Tom Konrad

The Future Shape of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

I only discussed pure-play CSP companies in this article. Abengoa is definitely involve in CSP, but has many other businesses as well.


On Apr 16 04:22 PM Freya wrote:

> CSP is alive and well in the USA, various States. With the world's
> largest such facility contracted to be built in Arizona.
>
> Abengoa Solar, ABGOF. I'm really surprised you haven't heard of it.

The Future Shape of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

There is a role for both central solar and distributed solar. In the near term, distributed solar (PV and CPV) will have the advantage, because limited electric transmission limits the opprotunities for large scale CSP. But in the ling term, dispachable CSP will be invaluable for integrating variable sorces of power such as PV and wind into the electric grid. Dispatchable renewable prowr sources are essential to bringing the penertration of renewable energy beyond 30-50%... see this article:
www.altenergystocks.co...


On Apr 16 07:55 PM Alan Young wrote:

> Perhaps a socio-economic comment is out-of-place vis-a-vis your fine
> technical discussion, but I'm somewhat distressed by the whole concept
> of CSP.
> Those who are only interested in the technical problems, please skip
> the rest of my comment.
>
> We have been suffering, ever since the Industrial Revolution, from
> increasing concentration of capital-intensive projects, where increasingly
> large swathes of our lives are controlled by centralized powers--be
> they corporate or governmental. Railroads, oil cartels, and large
> utilities all fit this mold.
>
> Solar energy--that is, photovoltaics--was born in the revolutionary
> idea that we could decentralize the source of our electricity; everyone
> can have their own power plant, and reduce dependence on a centrally-controlled
> grid. The evolution of the internet has trended along these lines,
> as well, and helped reinforce our understanding of how we can each
> take more responsibility for what we consume.
>
> CSP is a throwback to the old, centralized power model. Now, I know
> we are not ready to leap into a world of no grid, and perhaps CSP
> is the best way to power the grid in some places. So please don't
> read this as an attack on the technology. My only problem is that
> now we have an ambiguity in the term "solar power," where in one
> context it suggests local generation with photovoltaics, and in another
> it refers to centralized, capital-intensive CSP.
>
> Because these are contradictory models of how our economic resources
> are used and controlled, we now have a tension that arises whenever
> the term "solar power" is mentioned.
>
> Most people, perhaps, are not so sensitive to this tension. But most
> people pay only marginal attention to renewable energy issues, and
> there's no way to tell how many of them may get a sense of discomfort
> about solar energy without ever recognizing why. When marketing a
> product or idea that calls for broad public support (or participation),
> language matters.
>
> I don't have a solution to this, or even a concrete complaint. Just
> an idea that perhaps need to considered further.
>
>

10 Green Energy Gambles for 2009: 3 Month Update

Link to ETF article:
www.altenergystocks.co...

10 Green Energy Gambles for 2009: 3 Month Update

CLNE is not green enough for my taste (natural gas is a fossil fuel.) If youw ant to understand why I choose to use PBW and ICLN as benchmarks, as opposed to PZD, read my article on clean energy etfs.


On Apr 13 03:23 PM Freya wrote:

> Interesting selections. How about PZD and TBoone's CLNE?

10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2009: End of Q1 Performance Update

If CREE were removed, the portfolio would still have out performed the indecies.

However, removing the best performing company after the fact is a falwed methodology for evaluating performance. If we are going to remove outliers, at the very least, we should remove one top-performing outlier, and one underperfroming outlier. If we remove both CREE and TRN, the overall perfomrance would be about -1%, still far outperforming both PBW and SPY.


On Apr 02 09:37 PM Marcap wrote:

> While the information provided is indeed helpful, it should be noted
> that the +1.6% total change in portfolio valuation is due primarily
> to the results of just one company, Cree, which enjoyed a 59.96%
> increase. Remove just that one company however from the mix, and
> the results look anything but positive. On the contrary, they would
> show a 58.36% decline which is why one should never add equally weighted
> percentages to try and make a generalization about a market trend.
>

10 Clean Energy Stocks for 2009: End of Q1 Performance Update

You're welcome, both. It's not every day that I get to toot my own horn and have people thank me for it. ;) But I'll keep this up even if next quarter I have less to brag about.

The Texas 'Wind' Emergency, the Smart Grid and the Dumb Grid

William-
I didn't mention BCON because they provide frequency regulation, which would not have helped much in this case. And I consider them an energy storage company, not a smarrt grid company.


On Mar 24 09:10 AM William Taylor wrote:

> Tom, why no mention of (seekingalpha.com/symbo...) Beacon
> Power? Isn't "smart grid" their speciality? Please comment. Thanks!

The Texas 'Wind' Emergency, the Smart Grid and the Dumb Grid

Good point Butch... I apologize for my mistake. I'll have to come up with some other theory as to why ERCOT chooses not to use all available information (i.e. weather forecasts) in their dispatch decisions... but I still suspect that it's because they have no financial incentive to do so.


On Mar 24 10:01 AM Butch wrote:

> Your conclusion is based on a fallacy. The utilities in Texas do
> not determine what units are running and when to start them and have
> them available for spinning reserve. That is the job of the system
> operator, which in the case of Texas is the ERCOT System Operator.
> This entity does not own the assets and is not compensated in the
> way described. For those interested in a more detailed and accurate
> discussion, it can be found in the report prepared by NREL and ORNL
> www.nrel.gov/wind/syst...

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: What It Means for Clean Energy Stocks

dan-d:
In the current markets, financing is also key. If you and the bank are not certain that you'll have a job next month, are you really going to splash out on a PV system, for the promise of 2-8% returns (depending on the incentives and insolation available)?


On Mar 16 05:39 PM dan-d wrote:

> I would think solar would be the energy source of choice for individual
> and moderate sized home and community needs. Also the new incentives
> in the form of ITC's and leeds designations are a huge market waiting
> to employ tens of thousands of installers and maintenance workers.
>
> Once the realization that a one time investment can provide the individual
> with energy literally forever, a huge surge will occur. The need
> for energy is insatiable.
> The need for energy free of economic and political strings is critical.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: What It Means for Clean Energy Stocks

John,
Some larger conglomerates which are public and have an interest in Thermal Energy Storage (TES). The problem is that these are giant, capital intensive projects, so a company needs an enormous balance sheet to fund it.
Changes in tax law with the TARP allow utilites to own these projects and still benefit from tax incentives... this should be a boost for the technology because of utilities access to relatively cheap financing.

Public companies I know that have some interest in TES: Acciona, Abengoa, United Technologies, Iberdrola, Solar Millenium.


On Mar 16 02:17 PM John Lounsbury wrote:

> Tom - - -
>
> Thanks for continuing your yeoman work on alternative energy production
> and storage news.
>
> I was intersted that you say you have found no public companies focussed
> on thermal storage from solar energy. It seems to me that a good
> opportunity is being missed. Are there any privately capitalized
> efforts in this area?

Comparing Costs of Green Stocks vs. Costs of Green Funds

I've written an article comparing the available clean energy ETFs which you can find here:
www.altenergystocks.co...

Comparing Costs of Green Stocks vs. Costs of Green Funds

John,
The ETFs have an advantage of getting quick exposure without having to choose a specific stock. Although I'm focused on alternative energy, I still use FAN, a wind-focused ETF for general exposure to the the wind sector with better liquidity and available exhange traded options than are available on the mostly foreign stocks owned vy this ETF.

Ultra ETF Promises Fall Short

See my ETF reshuffles article... If you want an ETF to play crude oil, I currently prefer USL


On Feb 19 08:52 AM IJF76 wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I am a complete novice trader - was thinking of taking a punt on
> oil and was researching ways to invest - I came across UCO, DXO and
> CRUD ... after reading this article I am not too sure about leveraged
> ETFs ...
>
> If i purchase DXO and hold and oil goes up by $10 -$20 this year
> - please simplify for me if it would still be a bad move to buy DXO
> and hold ..
>
> thanks

ETF Shuffles in My Portfolio

I agree. I only revisited this portfolio so soon b/c I was changing the constituents.


On Feb 20 06:11 AM ROLEXDAYTONA wrote:

> Better show how this portfolio looks from January 2008, one month
> doesn't make it a good portfolio, 1 year does.

ETF Shuffles in My Portfolio

I sold my CPTC. There's a lot more smart grid than transmission in the stimulus.


On Feb 20 07:17 AM Bidd wrote:

> Tom,
> Do you still like CPTC? Could get big bump from stimulus and looking
> for partner on the wind side,