Advanced Energy Perspectives

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends that shape advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world. It is drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

In 2016, the solar PV industry set a record with an estimated 77.2 GW of new capacity installed around the world – 52% above 2015’s installation figure of 51 GW.[1] That does not mean the year was an easy one for the industry. Pricing pressure on manufacturers and developers alike kept revenue growth from matching the rate of deployment. Still, the global market grew 35% in 2016, to $131.8 billion.

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends that shape advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world. It is drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

In the early part of this decade, the deployment of non-traditional methods of natural gas extraction, especially hydraulic fracturing, both dramatically increased the availability of this fuel and drove down the price, making it a possible alternative to other fuels not only for power generation but also for transportation. The prospect of lower operating cost made it seem that NGVs could be a good solution for larger vehicle types (and vehicle fleets), despite higher purchase prices.

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends that shape advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world. It is drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

Historically, the United States has imported large quantities of natural gas, mostly from Canada. In 2005 alone, the United States imported 4 trillion cubic feet of this fuel. But hydraulic fracturing has resulted in an abundance of domestic natural gas supply. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects the country to become a net exporter of natural gas in 2017 for the first time since 1958, citing declining pipeline imports from Canada, increased pipeline exports to Mexico, and greater LNG exports elsewhere. By 2026, EIA projects U.S. exports at 4 trillion cubic feet even if oil prices remain at current lows.

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends that shape advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world. It is drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

A CHP system at the University of Arizona.

For roughly a century, CHP systems have been reliable, cost-effective sources of power and thermal energy in both industrial and commercial building applications. Representing as much as 8% of U.S. electricity generation, CHP systems are used widely in manufacturing, hospitals, district heating, commercial buildings, and even residential applications.

This post is one in a series of feature stories on trends that shape advanced energy markets in the U.S. and around the world. It is drawn from Advanced Energy Now 2017 Market Report, which was prepared for AEE by Navigant Research.

Growth in hydrogen fueling transportation infrastructure and fuel cell vehicle (FCV) sales is advancing the concept of a true “hydrogen highway” – and ultimately the potential for more rapid growth in retail hydrogen fuel sales. Commercial sales for hydrogen transportation fuel are not included in the market sizing estimate as this data is just beginning to become available, for two reasons. First, there are relatively few commercial sales of hydrogen fuel. The infrastructure is mostly limited to pilot sites or regionally concentrated in countries like Germany, the United States, Japan, Korea, and Denmark. Though retail networks are growing, both pilot and retail sites remain intrinsically linked to automaker deployment plans. Hence, steady station growth is necessary before more FCVs hit the roads.