric vehicle Project Nina, though he also said it’s too early to talk about any type of deal or specifics between the two firms.
Ener1 has a 31 percent stake in electric car maker Think, and has been working with Volvo. In addition to two original equipment manufacturing deals that Ener1 hopes to announce this year — one in Europe and one in Asia (as we reported earlier this month) — Gassenheimer says that with a little luck Ener1 will have one of the world’s largest revenue streams associated with lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles in the coming years.
When it comes to government funding Gassenheimer tells us that the lengthy loan and grant process for green cars has taken longer then expected but that Ener1 is now going through the due diligence process of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program (for a cheat sheet of winners and losers under that program see here). Ener1 has also drawn the first funds from its $118.5 million federal grant, awarded last year under the Department of Energy's highly competitive battery grant program.
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Making Smart Meters the Must-Have Gadget of the Year
Pedro Hernandez - Smart Grid
But the coalition has its work cut out for it. According to a recent Harris Interactive poll, 68 percent of Americans haven't even heard of the smart grid. And without a sense of how the smart grid and an ecosystem of devices, apps and services can help them save money on electricity, the whole concept remains an abstraction for most consumers. The challenge therefore is not merely to prepare consumers for the smart grid's arrival, but to make the wait unbearable.
As I describe in my weekly column over at GigaOM Pro today (sub. req’d), the only way the SGCC and its members will spark genuine enthusiasm from a disinterested populace and win over the hearts (and wallets) of consumers is to approach its mission with the same ferocity as smart meter opponents and doomsayers. It's not to say that SGCC has to go on the offensive, but it does have to imbue its outreach with the same passion as a company launching a big, market-changing product in this day and age.
Fortunately, SGCC comes out of the gate with a founding-members roster that reads like a mini "who's who" of smart grid players; heavyweights like GE and IBM are joined by startups like Silver Spring Networks and Ember as well as consumer-facing veterans like Best Buy and Control4. Not only do all of these organizations have a huge stake in improving the visibility, and the reputation, of the industry, many of them — particularly Best Buy, Control4 and GE's appliances division — have significant expertise in marketing to consumers. Hopefully, they’ll put that expertise to work.
Image courtesy of B Tal’s photostream Flickr Creative Commons.
Cali Puts Kibosh on "Cool Cars" to Save In-Car Electronics
Josie Garthwaite - Automotive
The decision to halt the rule, which would have required reflective metallic glazing on car windshields by 2012 and all windows in 2016 for vehicles sold in California, comes as a response to protests from stakeholders that the glazing would block or at least degrade in-car wireless reception for electronic devices.
Gadget makers, car companies and other groups have raised concerns that GPS navigation systems, mobile phones, toll-collection systems, ankle bracelets for monitoring parolees, and other devices would be affected by the glazing. This week’s decision points to the considerable influence of the auto and telecom lobbies, which campaigned against the mandate. In years past, as Edmunds has explained, ARB slashed requirements for fuel cell and all-electric vehicles (“zero emission vehicles”) to “accommodate automaker concerns that neither the technologies nor the marketplace are quite ready yet.”
This latest move marks a shift from the position suggested in an ARB report late last year. In November the agency released findings that the new rule, meant to help keep vehicles cool in the sun (and thus cut use of energy-guzzling air conditioners) could interfere slightly with signal reception for GPS devices, but probably wouldn’t block most mobile phone signals.
The Cool Cars initiative came as part of California's Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), which mandates a drop in greenhouse gas emissions for the state to 1990 levels by 2020. According to ARB’s estimates, the regulation could prevent more than 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles.
According to a statement in Thursday’s release from ARB executive officer James Goldstene, the Board now plans to, ”pursue a performance-based approach as part of its vehicle climate change program to reduce CO2 from air conditioning and provide cooler car interiors for California motorists.”
That performance-based option was already on the table for the 2016 step-up in the original ruling. ARB explained back in July 2009 (PDF) that automakers would have the option to meet the state’s target — blocking 60 percent of solar heat gain – with “a combination”of the required glazing and other solar control technologies.
Some of the options that ARB suggested at the time, and that we might see rolling out in coming years as a result of the new performance-based approach, include solar reflective paints, passive or active ventilation systems, solar reflective or thermo-regulating materials and vehicle insulation.
Photos courtesy ARB
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Even Fake Gadgets Can Get Energy Star Approval!
Katie Fehrenbacher - @NYT
Pick one and get it approved Energy Star
The Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary energy efficiency labeling Energy Star is so lax that even completely made-up and obviously ridiculous gadgets can get certified. That was the finding by Congressional auditors who submitted and gained Energy Star certification for a “gasoline-powered alarm clock” and an “air purifier” that was just an electric space heater with a feather duster pasted on top of it, reports the New York Times.
Sad — the EPA was supposed to be beefing up its program, and back in December had cracked down on Korean electronics giant LG saying that it couldn't use the Energy Star logo for more than a dozen of its refrigerators starting in the new year because they weren’t energy efficient enough. (LG is also having problems with not meeting energy efficiency requirements in Australia right now).
The Energy Star-approved Air Purifier
The congressional auditors found that “the Energy Star program was highly vulnerable to fraud,” that companies could download and use the Energy Star label for whatever they wanted, and that an automated system did many of the approvals without any human involvement (hence probably why a picture of a space heater glued to a feather duster could get through).
It’s particularly disturbing because the stimulus package has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars for a rebate program for consumers that buy Energy Star appliances. Seems like more of that funding should have just gone to help the Energy Star program budget to rehaul itself.
The EPA and DOE got ahead of the report and last week released an announcement outlining steps for how to strengthen Energy Star. Good luck to the 18-year-old program that still can’t get it right.
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Image courtesy of splorp’s photostream Flickr Creative Commons.
CHEAT SHEET: Green Car Loan Winners & Losers
Josie Garthwaite - Automotive
In terms of the DOE loan, V-Vehicle brought to the table a shorter track record than even the earliest-stage awardee (Fisker Automotive). And V-Vehicle’s technology — a gas-powered, highly efficient car — represents a relatively small step away from fossil fuels, compared to the leap that could be possible with the electric vehicle tech that the DOE has supported in legacy player Nissan’s project.
Granted, V-Vehicle provided the DOE evaluation team with a heckuva lot more visibility into its technology and business plans than it has revealed publicly. It’s a respectable choice: Fewer promises made leaves fewer to break. But by any measure, V-Vehicle remains at a very early stage — which can make it difficult to prove financial viability for the term of the loan, one element factored into the ATVM loan decisions.
A short history isn’t necessary a deal breaker. As you’ll see in the chart below, the DOE has given the nod to other venture-backed startups: Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive. Along with the risk of young ventures with unproven business models, however, Tesla and Fisker represent two of the most widely recognized plug-in vehicle brands. On top of that, Tesla already had a few hundred of its first all-electric model on the road when it applied for ATVM funds — not a lot, but more than any other automaker in the country.
Created under Section 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the ATVM program holds authority to award up to $25 billion in direct loans. Projects can include re-equipping or expanding existing manufacturing facilities, establishing new plants in the U.S., or dealing with the engineering integration associated with these types of projects.
Under the program rules, ATVM-funded vehicle projects from new companies like V-Vehicle have to deliver fuel economy improvements of at least 25 percent compared to the average for that vehicle class in 2005 (for a manufacturer that already had cars on the market five years ago, its own 2005 fleet average serves as the base). According to the final rulemaking for the program, the DOE considers “the extent to which an advanced technology vehicle exceeds” the minimum 25 percent improvement when it’s “prioritizing projects.”
V-Vehicle has not shown a prototype or concept of any kind in its four years of existence. It has big-name backers, but it’s hardly the symbol for the nascent electric vehicle industry that Tesla and (to a lesser extent) Fisker represent. The company’s basic idea is to bring higher-MPG gas cars within reach for the masses. To do that, V-Vehicle revealed this week that it wants to build a four-seat car with better-than-average fuel efficiency at significantly lower cost than currently available models. Priced 35-40 percent, “below comparably equipped cars,” V-Vehicle CEO Frank Varasano said in a statement, the so-called V Car “would have a greater impact on the environment over the next five years than any electric or hybrid currently on the market or in development today.”
We’ll keep updating this chart as more decisions emerge from the ATVM office. For now, here’s your cheat sheet on winners and losers under the green car loan program.
| Company | Request (Award) | Project (Scale) | Jobs (Locations) | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor | $11.4B ($5.9B) | Engineer tech for fuel efficient gas cars, convert truck plants to build cars (deploy in nearly 2M cars/year) | 35K (IL, KY, MI, MO, OH) | EcoBoost engine tech entered production in 2009 model year. Company has $46B market cap |
| Nissan North America | ($1.6B) | Construct new plant and retool factory to build electric cars and battery packs (150K vehicles/year, 200K batteries/year by March 2015) | 1,300 (Smyrna, TN) | Nissan LEAF concept unveiled 2008, followed by multiple prototypes; production version unveiled Aug. 2009. Parent company has $38B market cap. |
| Tesla Motors | $350M ($465M) | Set up two plants, one for electric Model S, one for battery packs and electric drivetrains (30K packs, 20K vehicles in 2013) | 1,000 (Southern CA), 650 (SF Bay Area, CA) | Model S concept debuted Mar. 2009. Company had delivered more than 500 Tesla Roadsters at time of ATVM award (Jun. 2009). |
| Fisker Automotive | ($528.7M) | Engineering and integration work with U.S. suppliers for luxury plug-in hybrid Karma; set up manufacturing for mid-range Nina model (75K-100K Nina vehicles/year by 2012) | 5,000 (suppliers throughout U.S., Nina plant in Delaware, Karma production in Finland, engineering initially planned for Pontiac, MI but moved to Irvine, CA) | Fisker Karma shown in prototype; Nina in very early development. |
| Tenneco | ($24M) | Design, engineer and produce fuel-efficient emission control components for gas, hybrid and diesel-powered vehicle engines (components slated to go into 2M vehicles in 2010-2014) | 1,500 (total workforce at Tenneco’s MI, IN, NE facilities). | Company considered a Tier 1 automotive supplier and has $1.44B market cap. |
| V-Vehicle | $321.1M (Rejected) | Retool old GM plant to build 4-person, gas-powered car with better than national average fuel economy (production goals not disclosed). | 1,400 directly (Monroe, LA); 1,800 indirectly (northeastern LA) | Company says “first production prototype” is now “in testing.” |
How Broadband Can Be the Backbone for a Green Economy
Katie Fehrenbacher - Green IT
The report, called Networking the Green Economy, focuses on how investment in information technology can help the economy and reduce energy consumption (and carbon emissions) by developing a smarter grid, smarter buildings, and using broadband to boost teleconferencing and telehealth services. (We’re covering all of these themes at our Green:Net conference on April 29 in San Francisco).
As most of us know by now, adding digital intelligence to the power grid can make the grid much more energy efficient, and it’s becoming a booming industry. The world’s utilities spent $25 billion on both traditional IT and smart grid technology last year.
The report also points to how home and business broadband connections can reduce the number of miles people travel (cutting emissions in the process) via teleconferencing and web-based health services (using the Internet, video conferencing and email to replace doctors visits). At Green:Net we’re having a panel that will focus on dematerialization — replacing atoms with bits — and will look at video conferencing with a discussion from Saul Griffith founder of Squid Lab, Jonathan Koomey, Scientist for Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and Stanford, Molly Webb, Analyst with The Climate Group and Casey Harrell, IT Analyst for Greenpeace International.
The report, quoting numbers from The Climate Group, says that information and communication technology can help the U.S. “reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 13 to 22 percent by 2020.”
Ericsson’s CEO Hans Vestberg made similar remarks at the Earth Institute’s State of the Planet conference in New York on Thursday. Vestberg said:
“[E]conomic growth and environmental protection do not need to be in conflict. On the contrary, investments in broadband can help to stimulate both and bring a new era in green economy. Broadband will be a pre requisite for a 21st Century low carbon economy, and will enable services such as smart grids, intelligent transports, e-health, all of which have significant contributions to reduce CO2″.
So now computing and Internet companies, the greentech industry, environmentalists and policy-makers can all have a common goal: to promote the proliferation of broadband as much as possible across the U.S. Both the report and Vestberg called for more government incentives for broadband infrastructure to help the U.S. boost broadband users. In some areas of the country (particularly in low-income and rural areas, and among some minority populations), less than half of the population uses broadband.
Image courtesy of the report Networking the Green Economy.
Daily Sprout
Katie Fehrenbacher - Misc
Comverge + PECO: Utility PECO says it has signed up with demand response provider Comverge — release.
An Open Letter to Ban Ki Moon on Climate Change: Neal Dikeman calls for Christiana Figueres of Costa Rica to become the next UNFCCC Secretariat. Interesting idea — Cleantech Blog.
Austin Aiming for a Grid Makeover: “The city of Austin, Tex., today presented a wide-ranging list of recommendations for remaking its electricity system, including more energy efficiency measures and a change to the business model of the local utility.” — Green Inc.
Australia Cutting Carbon from IT: “Australia's Finance Minister, Lindsay Tanner, has reportedly laid out a target to cut roughly 13% of the carbon emissions from its data centre operations over the next five years.” — Greentelecomlive.com via GreenBroadband
Solar Robots!: “The National Renewable Energy Lab, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, has some new deputies in its push to develop cheaper, more efficient solar cells. Meet the NREL bots.” — Discovery.
Dollars and Yuan: Snapshot of Global Green Energy Investment
Josie Garthwaite - Big Green
Venture Capital/Private Equity Financing, By Sector 2004-09 (in GW)
Venture capital and private equity: That’s the sweet spot for the U.S. and one of the only areas where the country leads the world in terms of financing a renewable energy buildout, according to a new report from the Pew Environment Group.
When it comes to other types and measurements of green energy financing — including the total amount of financing, the installed renewable energy capacity, the rate of investment growth over the last five years, the amount of financing and investment as a percentage of gross domestic product, total asset financing and IPO activity in 2009 — the U.S. does not hold the top spot. And in many cases, it ranks at No. 2, behind China.
Michael Liebreich, chief executive for Bloomberg New Energy Finance (Pew’s research partner on the report), put the researchers’ basic conclusion simply: “China is now clearly the world leader in attracting new capital and making new investments in this area.” The charts in the gallery below offer a snapshot of where global investment is going in the renewable energy sector.
Venture Capital/Private Equity Financing
Graphics credit Pew Charitable Trusts
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