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Bullish on oil? Play it clean

2009-06-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

Aren't further oil problems inevitable?

Watching a little Fast Money and the crew just finished off a great segment on oil prices. Short term stabilization, the gang seemed to agree, is probably in the cards. Nonetheless, there are plenty of issues in the hopper to fire up oil trading into the future.

However, if you're bullish on higher oil prices, but don't want to get long in oil, Guy Adami suggests picking up a few shares of the Exchange Traded Fund TAN instead, which includes solar hot shot, First Solar.

Hexcel: A Chinese way to play wind power?

2009-06-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

A materials play?

An analyst on CNBC today called out Hexcel (HXL) an interesting green investment. Hexcel is the top material's provider for wind turbines. Still, investors have been skeptical on Hexcel because of liquidity issues. However, those issues have been resolved in the last few weeks.

Time for natural gas hybrid vehicles?

2009-03-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

New fuel, new battery

Starting Wednesday, the Pickens Plan will kick off a virtual march to push Congress and the White House towards a greater embrace of natural gas and wind power.

President Obama, however, has indicated that natural gas isn't an option. It's the electric car or nothing, but is that really wise?

I'm certainly not arguing against plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. It just seems to me that scaling up production of these vehicles is going to take much more time than most advocates are willing to accept. Likewise, many of these vehicles are going to be consuming dirty coal for decades.

Thus, shouldn't natural gas be at least part of the conversation? And, to protect the drive towards electrification, the program could be driven by natural gas hybrid vehicles, which keeps investment into battery technology rolling while replacing foreign oil with domestic, cleaner natural gas.

Finish: Time for natural gas hybrid vehicles?

Are Ford's hybrid better than the competition?

2009-03-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

"Not all hybrids are created equal"

That's the new message that Ford wants the buyers of hybrid cars to understand. Because of Ford's lighter battery - and its 20 percent increase in power and improved chemistry at higher temperatures - the Ford Fusion hybrid is able to stay in electric mode up to speeds as high as 47 mph, unlike the 35 mph to which many other hybrids are confined.

“The Fusion Hybrid’s ability to run at a much higher speed in electric mode allows drivers to maximize fuel efficiently in many driving situations,” says Praveen Cherian, the Fusion Hybrid program team leader.

Finish: Are Ford's hybrid better than the competition?

Cramer's semi-green speculation

2009-03-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Not a pure green play

Mad Money's Jim Cramer offered up Silicon Laboratories as a nice speculative play today. Now, SLAB isn't a pure green play, but it does have green elements to its business, such as a niche in hybrid cars.

Sure, it's not the greenest of green investments, but if you don't care, Jim thinks SLAB is worth the risk.

Are the Chinese set to eclipse the US on solar power?

2009-03-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

A Suntech Solar installation in Manitoba

When it comes to high efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells SunPower is about as good as it gets, but according to Greentech, Suntech's monocrystalline Pluto cells are catching up, and could soon even catch SunPower.

Now, I'm not calling Suntech the next big green investment; however, Suntech does have me wondering if US labor costs can compete with the labor costs China will be able to bring to the solar power space.

Certainly, US solar companies are years away from such worries. Nonetheless, green jobs are being purported to be the next big thing for skilled, high wage jobs in the US, but is that feasible in the long term?

Are polymers the key to lithium investments?

2009-03-27T11:06:00.000-07:00

A lithium ion polymer battery used by NASA

If the future of the automobile, for instance, is electrification, then batteries are the key to the auto industry, and everyone in the auto industry is now running towards lithium. Nonetheless, the exact chemistry's that make lithium viable for autos are in question.

Today, Technology Review has a pretty interesting piece on Seeo, Inc. and their latest use of "thin films of polymer as the electrolyte and high-energy-density, light-weight electrodes" which result in "safer, longer-lasting, lighter, and cheaper" batteries.

While some critics maintain that polymer electrolytes are not feasible for quick charge hybrids because of low ionic conductivity, the fact that Hyundai seems prepared to bet its hybrid future on related technology is quite interesting.

Even if lithium polymer isn't the key to the automobile, lithium polymers will be an important part of the future battery industry, and it could be another way to enjoy green investing.

Is Telsa for real?

2009-03-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

Great looking car

I don't know what to make of Tesla. While I've always respected Elon Musk's endeavor into electric vehicles, I've never fully bought into Tesla's business model, at least as far as EVs for the masses.

Yesterday's press conference, however, was weird.

Finish: Is Tesla for real?

Cap-and-trade DOA?

2009-03-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Alternative energy tax credits instead

According to CNBC's White House correspondent John Harwood, President Obama is ready to give up on his cap-and-trade program in order to protect his plans for health care. Instead of cap-and-trade, Harwood claimed Obama would focus more on tax incentives for promoting alternative energy. Likewise, I'd assume that if Congress increases CAFE standards based on the EPA's new "health danger" designation regarding CO2 emissions, much of what cap-and-trade would have accomplished for the auto industry can still be achieved.

Fast Money on smart grid technology

2009-03-26T14:58:00.001-07:00

Smart grid investing

Few things are greener than smart grid technology, but there are companies everywhere trying to get into this business. So, whenever smart investors throw out some names, it's good to pay attention.

Today, on Fast Money Karen Finerman picked Itron as a top smart technology company.

The gang also threw out American Superconductor and the PHO ETF.

Green investing in smart grid technology. Now that's just smart.

Fusion: Another reason to crack hydrogen?

2009-03-26T11:23:00.001-07:00

Can lasers make energy positive Fusion possible?

Fusion power plants. Sounds like something out of Star Trek, yet in just 2 to 3 years scientists might be able to use lasers that create fusion reactions that offer offer 10 times the amount of energy put in - typically derived hydrogen according to MIT.

While commercialization would probably occur many years later, it is an interesting development, and another offshoot of the potential of hydrogen.

Earlier this week, the Obama Administration indicated that it would stymie its support of hydrogen research in the US. Granted, there are many obstacles to hydrogen, but might not hydrogen offer the greatest potential of any possible energy source? Is it dangerous to take our attention off this issue?

Can ZENN be the "Intel Inside" of EVs?

2009-03-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

A ZENN electric vehicle

I've been following the ZENN story for the last few years, but I've always felt that ZENN was forever destined to niche player, such as EVs for university campus workers. However, CNET has a pretty interesting piece about how ZENN wants to become the "Intel Inside" of electric vehicles.

Could ZENN become an expert on electric drives, batteries and ultra-caps. That remains to be seen, especially since many of the major automakers are taking on this task internally.

As a green investor, I'm not sure I yet buy this story.

GE makes gains in wind power

2009-03-26T11:04:00.001-07:00

However, wind power sector is slowing

General Electric grew its wind power market share from 16.6 percent to 18.6 percent in 2008, thanks to a number of wind power projects in the US. If the US increases its wind power projects under Obama, GE could be a big winner and a sneaky way to play the green investor. (more)

Hyundai's cool blue plug-in

2009-03-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Blue-Will plug-in hybrid

Hyundai is showing off its latest hybrid concept as a sneak preview to the Seoul Auto Show in April. The Blue-Will plug-in hybrid, according to AutoWeek, utilizes used recycled soda bottles for the headlights, as well as biodegradable plastics for the engine cover and interior. Likewise, the panoramic solar-celled roof will help charge the battery.

Car2go a Smart idea

2009-03-26T08:37:00.001-07:00

Pay as you go car sharing

Daimler has picked Austin, TX as the first US city to try its Car2go pay-as-you-go city transportation program.

Under Car2go, much like Parisian Velib program, participants simply grab a car when they need and leave it wherever they are when they don't need it - within a certain geographical area. Membership is free and the cost is just 19 cents per minute. (For more click here).

Now, that's a Smart idea.

Bullet trains: The way to play cap-and-trade?

2009-03-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

A speedy green investment?

If President Obama has his way, America will soon have implemented a wide scale cap-and-trade program, and carbon trading could have huge ramifications for high speed rail according to some experts.

According to Richard Sandor, the chair and chief executive of the CCX, "said his organization has been working with the government-owned rail company Amtrak, which is a member of his bourse, to determine whether revenue from the developing carbon market can be directed to train companies."

Mazda's hydrogen hybrid: Isn't the hydrogen highway closed?

2009-03-25T16:40:00.001-07:00

Now if I could only find that hydrogen filling station

So, Mazda has received permission from the Japanese government to start leasing the Mazda hydrogen hybrid. Cool, right, especially since this hybrid can burn both gasoline and hydrogen?

Still, now the President Obama has put the kibosh on hydrogen funding, isn't the hydrogen highway closed here in America? Does hydrogen still matter?

Toyota: Cheap, small hybrid cars coming

2009-03-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yaris hybrid confirmed

Small Toyota hybrid cars are coming.

Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer of the redesigned, third-generation Toyota Prius stated, ""We are developing a low-priced hybrid vehicles like Honda's Insight. We are going to compete by expanding our hybrid-vehicle lineup to smaller hybrids, in the class of the Vitz [sold in Japan] and Yaris.".

Finish: Toyota: Cheap, small hybrid cars coming

Solyndra finding greater yield in its solar thin-film

2009-03-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

It's in the tubes

Solyndra has found it is able to boost the average power output of its thin-film solar panels from 157 watts to "close to 200 watts," according to reports. This increase yield should help the company increase production at its second 500 megawatt manufacturing plant that is being built with the help of $535 million Federal Loan guarantee - the first of its kind - from the Department of Energy.

Third Gen Prius Cheaper than expected?

2009-03-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Priced the same as the current Prius

The new third generation Hybrid Synergy Drive is going to enable the 2010 Toyota Prius to achieve better fuel economy and better performance than the current Prius and all in a bit larger package. Likewise, it will offer a number of new, advanced electronic features. Thus, many have assumed the price of the new Prius will increase significantly.

Finish: Third Gen Prius Cheaper than expected?

Obama: Forget the hydrogen highway

2009-03-25T12:07:00.001-07:00

A Honda fuel cell vehicle

The Obama administration will shift the government's funding from hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to plug-in vehicles.

"We want diversity, but we also want critical mass. If we're going to address these problems (of dependence on foreign oil), we eventually have to build something," said Steven Chalk, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency of and Renewable Energy, adding the government has to "pick some winners so to speak and go with our best shot."

Does Chromasum have the key to multifunction solar power?

2009-03-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

75 percent efficient?

Chromasun is hoping that a its new solar device, which uses both a PV and a solar thermal system to achieve 75 percent efficiency, will entice green investors. Likewise, the company is defining a very specific niche for itself as it gets started: air conditioning.

While air conditioning systems only account for about 16 percent of US power, during the summer AC power can account for almost 50 percent of grid demand in California.

Bicycles versus hybrids - Latest from Hybridcarblog

2009-03-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

Could it really be so simple?

Last night I watched a PBS program about the Velib, which essentially means freedom bike. In Paris, one can quite easily rent a bicycle to go from their subway stop to their job, the store, etc. Bike sharing is becoming Parisian for cool.

Moreover, cities such as Paris and London, are taking road space and converting it into public space - for walking, biking or some kind of public transportation space.

Yet, here in America, everything is about cake-eating. We don't want real change. Somehow the American Dream has come to mean irresponsibility. Finish: EVs and hybrids - A bandaide for American denial?

More from Hybridcarblog.com

Energy efficienct tax credits

2009-03-24T12:08:00.000-07:00

Need a new water heater or air conditioner?

So you aren't going to qualify for any bailout money or a mortgage modification? You could still find yourself claiming some bailout cash if you plan to upgrade your home with any of a number of products that enable increases in energy efficiency. For example, if you are replacing windows, adding a new AC unit or a water heater, for instance, you could claim a 30 percent tax credit up to $1500 for your effort.

Have bigger plans, such as adding solar panels to your roof? The credits are even far greater (more).

Smart IBM enters water management

2009-03-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Liquid gold

Water, water everywhere....Wrong.

"But in fact, experts say, water resources are coming under unprecedented pressure from growing populations and increased contamination -- potentially putting businesses from farming to semiconductor manufacturing at the risk of having to pay more for what is now a virtually free commodity."

Thus, IBM is getting in the smart water management (more).