I read a great article over at Fast Company, here is an excerpt, see the link at the end to read the full article.
As the clean energy industry emerges from a challenging period caused by the global economic downturn, it is entering a stage of rapid change in which business models are being transformed against a backdrop of regulatory uncertainty. In several key sectors, the market is shifting back toward business structures and technologies that were once abandoned, but are now being revived. A new white paper from Pike Research identifies 10 key trends that are part of this transformation. The paper, which includes commentary and predictions about the state of the clean energy industry in 2011 and beyond, is available for free download on Pike Research’s website. [See Predictions for Cleantech in 2011]
“As the clean energy industry matures and as it simultaneously comes to grips with economic challenges, market leaders are experimenting with new business models, both at a large scale and on a distributed basis,” says senior analyst Peter Asmus. “At the same time, key industry players are utilizing an increasingly wider diversity of technology options, especially in the solar and wind sectors.”
1. Wind power steps up efforts to move offshore. Citing concerns, population density, limited available onshore sites, and concerns about wind power’s impact on birds and bats have often delayed and hindered many wind power projects. So, some developers, manufactures, governments, and investors, particularly in the United States and The United Kingdom have opted to move their wind power projects offshore, in spite of the potential additional costs associated with building long distance transmission lines. The biggest players in this market are Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark, which obtains more than 25% of its electricity from wind power. However, in the long-term, Pike Research’s market forecast shows that China’s offshore wind market will be even with the UK and Germany by 2017.