Energy Efficiency Will Be Trendy in 2010, Study Says

By Dena Cassella December 16, 2009

Energy-efficient technology for batteries, grids and power storage will be trendy in 2010, according to a study released Wednesday on clean energy technology.

Even as the use of solar and wind power expands, conserving energy and using it more efficiently will draw more interest from companies and investors, the PricewaterhouseCoopers study found.

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Only a small fraction of all power consumed in the U.S. comes from renewable sources, but they have gained favor globally as governments and businesses seek to curb pollution and the use of fossil fuels.

Partnerships will continue being formed across industries, with utilities working with car makers or a communications firm with a meter manufacturer to develop a two-way system for delivering smart grid data.

The predictions come as the renewable energy industry appears to be recovering slowly from the recession, said Tim Carey, a partner and U.S. clean tech leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The industry lost momentum as credit markets dried up, natural gas prices fell and demand diminished during the recession. Some companies were forced into bankruptcy while others shelved plans and cut jobs.

Capital markets remain challenging for renewable energy firms, said Joseph Muscat, Ernst & Young’s Americas clean tech director.

In the first nine months, venture capital and private equity investors put $1.6 billion into clean tech companies, with amounts increasing each quarter, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Yet the total still lagged the first nine months of 2008 by 48.7 percent.

The U.S. government has yet to disburse the bulk of stimulus money that has been earmarked for renewable energy programs. About $24 billion has been allocated to date, with $57 billion projected in 2010 and $56 billion in 2011, Muscat said.

The industry could see immense growth as utilities push to meet mandates to provide a percentage of electricity from renewable resources.

The two analysts said watch for these other trends in 2010:

• Investors will begin to see large corporations take a stronger interest in clean technology and seek ways to reduce carbon emissions and offer green products and services.

• Improvements in smart grid technology will make it easier to deliver renewable energy power to transmission lines.

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Outdoors

Juiced Bikes offers 20% off on all e-bikes amid signs of bankruptcy

Juiced Bikes Scrambler ebike

A “20% off sitewide” banner on top of a company’s website should normally be cause for glee among customers. Except if you’re a fan of that company’s products and its executives remain silent amid mounting signs that said company might be on the brink of bankruptcy.That’s what’s happening with Juiced Bikes, the San Diego-based maker of e-bikes.According to numerous customer reports, Juiced Bikes has completely stopped responding to customer inquiries for some time, while its website is out of stock on all products. There are also numerous testimonies of layoffs at the company.Even more worrying signs are also piling up: The company’s assets, including its existing inventory of products, is appearing as listed for sale on an auction website used by companies that go out of business.In addition, a court case has been filed in New York against parent company Juiced Inc. and Juiced Bike founder Tora Harris, according to Trellis, a state trial court legal research platform.Founded in 2009 by Harris, a U.S. high-jump Olympian, Juiced Bikes was one of the early pioneers of the direct-to-consumer e-bike brands in the U.S. market.The company’s e-bikes developed a loyal fandom through the years. Last year, Digital Trends named the Juiced Bikes Scorpion X2 as the best moped-style e-bike for 2023, citing its versatility, rich feature set, and performance.The company has so far stayed silent amid all the reports. But should its bankruptcy be confirmed, it could legitimately be attributed to the post-pandemic whiplash experienced by the e-bike industry over the past few years. The Covid-19 pandemic had led to a huge spike in demand for e-bikes just as supply chains became heavily constrained. This led to a ramp-up of e-bike production to match the high demand. But when consumer demand dropped after the pandemic, e-bike makers were left with large stock surpluses.The good news is that the downturn phase might soon be over just as the industry is experiencing a wave of mergers and acquisitions, according to a report by Houlihan Lokey.This may mean that even if Juiced Bikes is indeed going under, the brand and its products might find a buyer and show up again on streets and trails.

Cars

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volkswagen affordable evs 2027 id 2all

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Cars

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nissan charging ariya superchargers at station

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