A Special Report
Hydroelectric Power in the US Year
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
6,673.4 6,542.0 6,058.6 6,037.3 6,065.4 6,119.4 6,257.7 6,388.7 6,540.3 6,696.6 6,708.2
Revenue ($ million) (% change)
N/C -2.0 -7.4 -0.4 0.5 0.9 2.3 2.1 2.4 2.4 0.2
SOURCE: IBISWORLD
Wind Power in the US Year
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
1782.7 2718.4 2965.4 3465.2 3996.7 4300.5 4691.1 5212.5 5767.4 6358.7 6428.0
Revenue ($ million) (% change)
N/C 52.5 9.1
16.9 15.3 7.6 9.1
11.1 10.6 10.3 1.1
SOURCE: IBISWORLD
Solar Power in the US Year
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
42.8 46.7 53.8 69.0
125.2 150.1 165.2 172.2 188.6 195.9 210.4
Revenue ($ million) (% change)
N/C 9.1
15.2 28.3 81.4 19.9 10.1 4.2 9.5 3.9 7.4
SOURCE: IBISWORLD
“go green,” not just to be politically correct, but because they are concerned about global warming and believe that energy is the next frontier in the lean movement.
For example, machine maker DMG / Mori Seiki, which has opened an “energy solution park” in Germany, is offer- ing its Gildemeister WindCarrier, an innovative gearless wind turbine meant to help manufacturers power their facilities through brownouts and whatever other disruptions often come their way. That power can further be stored in the company’s CellCube, which it boasted is “the battery system of the future.”
There are risks to this happy new energy future, of course. The increas- ing output of shale oil and natural gas is disrupting the energy market and hurting the case for renewables, which is why that industry has been celebrat- ing the extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC), even as many question why the PTC hasn’t been made more long-term or permanent to give the market certainty.
Meanwhile, those on the fracking
frontier, where there is always a risk of accident, must be careful to take seri- ously their efforts to protect the environ- ment as they go about their business. In January, the movie, “The Promised Land,” was released, pushing the is-
Manufacturers are developing innovative new power solutions to assist manufacturers worldwide, who may not have access to reliable power supplies or who are looking to cut their energy costs. Many of these solutions may have broader applications, too.
April 2013 |
ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com 7
sue of fracking into the popular culture. It stars Matt Damon as a salesman trying to convince poor residents of a small town to sell the drilling rights to their properties, and it may raise fears about fracking and its impact on water supplies. The impact of such concerns should not be taken lightly. A December Wall Street Journal article, “Global Gas Push Stalls,” showed that environmental concerns are a major ob- stacle for US energy firms trying to expand their shale oil and natural gas business to plays outside of North America. But the fire of innovation has been lit in the US energy sec- tor, and it will spread regardless of what challenges it confronts.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150